Frequently Asked Questions

An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling, common in Southern European, Latin American, and the Philippines cultures. The name comes from the Galician verb empanar, and translates as "enbreaded", that is, wrapped or coated in bread. They are made by folding dough over a filling, which may consist of meat, cheese, tomato, corn, or other ingredients, and then cooking the resulting turnover, either by baking or frying.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empanada

***Baked empanadas contain dairy and eggs. They are also sealed and brushed with egg wash prior to baking.*** 

Baked Empanada Dough: AP flour, milk, eggs, butter, vegetable shortening, salt (contains gluten, lactose, eggs, butter) Fried Empanada Dough: AP flour, water, vegetable shortening, salt, baking powder (contains gluten) 

Beef Empanada Filling: Ground beef, beef broth, onions, cumin, paprika, salt, corn starch (contains meat) 

Beef with Olives Empanada Filling: Ground beef, beef broth, onions, cumin, paprika, salt, olives, corn starch (contains meat) 

Beef with Cheese Empanada Filling: Ground beef, beef broth, onions, cumin, paprika, salt, cheddar cheese, corn starch (contains meat) 

Chicken Empanada Filling: Chicken breast, chicken broth, onions, sugar, paprika, cumin, salt, corn starch (contains chicken) 

Vegetarian Empanada Filling: Portobello mushrooms, spinach, shallots or onions, cream cheese, mozzarella, garlic (contains dairy) 

Fried Cheese Empanada Filling: Imported Danish Cream Havarti Cheese (contains dairy) Chimichurri: Parsley, canola/olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, red chili flakes, lemon juice, salt 

Avocado cilantro sauce: Avocados, sour cream, cilantro, garlic, olive oil or avocado oil, lemon juice, salt (contains dairy)

It's super easy to know what's inside our empanadas. There's a stamped letter(s) on the right-hand side that tells you what's inside.  

B - Beef / Carne / Pino 

BO - Beef with olives / Carne con aceitunas

BC - Beef with cheddar cheese / Carne con queso cheddar

Ch - Chicken / Pollo 

V - Vegetarian / Vegeteriano 

C - Fried Cheese / Queso

Note: Instructions given are for a conventional oven. Oven temperatures may vary from oven to oven. Please make sure to adjust the temperature of your oven and cooking time accordingly. The key takeaway is to bake your empanadas until the dough is cooked through and you get a nice golden brown color. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees. 

To bake your frozen empanadas, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place frozen empanadas on a parchment-lined baking sheet (you can also use aluminum foil brushed or sprayed with oil). Brush tops of empanadas with egg wash, avoiding crimped edges. Bake until golden brown, rotating sheet halfway through, 25-30 minutes (cooking time will vary), or until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let empanadas cool down for at least 5 minutes before eating. Enjoy! Frozen empanadas will keep for up to three months and can be baked straight from the freezer. 

Yes, you can fry instead of bake frozen empanadas. Keep frozen. In a skillet or deep fryer at 350 degrees F, preheat enough oil to cover the empanadas. Fry for four minutes or until golden, turning occasionally. Be very careful when frying as hot oil can splash on you. 

 In a deep-sided skillet, pot, or deep-fat fryer, heat several inches of vegetable oil to 350 F. Fry empanadas in batches, turning at least once, until golden brown. Drain empanadas on paper towels or on a baking rack. Empanadas can be kept warm in a 200 F oven for up to 1 hour before serving. Serve warm. 

When reheating empanadas from cold, there are four methods you can adopt to get the best results depending on the equipment you will be using.

OPTION 1 – CONVECTION OVEN

Preheat your oven to 300°F and place the empanadas inside to warm through for 10 minutes.

OPTION 2 – TOASTER OVEN

Preheat your toaster oven to 300°F and place the empanadas inside to warm through for 10 minutes.

OPTION 3 – MICROWAVE WITH ASSISTANCE FROM A TOASTER OVEN OR CONVECTION OVEN

Microwave the empanada for 30 seconds.

Next, heat the empanada in a toaster or conventional oven for between three and four minutes at 300°F.

The reason for doing this is that microwaving an empanada will result in the filling being heated while the dough becomes soggy. Finishing the reheating process in an oven will help to create a crispy exterior.

OPTION 4 – AIR FRYER

To ensure the correct results when using an air-fryer, set it to 350°F and cook the empanadas for between three and four minutes. The result should be nice hot empanadas that are just as crispy and tasty as they were the night before.

All four methods described above are meant for use with empanadas that have already been cooked. 

 Keep frozen empanadas frozen in the freezer until ready to use. 

Do not leave baked empanadas out for more than 4 hours because they are perishable. Store leftover baked empanadas in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. 

Frozen empanadas will keep for up to three months in the freezer. 

Baked empanadas can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three to seven days. It's best to eat them fresh from the oven.  

Chimichurri can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. 

The avocado cilantro sauce is made with fresh avocados and sour cream. It should be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and consumed within 3 days. 

Unfortunately, we currently do not have a gluten-free option. 

Unfortunately, we currently do not have any vegan empanadas but we plan to come up with one in the future.