Empanada is a mini pie. Actually, it’s more like the Italian calzone but the crust is flaky and sweet just like those of pastries. Based on the name itself, empanadas must have found their way to the Philippines via Spain. If you search the web, you will find that a lot of former Spanish colonies have their own versions of empanada–Mexico, Puerto Rico, Chile, Peru…
In the Philippines, empanadas are traditionally deep fried. If you’ve been a long time reader of my food blog, you would know about my aversion to frying because I loathe cleaning up oil spatters. And I really don’t like greasy dough. I like my empanada crust flaky and the filling moist but I don’t like my hands getting greasy from eating them. So, I bake my empanadas. I have always baked my empanadas from the day I learned to make them.
The most popular empanada filling in the Philippines is chicken. A rather far second is pork. While regional cuisines have their own unique versions of empanada (like the Ilocano version–deep-fried with orange-tinted crust), as far as I know, Empanada Royale, with stalls in most shopping malls, was the first commercial empanada outlet that went beyond the usual chicken or pork filling. Empanada Royale introduced varieties that include tuna, ham and cheese, beef, pizza…
Yesterday, I made some turkey empanadas. There were turkey choice cuts in the supermarket and there was this tray of turkey thighs that I thought would just be perfect for a batch of empanada.
Ingredients :
For the filling :
2 turkey thighs, boiled until tender
2 medium-sized potatoes
1 tsp. of finely minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper
2 tbsps. of raisins, soaked in water until plump
6 tbsps. of butter
4 tbsps. of cream
salt
pepper
1 tbsp. of chopped parsley
For the crust :
4 c. of flour
6 tbsps. of sugar
2 tsps. of baking powder
1 tbsp. of salt
3/4 cup of chilled butter or margarine
ice water
1 egg, beaten with 2 tbsps. of water
Cooking and baking procedure :
Debone the turkey thighs and chop the meat into half-inch cubes.
Peel the potatoes and cut into the same size as the turkey meat.
Cut the bell pepper in half, remove the seeds and the membranes then roughly chop.
Melt the butter in a non-stick pan. When hot, fry the potato cubes until lightly browned. If you don’t have a non-stick pan, you will have to fry the potatoes in vegetable oil the usual way. Just drain them on paper towels when they’re nicely browned. Add the rest of the ingredients for the filling except the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are done and the turkey meat is heated through. Turn off the heat, add the parsley and the cream, stir to blend then leave to cool completely. A common mistake when making meat pie is to stuff the crust before the filling has cooled. It’s a mistake I made the first time I made empanadas. The filling has to be allowed to cool; otherwise, the steam will make the crust soggy and no amount of baking will solve the problem.
While the filling cools, make the crust. Place the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl and stir. Cut the butter or margarine into small pieces and mix into the flour with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water, one tablespoonful at a time, until the dough comes together and can be gathered into a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.
To make rolling easier, tear a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball, flattem with your hands then place between two sheets of baking paper. Roll (you’ll need a rolling pin) from the center going outward to create a circle. Turn the baking paper around so that you’re rolling from several angles to keep the thickness of the dough uniform. Place about 2 tablespoonfuls of the turkey filling on one side of the dough. Fold the other side over the filling, fold the edges then pinch to seal completely. I wish I could have taken photos of this stage to show you how to do it step-by step but I couldn’t touch the camera with dirty hands. The photo of the filling (above, left) was taken after all the dough had been used up. That’s actually the leftover filling on the plate in the photo.
So, anyway… arrange the empanadas on a baking sheet (above, right).
Pierce the tops of the empanadas with a fork, piercing each empanada about 3 or 4 times to create steam vents. Without these vents, the crust may split open during baking. It also minimizes chances of having a soggy crust. Unless the steam from the hot filling is allowed to escape, the moisture will be retained inside the empanada which will affect the crispiness of the crust. So, pierce, pierce, pierce.
Brush the tops and edges of the crust with the eggwash (above, left). Bake the empanadas in a 180oC oven for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are nicely browned.
Empanadas are best served hot but it’s wise to let them cool for a few minutes before attempting to bite into them. The filling is steaming hot when the empanadas come out of the oven and you really do not want to burn your mouth.
Enjoy your empanada with your favorite drink. 
Hi Connie,
I will definitely try this recipe. It looks good.
I am book marking your blog for sure. Can I link it to mine?
All the best
Of course, you may link my blog to yours.
Hope you have fun with the empanada.
,,, it’s some kind of a turnovers.
These reaaly do look and sound good! I’ve never had an empanada before but I must try it.
Also I’ve never seen such a detailedrecipe before. I do have one question. To what size do you roll the dough circle? I’m guessing perhaps 8″.
Yes, somewhere between 6 and 8 inches.
Wow, these look great! Once again your blog is making me hungry.
I got leftover rotisserie chicken from yesterday. I think I’ll fix it with that for today’s empanadas.
Where can I get that Turkey empanada? Who’s the supplier?
Looking forward to hear from you soon.
Note: Do you know a supplier of Turkey Ham aside from Santis.
kitchie, i baked them.
Hi connie,
Your turkey empanada looks yummy!!! for sure i’ll try this..thanks a lot for the step by step recipe…
Hi Connie,
its me again. do you have doughnut recipe?
thanks again.:smile:
it seems that the crust is not that flaky
how do you make them really flaky, flaky enough
that when you take a bite the crumbs fall
sorry, susan, no donut recipe.
jimb, add more butter/margarine and less water.
connie, you read my mind. I’ve been planning on learning how to make empanadas. It brings back memories of my mom making them.
Thanks talaga.
Btw, is it ok if I keep a collection of some of your recipes, in preparation for my lifelong dream of putting up a restaurant?
“is it ok if I keep a collection of some of your recipes, in preparation for my lifelong dream of putting up a restaurant?”
of course.
hehehe dream ko din yan.
just as i was thinking of something for merienda tomorrow…perfect!
thanks!
peterb, they’re just perfect when freshly baked.
Hi there my name is aileen im always checking your website for recipes. I would like to try your turkey empanada recipe but I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of cream did you use for the filing? I would really appreciate it if you reply asap. Thank you
aileen
all-purpose cream, aileen. i believe it’s called single cream in north america.
Puff pastry would be great if you really want a flaky empanada. Like what connie said, incorporate more butter to the dough.
Connie, have you tried Jamaican Patties? Thats how I like my empanadas, flat and filled with ground meat. I find the normal empanadas to be too nakakasawa
You must eat infamous LEVEIOUS “CARLO” Rolando -Vianna Cubano Crilloa Turkey it is beyond You human imgaination ..Iam chef of 49 years I have never ever tasted Turkey like this were the favor change in your mouth every 9 seconds and delcious..
He boil the Turkey and the literly seasons the Wood
did you hear me he seasons the wood..
they put leaves and herbs and fruits in to the wood
and then slow Barbuque the Turkey..
this was during the Latino Fest in los angeles ..
he as his 9 mexican -indian assistants ..
cooked at least 300 turkeys.. people were in line by the hundreds ..to eat this the His Uncle owner of the World FAMOUS “El Floridita : a Resturaunt
which specializes in truly Authenic Cuban and Puerto rican and Brazilian Crusine and some other latin american food .. they grow their own Herbs and and use nothing that is store purchase all natural
SAZON AND MOJOS and Sofritos of so many different kind.. you must taste turkey and beef and Emanadas
most incredible food worl wide..
Rumouref for him to cook turkey he has to be paid up front 7 thousand dollars just to season the turkeys and to barbuque another 8 thousand dollars
well worth eat when whole turkey costs 50 to 60 dollars most people but 3 of them ..,i went next day and people were protesting why there was no turkey on the menu..
question po…
my mom and i started to sell the usual chicken empada… im a newbiee wen i comes to cooking…
question po…
bakit po kailangan ng “chilled butter or margarine” kahit imemelt din sya? he he
Elle, sounds interesting. Will surf the web for a recipe.
Sounds delicious, David, so why is it INfamous?
Joeseffin, the ice water hardens the butter/lard upon contact and makes the dough easier to gather to a ball without getting sticky.
ms connie… thank you 4 answerin my inquiry….. ’til next tym
Hi Connie,
I tried to make Empanada Recipe last night,instead of Turkey I used ground Beef for fillings.I followed how to make your dough It came out maalat,& I fried too,Is it really 1tbsp.
salt?
Hi Connie,I tried your Empanada crust but it came out salty.Is it 1tbsp. salt or 1tsp.?
Luz, “maalat” is relative. What is too salty for one person may be bland to another. That’s why recipes are guides, you always have to adjust depending on the preference of your taste buds.
If you’re used to sweet pie crust like Goldilock’s, you might really find non-sweetened crust too salty.
Hi Connie,thanks for replying me back,you know what I tried
to make the dough 3x before i got the right taste for me.But
you are right maybe because I’m not use to salty.I used 1/2 tsp. of salt and 6 tbsp.of cold water,It came out perfect especially for my husband he really love it.Thank you again.:wink:
You’re very welcome, Luz.
hi ms connie. andito na naman po ako at mangungulit. thank you for visiting my blog. you just dont know how i felt lalo na at ang publisher pa ng favorite coking website ko ang nagcheck ng very simple blog ko. we had empanadas mallorquinas today. and i would want to link sana etong empanada recipe mo so my readers, though limited pa, hehe, can also get your recipe which is another way of making empanada. i had been spending most of the morning researching about getting my own domain name. kaya lang talagang medyo naguguluhan ako. i’m really new to blogging. honestly my blog is not yet ready to have it’s own domain pero in the future i would want my own domain din. kaya lang i dont know where to buy my domain name. tapos naguguluhan pa ako about buying the domain name and registering it. kung after buying i have to register it pa ba. or by buying it it’s already registered. talagang napakagulo ng utak ko that i only published my empanada entry in the afternoon na. by the way i am also reading your other blogs like the sassy lawyer, etc. thanks ms connie! you’re the best!
I will love empanadas and have been meaning to make them. This detailed guide will surely do it.
Thanks for inspiring the cook in me.
hi connie i just tried the empanada recipe and it turned out salty too and got a lingering aftertaste to it. i saw a same comment above and was wondering how i can achieve that sweet pie crust thing. thanks
symone, what is salty, the crust or the filling? if it’s the crust, use less salt, add sugar to make it sweet.
as to the “lingering aftertaste”, if you’re referring to the “lansa” of poultry, there are a number of reasons for it. if the aftertaste is in the crust, it might be the quality of the shortening or even UNDERCOOKING because insufficiently cooked pie crust would leave a floury aftertaste.
Hi connie,
I came across your website when searching for a puto recipe. Wala akong masabi, all your recipes are very good (all that I’ve tried). 2 yrs na ko dito sa japan but I’m still not used to japanese cuisine, iba pa rin talaga ang lasang pinoy, thanks to your site, ndi ko masyadong namimiss pinoy food.
This recipe is superb! Crust pa lng pede na
hi. is the cream really necessary?
Connie, I add a small can of cream of chicken to keep the filling together in my empanada. It also enhances its flavour. The cream in your recipe must serve the same purpose(s). I will try it too. I’ve always made my filling with ground beef or ground chicken but I think the turkey is a healthier alternative. Thank you for another good recipe.
ayette, try it without the cream and, if you’re satisfied, then you judge if it’s necessary.
Josie, yes, same principle. I bet cream of mushroom will taste as as good.
Hi Connie! I will try your yummy empanada recipe todasy…he!he!he!…I’m so excited na!!!!! Bwahhahaha!
guys, we raise grain fed, free range turkey here in our farm in Antipolo. All birds are fed only organic meals and we dont use any antibiotics. I can supply ground turkey, ground turkey breast-extra lean 99% fat free, turkey tenderloins, turkey breast fillet, turkey breast cutlets, turkey patties, turkey breakfast sausage and turkey frankfurters. SMS 9178554454. thanks
Ms. Connie,
When you start putting a resto bussiness? I know your a good chef especially w/the help of your daughter, it’s gonna be perfect!God Bless!
elvie
LOL! A good cook is not necessarily a good restaurant operator. I really don’t know if I’ll venture towards that direction.
hi connie!
iyon ang kinain ng mister ko na madami–the filling haha!
i just tried this now. i followed the reviews about the salt and sugar thing, its a pity lang that they didnt say anything about the measurements. anyway, i ended up with a sweet dough, too sweet accdg. to my hubby. i used 10 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tbsp salt. excited kse ako haha! then i opted for a crusty though by using 1 1/4 cup margarine. it became too crusty though. next time will adjust na lang but the filling was really nice. i added some leeks, paprika and mushrooms. and when the filling is cooled already, i added some young cheese
thanks again for sharing!
hi miss connnie! i just want to ask po how many empanadas will the recipe yield? i am planning to bring this to a party that’s why i want to know the approximate no, so i could adjust the recipe if ever. thanks so much!
Hello Connie,
I was just wondering if I can use lumpia wrappers instead of making the dough. What do you think the outcome would be?
The outcome would be lumpia.
Miss Connie..I am a follower of your website…unfortunately,I can’t cook well and your recipe are so yummy by looking at all pictures…Can you give me a one on one class on how to make empanadas?
Ooh sorry, I don’t give classes. That’s food for thought though. Nice business idea.