Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Savory and delicious, with a hint of spice.
Texture: The pastry crust is buttery and slightly crisp while the feeling is ultra satisfying.
Ease: Both the dough and the filling are incredibly easy to make.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: Perfect for serving a crowd, taking to a potluck, or a perfect game day appetizer.
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These baked Vegetarian Empanadas are my new favorite savory snack. Or lunch. Or appetizer. Or dinner!
A plate of these Vegetarian Empanadas, some Soft Pretzel Bites, and a bowl of Beer Cheese Dip, and you’ve got yourself a party!
Perfectly flaky pastry. Black bean and corn filling packed with flavor. What’s not to love about these beautiful little pockets of heaven?!
Make sure to check out the tip box below, where I share all my tips for how to make empanadas of your dreams!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Vegetarian Empanadas
Can I Customize This Filling?
Absolutely! Feel free to switch out any of the vegetables and spices in the filling recipe below to suit your needs and preferences. These Empanadas also make for a fun way to use up leftovers, so get as creative as you like with what you have on hand.
How to Assemble Vegetarian Empanadas
- Tear off golf-ball sized pieces of the chilled dough and roll into balls.
- On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the balls into 1/4-inch thick, 5-inch diameter circles.
- Place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center of each dough circle. Sprinkle lightly with cheese, if using. Be sure not to overfill your empanadas as you assemble, which is easy to do. Use a little less than you think to prevent any holes or tears in the dough and to prevent them from bursting open as they bake.
- Brush a small amount of egg wash lightly over one half edge’s border. Fold over the dough to create a half-moon shape and press edges firmly to seal. Crimp edges with the back of a fork.
- Brush with an egg wash and bake.
What to Serve with Veggie Empanadas:
- Green or red salsa
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Spanish rice
- Home Fries
- Salad
How to Make Vegetable Empanadas Ahead of Time
- The empanada dough can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the fridge for one day before using.
- The filling can also be cooked and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a day.
- The assembled unbaked empanadas can also be covered in plastic and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days, no need to change the baking time.
Vegetarian Empanada FAQs
We haven’t tested this ourselves, but feel free to omit the cheese in the filling. Use a vegan butter in the dough, and try using a non-dairy milk instead of the egg wash – just note the empanadas brown as much as pictured here.
I baked mine for 20 minutes, until golden brown. If you make empanadas that are smaller or bigger than the size created in the recipe, make sure to adjust the baking time accordingly.
Refrigerate leftovers either plastic-wrapped or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 400°F oven until the crust has re-crisped and the filling is warmed through, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Yes! Freeze the sheet of unbaked empanadas until solid, then transfer into a freezer bag. Frozen empanadas will keep for up to three months and can be baked straight from the freezer. Add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
Fully baked empanadas can also be frozen, though they lose a bit of their flaky texture. To prevent freezer burn, wrap them individually in plastic wrap. To reheat, unwrap as many empanadas as you want and warm in a 300°F oven or toaster oven, about 10 minutes.
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Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 3/4 cups (349 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- pinch paprika
For the Vegetable Filling:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 1 can (15.5 ounces) corn
- 1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans
- 1 small russet potato, peeled, finely diced, and boiled*
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- ½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
- ½ green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
- 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese (or “Mexican blend” cheese), optional
For the egg wash:
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
For the dough:
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the water and butter, heating until butter has fully melted. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and paprika and make a well in the center. Pour a little of the warm butter mixture in and mix with your fingertips to make a wet paste. Pour in remaining liquid, and work the dough with your hands until you get a wet, oily dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
For the filling:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté jalapeño. Once fragrant, add corn, black beans, potato and seasonings. After the mixture has come together, add the diced celery and bell peppers. Sauté for about 2 minutes, or until tender.
To assemble:
- Tear off golf-ball sized pieces of the chilled dough and roll into balls. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the balls into 1/4-inch thick, 5-inch diameter circles. Once your dough has been rolled out, place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center of each dough circle. Sprinkle lightly with cheese, if using. Fold over the dough to create a half-moon shape and press edges firmly to seal. Crimp edges with the back of a fork.
- Place empanadas onto the prepared baking sheet. Lightly beat together the egg and water. Brush the empanadas gently with the egg wash.
- Bake empanadas until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.
- Refrigerate leftovers either plastic wrapped or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze cooked empanadas plastic wrapped in a resealable freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. To reheat, unwrap as many empanadas as you want and warm through in a 300°F oven or toaster oven for about 10 minutes.
Notes
Photos by Joanie Simon.
I used store-bought dough so can’t comment on that part of the recipe, but we really liked the filling! I was afraid to put in the red pepper flakes because I thought they might be too hot for my kids, but I don’t think they actually would be. Definitely will make again!
Hi
Is it better to fully prepare the empanadas in advance and reheat or to store assembled in the refrigerator and bake the day of serving? I am concerned that if stored unbaked the dough will absorb moisture from the filling making it gummy and difficult to crisp up.
Thanks!
Hi Shelley! We’ve had success storing the fully-assembled empanadas in the fridge for up to 2 days (we did not find this method made the dough gummy or prevented it from crisping), and also storing the dough and filling separately and assembling and baking when you wish to eat them. Instructions for both these options, as well as make-ahead and freezing options, can be found in the pink tip box, right above the recipe. I hope this helps! Happy baking 🙂
I enjoy so many of your recipes but this one missed the mark for us. Filling was so-so.
Hi Lily! I’m sorry to hear that this filling wasn’t your favorite. The best thing about these empanadas is how customizable they are! Next time, feel free to add a lot more spice, herbs, different vegetables – whatever you like! Taste the filling and add a little more spice from there, if needed. The crust is so amazing, it’s worth the experimentation until you nail the filling seasoning levels to your preference 🙂
Thank you for an amazing recipe! The empanadas were really tasty and the comprehensive layout of the website meant it was accessible for kids too. This is the first time I’ve used handle the heat but after this success I will definitely be using it again
hi, should the potatoes be boiled a bit first or the cook in the pan?
Hi Jess! You can par-boil the potatoes beforehand if you prefer, but we have found that as long as you dice them quite finely (as pictured), the quick sauté plus the bake time is sufficient to cook them through. Happy baking 🙂
Amazing! My family and I aren’t big meat people, so these vegetarian empanadas were a big hit!!
So excited to hear these were a hit, Emily!
Excellent recipe! Takes a little time to make all the empanadas, but totally worth it!
So happy to hear you found these empanadas worth the time, Tyler! 🙂
The empanada dough is DELISH. So buttery and flavorful. Loved the filling as well, I just felt like there was too much because I had a lot leftover! Can’t wait to make breakfast ones next!
Hi Alexa! Thanks for the comment! So glad you enjoyed these so much 🙂
So flavorful!
So happy you enjoyed these empanadas, Haley!!
Really delicious dough, easy to work with and extremely flavourful….I did haded extra smoked paprika so my empanadas tasted like they had choriço in them. I will repeat this recipe.
Sounds delicious, Edna! So happy you enjoyed them!
Second empanadas I’ve made. I will say I had lots of the filling leftover. Planning on using it for an egg scramble!
My husband loves them and we are planning on having them for dinner with homemade guacamole.
Sounds like a delicious way to use up the leftover filling, Jamey! So happy you and your husband enjoyed these empanadas!
Delicious empanadas
Hi Fithria! So happy you enjoyed these empanadas!!