Puerto Rican Empanadas Recipe – Empanadillas/Pastelillos
My Puerto Rican empanada recipe! You can make it in just few minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter chilled and cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening chilled
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon of annatto powder optional, for color
For the filling:
- 1 pound ground beef or ground chicken, seafood, cheese, or vegetables
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix well.
- Add the butter and shortening to the bowl, and use a pastry cutter or your hands to cut the fat into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse sand.
- In a small bowl, mix the water and annatto powder until the powder is dissolved.
- Add the water mixture to the flour mixture and use a fork to combine everything until a dough forms.
- Knead the dough for a few minutes until it's smooth and pliable.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions, bell peppers, cilantro, and garlic to the skillet and sauté until the vegetables are softened and the beef is cooked through.
- Add the cumin, oregano, black pepper, and salt to the skillet and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool.
- Preheat your oil in a deep fryer or a large pot to 350°F.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut it into small pieces. Roll out each piece into a thin, circular shape.
- Spoon a tablespoon or two of the beef filling onto one half of the dough circle, leaving a little bit of space around the edges.
- Fold the other half of the dough over the filling and use a fork to seal the edges of the empanada.
- Carefully place the empanada into the hot oil and fry until it's golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Remove the empanada from the oil with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and filling until all the empanadas are fried.
