Filipino Empanada Stuffed Pastry (Printable View)
Golden pastries filled with savory meat, vegetables, and traditional Filipino spices. Ideal snack or appetizer.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1 tablespoon sugar
04 - 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
05 - 1/2 cup cold water
06 - 1 large egg
→ Filling
07 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
08 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 2/3 lb ground pork or beef
11 - 1 small potato, peeled and diced
12 - 1 small carrot, peeled and diced
13 - 1/2 cup green peas
14 - 1/2 cup raisins
15 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
16 - 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
17 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
18 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
19 - 1/2 teaspoon paprika
20 - 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
→ Assembly
21 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash
22 - Vegetable oil for frying or baking
# How-To Steps:
01 - In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, and sugar. Add cold butter and cut in with a pastry cutter or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg and cold water, mix until dough forms. Knead briefly, shape into disc, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
02 - Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until fragrant. Add ground meat and cook until browned. Stir in potato, carrot, green peas, and raisins. Cook 5 minutes. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, salt, and paprika. Mix well and cook until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and stir in chopped hard-boiled eggs. Let cool.
03 - Preheat oven to 375°F if baking, or heat oil to 350°F if frying. Roll out chilled dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 5-inch rounds. Place 2 tablespoons filling onto each round. Fold over to form half-moon shape. Seal edges by pressing with fork. Brush tops with beaten egg if baking.
04 - To bake: Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. To fry: Fry in batches until golden and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The golden crust shatters beautifully when you bite into it
- Freezes perfectly so you can always have homemade snacks ready
- The filling gets even better after sitting overnight
02 -
- Cold dough is absolutely non-negotiable for flaky pastry
- Let the filling cool completely or the dough will become soggy and tear
- Do not overfill or the seams will burst during cooking
03 -
- Use a fork to crimp the edges for that classic bakery look
- Brush with egg wash twice for the deepest golden color