14 Empanada Recipes You'll Want To Make All the Time

Empanadas, golden-brown hand pies packed with any number of fillings, are one of our favorite bites. They come in a variety of preparations and flavors (often savory, but sometimes sweet) across Latin America, each as delicious as the next.

We could never do justice to all the variations you'll find in the Caribbean, Central and South America and Mexico — but we aim to honor the traditions and flavors of those cuisines with this roundup. You'll find recipes that lean in two distinct directions here: ones that are pretty classic and others that completely reimagine what an empanada can be.

But, before we get to the many fillings you'll find tucked into these handheld pastries, let's start with an easy homemade empanada dough. An empanada is only as good as its wrapper, and this versatile dough strikes the ultimate balance: tender and flaky, but sturdy enough for either baked or fried empanada recipes. No tearing, cracking or sogginess here. With a combination of half butter and half lard, the dough is rich and flavorful — and bakes up golden and crisp or fries to a bubbly crunch.

Empanadas are sometimes called pastelitos in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and parts of the Caribbean, where they are a beloved comfort food. Tender and flaky and packed with flavor, this crowd-pleasing version features a ground beef filling simmered in a tomato and sofrito base with olives and spices. Added bonus: You can freeze some (or all) before cooking to enjoy down the road.

Marcela's dessert empanadas are a breeze to make. She uses frozen puff pastry so there's no dough to mix up. Filled with store-bought cajeta or dulce de leche and a bit of diced pineapple, the prep work is pretty minimal. In fact, the hardest part of making these empanadas is waiting for them to bake — so you can dig in.

Recipe developer Larissa Alvarez says, 'This is one of my favorite ways to cook shredded or pulled pork. The fall-apart tender and juicy meat is great on its own, but it’s also one of my favorite empanada fillings. The fresh acidity of guasacaca, a creamy avocado-based Venezuelan sauce, is the perfect complement.'

There’s nothing quite like pulling apart a warm empanada to reveal a stream of gooey, melted mozzarella wrapped up with smoky ham. These empanadas bake up with a light, shatteringly flaky crust that balances the milky cheese without feeling heavy. If you like, whip up your choice of homemade sauces — a creamy red ketchup sauce or a green cilantro-based one — for the perfect fresh-from-the-oven experience.

Stuffed with a comforting combination of slow-simmered chicken, seasoned potatoes and a fragrant tomato reduction, these empanadas are fried to golden-yellow perfection. Colombian empanadas are distinctive for swapping out the usual wheat dough for a pastry made with precooked yellow cornmeal (masarepa), giving them a vibrant yellow color and satisfying crunch. They’re a deeply satisfying treat that’s best enjoyed piping hot with a generous spoonful of tangy, mildly spicy ají verde (green sauce).

This is one of the first recipes Chef Alex Guarnaschelli developed at Butter. She says, 'I imagined that the meaty taste of the beef would come through more powerfully if boosted by tart cream cheese and heat from poblano chiles. The subtle addition of these two ingredients takes the filling to the next level. Make the empanadas the day before for best results. The longer these flavors get a chance to meld together, the tastier the result.'

A classic duo (guava and cheese) comes together effortlessly in these empanadas. Cream cheese brings rich creaminess, while salty queso duro balances out the sweetness of the fruit. These empanadas are easy to assemble, too — which means you can whip them up before any meal, or as a sweet-and-savory snack, any day of the week.

A mashup of two favorites, these flaky empanadas are filled with all the fixin's of Philly's famous cheesesteaks. A spicy cheese sauce for dipping on the side is the winning touch, but you can skip it if it's not your style — the empandas will still be just as delicious.

Marcela puts ground beef to good use in her easy empanadas. Sautéed with olives, raisins and some aromatics, it becomes a flavorful filling for puff pastry pockets. When you're sealing your empanadas, be sure to brush the edge of each square with egg wash before folding into a triangle shape. Then, crimp the edges with a fork for a tight seal that will keep your filling inside as the pastries bake.

These hand-held bites have all the classic flavors of a cheeseburger, wrapped up in crispy puff pastry and dipped in "special sauce." They're far from traditional as far as empanadas go, but they're perfect to put out for a party or potluck.

These 5-star bites call for minimal ingredients and prep time, making them an excellent choice if you're new to making empanadas or hand pies. Fans rave about the flavor, calling them 'fantastic' and 'absolutely delicious' — and, word on the street is they're perfect alongside a cold beer.

Marcela's got an easy shortcut for an empanada-inspired bite: pizza dough. She says, 'These are very easy to put together and, honestly, you can stuff them pretty much with whatever you like. I find that wet fillings (braised meats, etc.) as opposed to dryer fillings work best because pizza dough is a little thicker than traditional empanada dough.'