The best Colombian Empanadas recipe: perfectly crispy corn dough fried until golden, stuffed with juicy shredded beef and potatoes, and sautéed veggies (Hogao).
Paired with spicy zesty Colombian Aji and lime wedges for the best Colombian snack ever!
Colombian Empanadas Recipe
I’m so excited to be sharing with you guys all the tips and tricks I have to make these Colombian Empanadas taste like Colombia!
They’re a bit of a labor of love (for those of you who never tried to make these) but so worth it. I recommend making the filling and the Colombian Aji one day ahead so you can stuff them and fry them the next day and have the aji ready to go with them!
Why this is the best recipe:
- Satisfyingly crispy and golden corn dough!
- Juicy traditional filling with shredded beef, potatoes, and sauteed veggies (Hogao).
- Step-by-step instructions for beginners.
- They taste just like the ones you get in Colombia!
- Freezer-friendly.
- Naturally gluten free.
- Make ahead and fry the next day!
- Crowd-pleasing snack.
- Make vegetarian by skipping the beef!
What are Colombian Empanadas made of?
The recipe card with the amount of ingredients needed is down below 🙂
Flank steak. Traditionally Colombian-style Empanadas are stuffed with shredded beef so we’re going to make our own with lots of flavor and the juiciest texture!
Spring onions, make sure you have enough for the beef, sauteed veggie base (Hogao), and the aji!
White onion, for the sauteed veggie base and the aji!
Garlic, cloves.
Bay leaves, for the beef.
Salt and pepper.
Tomato, for the sauteed veggies and the aji.
Cumin. Modern empanadas sometimes also have a hint of mustard in them but I keep mine old-fashioned hehe.
Potatoes, for the filling.
Yellow pre-cooked corn flour (PAN). The old-fashioned way to do these is with maiz trillado soaked, cooked and ground until it forms a dough but lots of people just use the flour method to make it quicker and easier BUT I’m gonna give you guys both methods down below so you can pick which one you want to try!
Cornstarch or tapioca starch, for the dough.
Oil, sunflower, canola, or vegetable oil for frying. I recommend achiote oil (annatto) for the dough and the veggies but if you don’t have it just use the same oil you’ll use to fry.
Achiote oil is infused with annatto seeds and provides a bright orange color, you can also get this color using ground annatto (sold on Amazon) and adding it in as you would any spice!
How to make Colombian Empanadas from scratch
STEP ONE: Cook the beef. I always start with this because the filling needs to cool down before you can stuff the empanadas or they can crack when frying. Heat a large pot or pressure cooker on high heat then add the meat and sear on all sides (about 2 minutes per side).
Fill the pot with water until the meat is mostly submerged, add the spring onions, garlic, bay leaves and cover. For pressure cooker, cook about 45 minutes. For regular pot, cook for 2 hours, add more water as needed. Meanwhile, make the Colombian Aji.
STEP TWO: Shred the beef. Once the meat is done, remove from the pot but don’t discard the broth! Shred the beef while it’s still hot, it should be very buttery and easily shreddable. Transfer the broth to a large mixing bowl and store, you’ll need it for the dough.
STEP THREE: Cook the potatoes. If you have more than 2 cups of broth, you can use the excess to cook the potatoes (adding extra water as needed), if not just fill a pot with water and beef bouillon or just water and cook the potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until soft! Meanwhile, make the sauteed veggie base.
STEP FOUR: Make the sauteed veggies. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat then add the achiote oil or vegetable oil. Once hot, add white onions, spring onions and tomato. Season with cumin, salt, pepper. Saute until very soft and creamy, add a few splashes of water as needed. When the veggies are done, turn off the heat and cool down to room temperature.
STEP FOUR: Mash the potatoes using a potato masher or a fork, just like you would for classic mashed potatoes. Save about a cup of the broth for the filling. Cool down to room temperature.
STEP FIVE: Assemble the filling. In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded beef, mashed potatoes, and sauteed veggies, mix until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed! The filling should be juicy and almost creamy so if it’s a bit dry, add in some broth. If you’re making the filling ahead, make sure it’s room temperature then cover and store in the refrigerator overnight or freeze.
STEP SIX: Make the dough. Reheat the beef broth from the flank steak until hot but not boiling. Add the pre-cooked cornmeal to the broth and mix until a dough starts forming. Add the cornstarch and oil and knead until you get a smooth Play-Doh-like consistency that’s not sticky. For the old-fashioned corn method look at the “Recipe Notes” in the recipe card below.
STEP SEVEN: Assemble the empanadas. The fun part! Grab about 2 tablespoon of dough, place in between two layers of parchment paper or a ziplock bag with the sides cut open to form a rectangle. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until about 1/16-inch thick (2 mm).
Stuff with 1 tablespoon of filling, then fold some of the dough over the filling to close, press the edges together to seal and use a large cookie cutter, cup or glass to cut the empanada into a half moon. Look at the pictures in the blog post for step-by-step!
STEP EIGHT: Fry. In a medium pot or skillet, pour enough oil for the empanadas to float. Heat until hot (about 350F or 180C). Add the empanadas in batches so the oil temperature doesn’t drop (if it does, the empanadas will absorb too much oil).
Fry for about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the oil and place onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any extra oil.
STEP NINE: Serve hot with some Colombian Aji and fresh lime wedges!
Can you bake Colombian Empanadas?
I’ve never tried but I don’t particularly recommend it because the dough could dry up. You could brush it with oil and bake at 350F (180C) for 15-20 minutes. Try the air-fryer!
Can you make Colombian Empanadas in the Air Fryer?
Brush with oil and air-fry at 350F (180C) for about 10 minutes per side.
How to store Colombian Empanadas
These are best eaten fresh because as all fried foods they will turn softer overtime but if you want to store leftovers you can store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days .
You can also freeze some of the filling to thaw and use at a later time if you think you’re gonna have too many empanadas so you don’t have to store them fried (this is what I do).
How to reheat Colombian Empanadas
Reheat in the air-fryer or oven at 350F (180C) brushed with oil for about 5-10 minutes or until hot. I don’t recommend microwaving them because they will turn out soggy.
How to make Colombian Empanadas dough the old-fashioned way
For those of you who want to make the old-fashioned dough, here’s how! Wash about 1/2 lb (210 g) maiz trillado (look for that or “maiz para arepas” if you’re in the USA).
Soak overnight in about 4-5 cups of water (1 liter-1.2 liters) or until covered by 2 inches (5 cm) of water. The next day, drain and cook the soaked corn covered by 2 inches of fresh water for 1 hour or until tender (do not overcook until it’s mushy), if you have a pressure cooker, I recommend using that so it cooks quicker.
Drain, allow to cool down a bit then grind in a “molino” (more than once for a finer texture) or a food processor. Add 1-2 tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca starch or PAN, if your dough tends to crack a bit or a splash of water if it’s too dry, if it’s sticky let it rest for 5 minutes!
HAPPY COOKING!! I hope you'll love this Traditional Colombian Empanadas Recipe with aji as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘
More Colombian recipes you'll enjoy:
- Colombian Aji
- Colombian Pineapple Sauce
- Colombian Hot Dogs
- Or check out all my other Colombian Recipes.
Colombian Empanadas
Ingredients
For The Beef
- 1 lb (450 g) flank steak
- Water
- 1 spring onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2-3 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper
For The Potatoes
- 1/2 lb (250 g) potatoes
For The Veggies
- 1-2 tbsp (15-30 ml) achiote oil or vegetable oil
- 1 spring onion
- 1 medium tomato
- 1/2 medium white onion
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper
For The Dough
- 2 cups (500 ml) beef broth from the flank steak
- 2 and 1/2 cups (425 g) pre-cooked yellow corn flour (PAN, masarepa – for the old-fashioned dough made with maiz trillado look at the recipe notes below)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) achiote oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp (7 g) cornstarch or tapioca starch
For Frying
- Oil (vegetable, canola or sunflower work)
For Serving
- 1 batch Colombian Aji
Instructions
- Cook the beef. I always start with this because the filling needs to cool down before you can stuff the empanadas or they can crack when frying. Heat a large pot or pressure cooker on high heat then add the meat and sear on all sides (about 2 minutes per side). Then fill the pot with water until the meat is mostly submerged, add the green onions, garlic, bay leaves and cover. For pressure cooker, cook about 45 minutes. For regular pot, cook for 2 hours, add more water as needed. Meanwhile, make the Colombian Aji.
- Shred the beef. Once the meat is done, remove from the pot but don't discard the broth! Shred the beef while it's still hot, it should be very buttery and easily shreddable. Transfer the broth to a large mixing bowl and store, you'll need it for the dough.
- Cook the potatoes. If you have more than 2 cups of broth, you can use the excess to cook the potatoes (adding extra water as needed), if not just fill a pot with water and beef bouillon or just water and cook the potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until soft! Meanwhile, make the sauteed veggie base.
- Make the sauteed veggies. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat then add the achiote oil or vegetable oil. Once hot, add white onions, green onions and tomato. Season with cumin, salt, pepper. Saute until very soft and creamy, add a few splashes of water as needed. When the veggies are done, turn off the heat and cool down to room temperature.
- Mash the potatoes using a potato masher or a fork, just like you would for some mashed potatoes. Save about a cup of the broth for the filling. Cool down to room temperature.
- Assemble the filling. In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded beef, mashed potatoes, and sauteed veggies, mix until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed! The filling should be juicy and almost creamy so if it's a bit dry, add in some broth. If you're making the filling ahead, make sure it's room temperature then cover and store in the refrigerator overnight or freeze.
- Make the dough. Reheat the beef broth from the flank steak until hot but not boiling. Add the pre-cooked cornmeal to the broth and mix until a dough starts forming. Add the cornstarch and oil and knead until you get a smooth Play-Doh-like consistency that's not sticky. For the old-fashioned corn method look at the "Notes" in the recipe card.
- Assemble the empanadas. The fun part! Grab about 2 tablespoon of dough, place in between two layers of parchment paper or a ziplock bag with the sides cut open to form a rectangle. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until about 1/16-inch thick (2 mm). Stuff with 1 tablespoon of filling, then fold some of the dough over the filling to close, press the edges together to seal and use a large cookie cutter, cup or glass to cut the empanada into a half moon. Look at the pictures in the blog post for step-by-step!
- Fry. In a medium pot or skillet, pour enough oil for the empanadas to float. Heat until hot (about 350F or 180C). Add the empanadas in batches so the oil temperature doesn't drop (if it does, the empanadas will absorb too much oil). Fry for about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the oil and place onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any extra oil.
- Serve hot with some Colombian Aji and fresh lime wedges!
Notes
📷 DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?!
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