Empanadas are one of the most well known Latin street foods. Each country adds its own unique twist to the dish. In this recipe, I’ll be sharing a Puerto Rican “beef” empanada recipe that’s been in my family for generations. Traditionally, Puerto Rican empanadas are fried, but my family has always baked these. They come out so crispy and taste a lot lighter.
However you choose cook these, you can’t go wrong. They’re a delicious and filling snack — perfect for making in large batches. I love serving these at parties or just to have for the week.
If you ever felt intimidated to make these, don’t worry, I got you! This recipe is so simple, plus it helps that pre-made empanada discs are available in most grocery stores.
Key Ingredients
It all starts with a picadillo, a traditional Latin American ground beef dish. In this recipe, we’re using veggie ground round, but feel free use your favorite ground beef substitute. Some key ingredients vital to this recipe might sound odd to someone who doesn’t often cook Latin foods, but trust me, it makes all the difference!
Raisins: This is the number one ingredient in Latin dishes which receives the most protest. Trust every Latin cook when they tell you it makes the biggest difference in a dish. The raisins balances the dish by removing the bitter taste from the tomatoes and peppers. When they’re cooked, they expand and soften to the point where you can’t even tell they’re there. I have tested this recipe without the raisins and with and trust me when I say there was a huge difference. I am team raisins, and you should be, too!
Olives: Another controversial ingredient for people. Green olives are a staple in many Latin dishes. They add a salty and savory flavor to your dishes you can’t get with substituting or omitting. The key to getting the flavor you want without the texture, is to chop them real small. I promise you even the biggest olive hater will not notice they’re there.
Pimiento Morrón: also called “Fancy Peppers.” These are red peppers that are charred and marinated. They add so much flavor to Puerto Rican dishes
Culantro: Not to be confused with cilantro, culantro has a stronger taste. It’s a popular ingredient in Caribbean cooking and some Asian dishes.
Adobo: This is the one ingredient every Puerto Rican has in their cupboard. You’re not really Puerto Rican, if this seasoning doesn’t get added to every dish! Adobo has garlic, annato, saffron, turmeric, and black pepper.
Sazón: Another popular seasoning to use in carribbean cooking, sazón comes in two forms, with annato and saffron or culantro. In this dish, we’re using the one with culantro. You may ask, why add more culantro if it’s already in the seasoning? Because trust me, it does. The culantro in the sazon isn’t enough to give the picadillo the flavor it needs.
The final part most first-timers will find intimidating is forming the empanadas. You could go the real easy route and get an empanada press. But, folding them in half and pressing the edges with a fork works just as well. There’s no need to make it super fancy, the final cooked empanadas speak for themselves!
