Best Vegan Empanadas
These vegan empanadas are bursting with savory flavors! They're crispy on the outside and stuffed with meat-free fillings like jackfruit carnitas, refried beans, and dairy-free cheese.
Equipment
- Tortilla press
- Deep-fryer or large pot
- Deep-fry or candy thermometer
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups masa harina
- 1 ½ - 2 cups very warm water
- ¼ tsp salt
Fillings (2 cups total)
Instructions
Dough
- Add the masa harina and salt to a mixing bowl and combine. Then, add in approximately 1 ½ cups of warm water to start with and mix together using your hands.
- Knead the dough to form a ball that's moist enough to stay together, but not coming off on your hands. Keep rolling and pressing with your palm for a few minutes (like you would when kneading bread dough).
- If the dough appears too crumbly, add a tablespoon of water at a time until you achieve a texture similar to play dough. If it becomes too sticky, add in a little more masa harina.
Press
- Break off pieces of the dough to form small balls. Roll each piece of dough in between your palms until smooth. You should get about 14-16 empanadas out of this recipe. Only roll 2-3 balls at a time, and store the extra dough under a damp tea towel to prevent it from drying out.
- If you have a tortilla press, cut a freezer bag into 2 pieces that will fit into the press (one for each side of the dough).
- Open the press and place a ball of dough in the center on a piece of plastic. Place the other plastic piece on top and close the press down to flatten the dough.
- If you don't have a tortilla press, place your ball of dough between the same 2 pieces of plastic on your counter. Press the tortilla down with the bottom of a baking dish or plate.
Fillings
- Grab out your fillings: refried beans, jackfruit carnitas, vegan queso fresco, etc. In the meantime, heat 2-3 cups of vegetable oil (enough to fully submerge the empanadas) to 350-375°F in a deep pot or fryer.
- Once the dough is flattened, remove the top plastic piece and add a spoonful of fillings into the middle, making sure to leave room for sealing the edges.
- Keeping the dough on the bottom piece of plastic, fold it over to form a half-moon shape. Pinch the edges together, making sure there is a good seal (you can press the edges down with a fork over top of the plastic to help with this).
- Remove the empanada from the plastic. If you want an even edge, press around the pinched half of the empanada with a bowl similar in size. You can also cut along the edge with a knife. Set the empanada aside on a tray with plastic wrap over top to keep the moisture locked in.
Cooking
- Once you have made a few empanadas, carefully add 1-3 into the pot of hot oil. Deep fry until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes. Continue forming the rest of the empanadas while you wait for the previous batch to fry.
- Note: It's ideal to use a thermometer when working with oil. If you don't have one, test if the oil is ready by dropping a small piece of dough in. If it sizzles and floats to the top, then you should be good to go.
- Serve your empanadas while warm with sauces like salsa roja, salsa verde, Mexican crema, etc. Happy eating!
Notes
- Use a plastic bag: It's way easier to fold the empanada without it sticking or cracking when you use a Ziploc bag (or something similar).
- Don't overfill them: In order to achieve a proper seal, start with less filling than you think you'll need before folding the empanadas.
- Use dry fillings: Adding overly juicy or runny fillings will make the dough soggy and affect your seal.
- Double-check the seal: You don't want the fillings to spill out into the oil, so make sure the empanada edges are properly sealed.
- Fry right after folding: If you let them sit out too long, the empanadas start to crack. It's best to make and fry them in batches of 2-3.
- Add moisture to the dough: If the empanada dough is getting dry, add a bit more water before pressing them.
- Use a thermometer: If you fry often, it's worth investing in a deep-fry thermometer or deep-fryer. The optimal frying temperature is 350-375 degrees F.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate and should not be taken as health advice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.9g | Protein: 1.3g | Fat: 0.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 37.5mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 30.5IU | Calcium: 19.4mg | Iron: 1.1mg
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