National Empanada Day: A Treat Worth Celebrating

Mark your calendars mamas, the universe has answered all our savory wishes. On April 8th, we celebrate National Empanada Day!

It was 1988 when a little 5-year-old girl was sleeping in her bed until suddenly, she was awakened by this warm smell and comforting aroma. It smelled like her abuela’s ground beef sautéing with onions, peppers, and cumin over the stovetop. Was she making picadillo (ground beef)? But wait, she also heard the sizzle of oil frying. What is she cooking? Her mother realized the little girl had woken up and invited her to the kitchen to show her what they were cooking.  Empanadas! It was the little girl’s favorite dish of all time. “Mami!” said the little girl said. “Can I help Abuela make empanadas?” she asked.  “Si, but first let’s wash your hands,” said the little girl’s mother.

All the hard work was already done. The final step using a fork to create the seal so the filling would not leak out.  The little girl enthusiastically helped her mother. She loved to see her abuela carefully drop the empanada into the oil to fry as she heard the sizzle sing a beautiful song in her ears. She patiently waited for all of the empanadas to be finished.  Finally, it was time for the taste test.  It was love at first crunch! 

If you did not guess it, that little girl was me. And making empanadas on a Saturday morning was one of the best childhood memories I treasured the most. It brings up the best memories of my Ecuadorian mom and my Cuban grandmother coming together to make this an amazing tradition and staple in my family. The perfect empanada is made with love!

Origins of This Delicious Treat

An empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry that can be baked or fried in many countries of Latin America and south of Europe. The name comes from the verb “empanar” meaning to wrap or coat in bread. Empanadas are made by folding a dough or bread patty around the stuffing. Some of the most popular fillings for empanadas are chicken, cod, pork, sausage, cheese, and any fruits.  Basically, anything you’d like! 

Empanadas originated in Spain and Portugal.  When the Spanish and Portuguese brought empanadas to the Americas, they became very popular. Today, you can enjoy empanadas at any Latin American restaurant.

These golden-brown, crescent-shaped pastries come in a wide variety of sweet and savory flavors from all over South America and the Caribbean. Empanadas can be served hot or cold. They can be served as a main course or as a side dish.

Here is one of my favorite recipes that is very similar to what my Abuela makes:

Ingredients

To make picadillo:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced, or more to taste
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper,  chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
6 large pitted green olives, quartered (or to your heart’s desire)
1/2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon capers (optional)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 packet of 10 store-bought empanada discs, thawed if frozen
Room temperature water
Vegetable oil, for frying

Step one: Prepare the ground beef filling (picadillo).

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir garlic, onion, and green bell pepper in the hot oil until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Crumble ground beef into the skillet, cook and stir until browned completely, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stir olives, raisins, capers, tomato sauce, cumin, and salt through the ground beef mixture
• Cover the skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook until the mixture is heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and wait for it to cool completely, and transfer to a bowl.  Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight).

Step two: Time to use the empanada discs!

• (Suggestion) work with one empanada disc at a time. Place about 2-3 tablespoons of the meat filling in the bottom half of each disc, leaving about 1/4-inch of the rim without filling.
• Using a brush, gently brush the inside of the rims with a tiny bit of room temperature water, then fold the dough over the filling to make a half-moon and press the edges together with your fingers.
• Crimp the edges of each empanada using the tines of a fork to seal it shut, and set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate. Set aside. Place paper towels over a baking sheet or plate.
• In a large skillet with high sides, heat 1 to 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil to 360º F (or use a deep-fryer according to the manufacturer’s directions). Working in batches, carefully slide the empanadas into the oil. (Note: you can choose to bake it, but my family loves to fry it so here we are!)
• Fry the empanadas until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, turning them over halfway through. Note: If the oil gets too hot & the empanadas are browning too quickly, lower the heat and cool the oil slightly before adding any more.
• Transfer the empanadas with a slotted spoon to drain on the prepared plate with paper towels. Allow to drain & cool for 1 to 2 minutes. Makes about 10 empanadas. Serve warm & enjoy!

Miami is Empanada City

Since I moved to Miami, one of my greatest joys of being here is knowing how accessible it is to find empanadas here, and with a variety of flavors!  I am more familiar with Cuban empanadas, but you will also find Argentinian, Venezuelan, Colombian and other culture-inspired empanadas here too.

As I continue to explore the Magic City, so far my top three favorite places to get this savory and delicious treat are Versailles, Ricky’s Bakery, and Empanada Harry’s.  Empanadas are the perfect finger food to pick up on the go. And in case you were wondering, my favorite filling besides ground beef is guava and cream cheese!

If you have never had empanadas before, today is a great day to try something new!

I would love to hear from you mamas out there! Where is your go-to place for empanadas? And what is your favorite filling? Or maybe you have a favorite recipe?  Let me know in the comments below. I am always on a constant search for the best empanadas in town.

With a grateful heart and a full belly,
Zoe