Empanadillas
The difference between empanadillas and empanadas is the thinner, flakier crust. We made this recipe with beef but empanadillas can be filled with chicken, pork, or shrimp. They can even be stuffed with a vegetarian filling. The possibilities are wide open.
This recipe uses sofrito as a base of flavor. Popular across Latin America, there are as many different versions of sofrito as there are households. You can buy a pre-mixed sofrito in the grocery store, but for a basic one take:
- one peeled sweet onion
- one stemmed and seeded red or green bell pepper
- one whole bunch of fresh cilantro
- 6 peeled cloves of fresh garlic
Chop them enough to put them in a food processor and then process everything into a puree. Use what you need and freeze the rest in ice cube or 1/4 cup portions. Visit our sofrito blog to read about the many varieties of sofrito to choose from.
Empanadillas are a popular holiday food, though they can be enjoyed year-round as an appetizer or a snack.
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick of butter, ice cold, cut into cubes
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup ice cold water
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 Tablespoon Adobo Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon California Roasted Minced Garlic
- 1/4 cup sofrito
- 3 Tablespoons Sazon Seasoning
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 onion, small dice
- 1/2 green bell pepper, small dice
- 1/2 red bell pepper, small dice
- 1 small potato, small dice
- 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
- Mix flour, salt, butter, and egg in a food processor or mixer.
- Add water slowly, until the dough achieves a stretchy consistency.
- Cover dough and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
- Toss crumbled ground beef with Adobo Seasoning. Add garlic and brown meat in a skillet.
- Add sofrito, Sazon Seasoning, tomato sauce, onions, peppers, and potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender. Let this cool until it is easy to handle.
- On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch. Do not roll too thin, as the filling will poke through the dough.
- Cut dough with a cookie cutter or a cup into circles.
- Place 1 Tablespoon meat in the middle of dough circles, fold over dough and crimp edges with a fork to seal shut.
- Heat oil to 350°F, and fry pockets in batches until golden brown.
- Serve warm.
