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    Empanada Dough Recipe Made With 5 Ingredients

    by Brendan Cunningham 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This empanada dough recipe makes tender and flaky empanada discs from scratch with just 5 simple ingredients. You can fill them with anything you want for a quick and tasty appetizer or main meal. And you can save them for another time since this empanada dough is totally freezer-friendly!

    A few empanadas on individual square sheets of parchment paper all on a gray counter.

    THE BEST EMPANADA DOUGH

    This empanada dough is just what you need to whip up fast and effortless empanadas whenever you want.

    Table of Contents
    • THE BEST EMPANADA DOUGH
      • INGREDIENTS FOR EMPANADA DOUGH
      • HOW TO MAKE EMPANADA DOUGH
        • STEP 1: PREPARING THE DOUGH
        • STEP 2: ROLLING AND CUTTING
      • FREEZING EMPANADA DOUGH
      • FAQS ABOUT THIS EMPANADA DOUGH RECIPE
        • DO YOU HAVE TO DEFROST THIS EMPANADA DOUGH?
        • CAN YOU BAKE THIS EMPANADA DOUGH?
        • WHAT CAN YOU FILL EMPANADA DOUGH WITH?
      • WRAPPING IT ALL UP

     

    If you've ever had empanadas, then you already know that they're one of the most versatile and delicious pastries you can make.

    They're wonderfully flaky, packed with savory or sweet fillings, and are just so delicious to eat for a variety of different occasions like celebrations or just a weeknight dinner.

    Plus, they're a guaranteed crowd favorite - both adults and kids love them. Seriously, every time I make this empanada dough,  everyone devours whatever it's used for! 

    And this recipe comes together with just 5 ingredients and only takes about 15 minutes of work - the rest is just letting your dough sit. Then, just freeze it, and you'll have dough for frying anytime you want!

    You can use it to make these chicken empanadas, beef empanadas, and apple empanadas! Every one of these filled empanadas can be cooked three different ways - fried, baked, or air fried. And they are all delicious fillings, so I highly suggest you try them all!

    But sheet of empanada dough with ten discs cut out encased by the dough.

    INGREDIENTS FOR EMPANADA DOUGH

    As I mentioned, I really love this homemade empanada dough because it literally has just 5 ingredients.

    And on top of that, they're all super common pantry staples, so there's a pretty good chance you have everything in your kitchen already. Which means nothing is stopping you from making empanadas for dinner tonight!

    With that being said, here's what you'll need to make it:

    • Wheat Flour
    • Milk
    • Vegetable Oil
    • Egg
    • Salt

    Like I said, super simple stuff!

    But if you do have to go to the grocery store to restock on any of these ingredients, be sure to pick up a packet of dry instant yeast. Then you'll have everything you need to make this Instant Pot bread or easy biscuits next!

    By the way, if you want to make gluten free empanada dough, just use any gluten free flour!

    A white bowl filled with flour, a square bowl filled with an egg, a small bowl filled with vegetable oil, a picture of milk, and a small dish of salt on a white counter.

    HOW TO MAKE EMPANADA DOUGH

    So, this homemade empanada dough is as straightforward as it gets. Like most pastry doughs, all you have to do is combine the ingredients, knead and rest the dough, then roll it out and cut out each empanada disc.

    Now, because this recipe is so easy, I like to make extras and store them in the freezer for quick empanadas anytime. So if you love empanadas as much as I do, I highly recommend doubling or tripling this easy dough recipe.

    Anyway, let's dive into the details and make empanada dough!

    A white bowl filled with empanada dough ingredients. There is a wooden spatula in the bowl and the bowl is on a white cloth on a gray counter.

    STEP 1: PREPARING THE DOUGH

    First, sift the wheat flour into a bowl to eliminate any clumps. Then, make a hole in the middle of it and add the egg, milk, vegetable oil, and salt to the hole and mix the flour with these ingredients to incorporate everything until it is well-combined.

    Now, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 5 minutes - or until the dough is completely smooth and a little sticky.

    Then, place the dough back into the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it sit for about 2 hours.

    A ball of empanada dough on a wooden cutting board on top of a gray counter.

    STEP 2: ROLLING AND CUTTING

    Once you've rested the pastry dough, take it out, and transfer it to a flat working surface with some flour on it. Then, sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough and use a rolling pin to roll the dough until it's ⅕ inch or ½ centimeter thick.

    Now you can use a round cutter to cut the empanada dough. And the number of empanada dough discs you make will depend on the size of your cutter - I used a 3-inch diameter cookie cutter, and that made make 24 discs.

    Oh, and if you still have dough left over after cutting your discs, you can just roll it up and flatten it out again so you can cut more out.

    And there you have it! You can fill them and use your empanada dough for frying right away or freeze them for later.

    A thin piece of rolled out and empanada dough. Two hands are holding a roller on top of the dough and there is a little flour on the dough.

    FREEZING EMPANADA DOUGH

    So, if you're not using all of this homemade empanada dough immediately, you can freeze it and fill the discs whenever you want!

    To freeze empanada dough, cut some parchment paper into squares and place them between the discs to prevent them from sticking together. 

    Then, transfer your leftover dough into a freezer bag, and you can freeze for up to 3 months!

    A thin piece of empanada dough flat on a gray counter. There is a hand holding a round cutter on top of the middle of the sheet of dough.

    FAQS ABOUT THIS EMPANADA DOUGH RECIPE

    DO YOU HAVE TO DEFROST THIS EMPANADA DOUGH?

    Yes, you'll want to defrost your empanada dough before using it.

    However, it should only take around 15 minutes to thaw the dough if it's out at room temperature.

    By the way, the discs can get pretty sticky, so you might want to put the discs on a tray lined with parchment paper while you thaw them - and avoid stacking them while they defrost.

    CAN YOU BAKE THIS EMPANADA DOUGH?

    Yes! You can either bake the empanada dough after filling it, make fried empanadas on the stovetop, or, my favorite method, use the air fryer.

    WHAT CAN YOU FILL EMPANADA DOUGH WITH?

    The best thing about empanada dough is that you can fill it with practically anything. And if you want more empanada recipes, I've got you covered.

    My favorite savory fillings using the dough to make these beef empanadas and chicken empanadas. And my favorite dessert empanadas are by far these apple cinnamon empanadas.

    A sheet of empanada dough with 10 discs cut out of it all on a gray counter.

    WRAPPING IT ALL UP

    So, that's how to make empanada dough! As you can see, it's one of the easiest dough recipes you can make, and it's also one of the most versatile.

    I always like to have a batch of the prepared dough stored in my freezer to whip up some quick and easy empanadas whenever the cravings hit.

    They're perfect for busy weeknights or big parties too! And, honestly, whether I use the dough to make savory or sweet empanadas, they're always a huge hit with family and friends.

    Well, I hope you like this easy empanada dough recipe as much as my family and I do.

    If you make it, be sure to let me know in the comments how it went. I'd also love to know what you filled it with!

    By the way, this recipe is similar to making our pierogies and fried dough. You can use some of the ingredients from this recipe to make them, and they both take under 30 minutes. So make sure to try them out next!

    Print

    Empanada Dough Recipe Made With 5 Ingredients

    A few empanadas on individual square sheets of parchment paper all on a gray counter.
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 2 reviews

    This empanada dough recipe makes tender and flaky empanada discs from scratch with just 5 simple ingredients. You can fill them with anything you want for a quick and tasty appetizer or main meal. And you can save them for another time since this empanada dough is totally freezer-friendly!

    • Author: Brendan Cunningham
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 0 minutes
    • Total Time: 10 minutes
    • Yield: 24 empanadas 1x
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Mixing
    • Cuisine: Spanish

    Ingredients

    Scale

    4 Cups (500g) Wheat Flour

    5 oz. (150mL) Milk

    5 oz. (150mL) Vegetable Oil

    1 Egg

    1 tsp. Salt

    Instructions

    1. Sift the flour into a bowl and make a hole in the middle.
    2. Add the egg, milk, vegetable oil, and salt to the hole in the flour. Incorporate the flour with the ingredients and mix until everything is well combined. 
    3. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, or until the dough seems uniform.
    4. Put the dough ball back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit for at least 2 hours.
    5. Transfer to a working surface again and roll out with a rolling pin until it’s ⅕ inch (½ cm) thick.
    6. Cut with a round cutter, around 3-inches in diameter. Either fill and cook or freeze.
    7. To freeze, cut parchment paper in squares to separate the disks. Store them in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 empanada
    • Calories: 129
    • Fat: 0
    • Carbohydrates: 14.3
    • Fiber: 2.7
    • Protein: 3

    Keywords: empanada dough, empanada, empanada recipe, how to make empanadas dough, how to make empanada dough crispy, empanadas recipe, empanada dough recipe, how to make empanada dough, empanada dough for frying, empanadas dough, empanadas disc, empanadas recipe, empanadas, empanada dough discs, empanada dough recipe for frying, empanada dough recipe for baking, empanada dough recipe for air fryer,

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marie

      January 24, 2022 at 8:22 pm

      Well worth making this instead of buying empanada discs.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Maribel

      February 11, 2022 at 8:36 am

      I love empanadas and have made many doughs. This was one of the better ones I've made!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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