Sausage Empanadas Recipes

SPICY SAUSAGE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet.
• When the oil is heated, add the onions and saute until they are softened.
• Add the sausage meat and pepper flakes and cook making sure to break the sausage into pieces while stirring so that it isn't one big clump of meat.
• Once the sausage is cooked, taste and season with extra salt if necessary.
• Add the cream, and stir to combine.
• Remove the cooked sausage from the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.
• Stir the cheese into the cooled down sausage filling. Set aside until ready to make empanadas.
• Make the empanada dough as written here, and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
• Roll out the chilled empanada dough until it's about 2 - 3 mm thick.
• Cut 3.5 inch circles from the rolled out dough.
• Fill the middle of each circle with a little sausage filling.
• Dab the edges of the empanada dough circle with water and fold over the pastry to seal in the filling.
• Press down the edges to seal, and use a fork to crimp the edges.
• Place the empanadas in one layer, on a baking tray.
• Keep it covered with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to fry, IF you will be frying these within 24 hours.
• Heat remaining oil to deep fry the empanadas to 350°F / 180°C.
• Fry the empanadas in the hot oil, 2 minutes per side, until the pastry turns a golden brown.
• Drain excess oil by placing the fried empanadas on paper towels or newspaper.
• Heat remaining oil to deep fry the empanadas to 350°F / 180°C.
• Fry the frozen empanadas for about 4 minutes per side, until the pastry turns golden brown (maybe slightly darker).
• Drain excess oil by placing the fried empanadas on paper towels or newspaper.
• Enjoy while hot with dipping sauce!

BEEF EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the beef, chorizo, onion, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly and breaking up chunks of meat with a potato masher or wooden spoon, until the ingredients are well blended, 5 to 7 minutes. Add additional cumin, if desired, and cook until the meat is browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Set aside to cool.
• On a floured surface, roll out each pie crust to a circle about 13 inches in diameter. Stamp out rounds using a 3-inch cutter. Put 1 tablespoon of filling on half of a round. Fold the other half of the round over the filling. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal the empanada all around. Repeat with the remaining rounds and filling.
• Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Brush the top of each empanada with the egg wash. Arrange the empanadas on a nonstick baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer the empanadas to a platter and serve.
• Cook's Note: You can substitute your favorite pie crust recipe for store-bought. Make enough for two crusts.

CLASSIC EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until barely tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Once cool enough to handle, peel and cut into cubes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet and cook onion and spring onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add ground beef. Cook and stir until beef is browned, about 5 minutes. Season with paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt.
• Remove beef mixture from heat, add potatoes and olives, and mix well. Stir in chopped hard-boiled eggs and set filling aside to cool, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and lightly grease with olive oil.
• Place an empanada pastry round on a flat surface and lightly wet edges with warm water. Put a large tablespoon of cooled filling in the center and fold pastry over. Seal edges by pressing with a fork. Repeat with remaining rounds and filling. Transfer empanadas to the prepared baking sheets and brush with beaten egg.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

BEEF EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, scallions, and bell pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add ground beef, oregano, salt, cayenne pepper, and cumin to the onion mixture. Cook and stir beef until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, then cover and place in the refrigerator until meat is completely cooled, about 1 hour.
• Remove filling from the refrigerator and transfer into a colander to drain. Return filling to the Dutch oven.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Liberally grease a baking sheet with butter.
• Place about 2 tablespoons filling into the center of an empanada disc. Fold empanada in half into a crescent shape, press the edges of the dough together with a fork or your fingers to seal, and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining empanadas and filling. Brush tops with egg white.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

SAUSAGE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Let pie crusts stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Crumble sausage into a medium skillet.
• Add onion, garlic powder, cumin and oregano.
• Cook over medium-high heat until sausage is no longer pink.
• Drain drippings.
• Stir in olives and raisins.
• Beat the egg yolk slightly; stir into sausage mixture, mixing well.
• Carefully unfold crusts.
• Cut 6 circles using a 3" cookie cutter.
• I use the Pampered Chef Cut-N-Seal(See NOTE below).
• Place about 2 tsps of the sausage filling on the cutouts.
• Top with 6 more cutouts.
• Be sure the edges are sealed.
• Moisten fingers with water and pinch dough to seal edges.
• Slightly beat the egg white; gently brush over tops of empanadas.
• Bake in a 425* oven 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
• NOTE: I make 6 cutouts using the Pampered Chef Cut-N-Seal.
• Add the filling.
• Make the toppers one at a time.
• As you cut one place it over the top of your filled one and push down on the Cut-N-Seal.
• Check the edges for sealing.

SAUSAGE SWEET POTATO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Place apples and sweet potato on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt, pepper and cinnamon. Toss to coat. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, 4-6 minutes, breaking into crumbles; drain. Add apple mixture and goat cheese; stir to combine., On a lightly floured surface, roll crust to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. round biscuit cutter. Place circles 2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Place 1 heaping teaspoon filling on 1 side of each circle. Beat egg and water. Brush edges of pastry with egg wash; fold circles in half. With a fork, press edges to seal. Brush with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes per batch. Freeze option: Bake and cool empanadas. Freeze cooled empanadas in freezer containers. To use, reheat empanadas on a baking sheet in a preheated 400° oven until heated through, 12-15 minutes.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, brown sausage; drain. Stir in 6 tbsp pizza sauce. Preheat oven to 375. Separate dough into 20 biscuits. Roll or press each round into a 4" circle. Place 1 tbsp meat mixture in center of each circle. Top each with cheese; press lightly. Fold dough over filling to form half-circle. Press edges together; seal and prick top with fork. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; brush with beaten egg. Bake 9-14 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, heat remaining pizza sauce in a small saucepan over low heat until hot. Serve alongside empanadas for dipping.