Vegan Empanada Recipe (2024)

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(Last Updated On: August 16, 2023)

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This vegan empanada recipe is so simple to make and is full of flavor!

The empanadas are baked instead of fried and filled with tempeh, potato, peppers and spices.

These empanadas are so fun and easy to make, and they taste absolutely delicious!

This is not an authentic recipe, but simply my take on the delicious meal!

Vegan Empanada Recipe (1)

INGREDIENTS:

  • Empanada Dough –A simple dough made of flour, vegan butter, salt and water!
  • Oil –Any neutral tasting oil like olive or vegetable.
  • Onion & Garlic –The best base for these empanadas.
  • Pepper –Feel free to use any veggies you have on hand.
  • Tempeh –You can also use tofu or veggie crumbles.
  • Potato –I loved the addition of potato, you can also use sweet potato.
  • Slices/Herbs –I use smoked paprika, thyme and chili powder.
  • Salt/Pepper –To taste.
Vegan Empanada Recipe (2)

Best Vegetarian Empanada Filling

These vegetarian empanadas are basically the meat free version of chorizo empanadas.

They use basically all the same ingredients, except sub out the chorizo with crumbled tempeh, which is a cholesterol-free, high protein and high fiber soybean product.

It’s also super cheap and delicious!

You won’t miss the meat with these empanadas, and they are perfect as an appetizer or a whole meal.

I love serving these with simple comforting sides like Vegan Mac and Cheeseor Vegan Potato Salad.

Vegan Empanada Recipe (3)

The vegan empanada dough recipe has just 4 simple ingredients and is very easy to work with, it’s also gets nice and crispy in the oven.

You’ll love this simple recipe and how fun they are to put together – you can even make the dough the night before and quickly fill and bake in the morning!

You can also fill these empanadas with anything customizations you’d like, try black beans, spinach, or even using an air fryer!

How to Make Vegan Empanadas

Making the Empanada Dough

While making anything from scratch can seem daunting, this recipe comes together in no time and you’ll be amazed at how simple it is!

To make your empanada dough, simply mix together your flour and salt, and then cut in your cubed and chilled vegan butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until it becomes a bit clumpy and looks like sand.

Add in as little water as possible, starting with 1/2 cup and adding more if needed, mixing the dough until it forms a ball.

You may want to transfer it to a flat floured surface to knead it a bit – this will help it stick together more.

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Let it rest in the fridge while you make your filling, then when ready place it on a flat floured surface and roll it out until it’s very thin but still sturdy enough to work with.

Cut roughly 4 inch circles and place them on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.

Then, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

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Filling the Empanadas

Add a bit of oil to a large pan over medium heat, and add your chopped tempeh, onion, minced garlic and dried thyme.

Cook for about 5-8 minutes, or until it’s fragrant and the onions are translucent.

Now stir in your chopped pepper and cubed potato, as well as all the spices, and continue cooking until the potato and pepper are soft, about 10-15 minutes.

(At this time you would let your filling cool a bit while you roll out and cut your dough into circles)

Add about 2 tablespoons or so to each empanada dough circle, wet the edges with a bit of water or oil and then fold them over, squishing the edges together.

Then use a fork to fully seal them.

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Baking the Empanadas

Lightly brush the top of the vegan empanadas with more oil to help them brown and give them a bit more moisture since we are not frying them.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning the oven to broil for the last couple seconds so they develop a nice brown color.

Once you turn the oven to broil, you will want to watch them constantly because they can burn very quickly, in a matter of seconds!

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Then you’re done!

Perfectly crispy meatless empanadas that are flavorful, delicious and so savory.

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HOW TO STORE VEGAN EMPANADAS?

They can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 or 4 days, but they are best enjoyed fresh for best taste and texture. You can make the filling a day or two ahead of time too.

DO I HAVE TO MAKE THE DOUGH MYSELF?

You certainly don’t – a simple hack I love using when I’m short on time is to simply use store-bought puff pastry! Just be sure to let it thaw before using and follow the baking instructions on the package you purchase.

WHAT ARE SOME GOOD TOPPINGS FOR THESE EMPANADAS?

Try these vegetarian empanadas with some dairy-free cheese, dairy-free sour cream, avocado or salsa.

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Meatless Empanadas Made from Scratch

Empanadas are just as yummy baked as they are fried, the taste and texture are still amazing.

You can easily get that savory flavor with a warm filling made from veggies and spices like smoked paprika, cumin and thyme.

You can serve them with anything you’d like!

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This recipe is:

  • Simple
  • Savory
  • Homemade
  • Delicious
  • Flavorful
  • Quick

Try these other tasty vegan meals!

Vegan Tamales Recipe

Vegan Spicy Potato Soft Tacos

Easy Vegan Potato Tacos

Cauliflower Tacos with Cilantro Lime Dressing

Vegan Tortilla Soup Recipe

Vegan Stuffed Baked Peppers

Vegan Empanada Recipe (12)
Vegan Empanada Recipe (13)

Yield: About 12 Empanadas

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

The best vegan empanada recipe made with a homemade dough and filled with tempeh, onion, potatoes, peppers and spices!

Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • 3 Cups Flour
  • 1/2 Cup Vegan Butter (chilled and cubed)
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 1/2-3/4 Cup Water

For the Filling:

  • 1/4 Cup Oil
  • 1/2 Onion
  • 1 Pepper
  • 4 oz. Tempeh
  • 1 Potato
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 2 Tsp Dried Thyme
  • 1/2 Tsp Chili Powder
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 1/4 Tsp Pepper

Instructions

  1. Add flour and salt to a large bowl and mix well, add chilled and cubed vegan butter and cut it into the flour with a pastry cutter or a fork until the texture is a bit sandy.
  2. Add water, starting with 1/2 cup and adding as little as possible to form it into a ball of dough.
  3. Let it rest in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
  4. In a large pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil and cook the chopped tempeh, onion, minced garlic and dried thyme for 5-8 minutes or until fragrant and translucent.
  5. Add chopped pepper, diced potato, and spices and cook until pepper and potato are soft.
  6. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit while you prepare the empanada dough.
  7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lay your dough down on a floured flat surface. Cut the dough in half and roll out until it's thin but still sturdy, cut roughly 4 inch circles and place on a baking tray covered with parchment paper.
  8. Repeat with remaining dough. Scoop roughly 2 tablespoon amounts of filling into the center of each circle, lightly wet all edges with water or oil and squeeze together. Use a fork to seal them as well.
  9. Lightly brush all empanadas with 2-4 tablespoons oil and bake for 15-20 minutes - broil for the last few seconds or so until it browns nicely.
  10. Serve with sauce of choice!
Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6Serving Size: 2 Empanadas
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 518Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gSodium: 713mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 3gSugar: 1gProtein: 11g

Vegan Empanada Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can you substitute for empanada dough? ›

What Can You Substitute for Empanada Dough? If you're looking for a shortcut, store-bought pie dough can be used to make empanadas. You may need to roll the dough out slightly thinner—it will produce a flakier result than typical empanada dough and is better for baking than frying.

Why does my empanada dough crack? ›

Handle the dough as little as possible. The more I handled each empanada, the quicker they seemed to dry out and start to crack. Do not overfill your empanadas. Trying to close your dough over a too-large mound of filling is just asking for it.

What is a vegan empanada? ›

These vegan empanadas are a special little treat that tastes like the real thing, yet are made without meat, eggs, or dairy. If you have never had an empanada, they are essentially a hand pie that can be filled with any sweet or savory filling that you want!

What dough are empanadas made of? ›

Today we're making homemade empanada dough that can be used to make pastelillos, empanadas, and so much more! It's made with just 5 ingredients (flour, butter, salt, egg, and water) and comes together in less than an hour.

Is pizza dough the same as empanada dough? ›

Pizza dough and empanada dough are different for one significant reason: Pizza dough uses yeast to allow it to rise, whereas empanada dough does not. Empanadas don't require resting time or lots of kneading. In fact, the less you work the dough, the better, as it leaves the pastry tender and flaky.

Which is better baked or fried empanadas? ›

Both cooking methods produce delicious empanadas. If you want a healthier merienda, bake them in the oven. If you're working with less time, frying them is the way to go. Try both and ask your loved ones to vote on their favorite.

Can you make empanadas with pizza dough? ›

And while we love traditional empanadas, fussy pastry dough is a lot to tackle on a busy weeknight. Here, we use our favorite dough hack, ready-made pizza dough, for a quick-ready-to-roll crust. It's crisp and tender and works perfectly to enclose the grass-fed ground beef, bell pepper, and golden raisin filling.

Why put vinegar in empanada dough? ›

Adding a little vinegar to your dough will result in a tender, pliable, and flaky crust because it slightly inhibits gluten development, leading to a crust that is flakier and easier to work with. The great thing about vinegar is that you really only need a little bit of it to help your pie/empanada dough.

How do you keep empanadas crispy? ›

We've already established that the crust is the key to a good empanada, but the key to a good crust for a fried empanada is temperature control. Frying at 350°F (177°C) will result in an empanada that is crisp-flaky, and light, not oil-logged.

What does egg do to empanada dough? ›

Texture: The empanada dough is to die for. It's buttery with the perfect amount of crunch and interior softness. The chorizo adds bits of meatiness, the potato adds starchy softness, while the eggs add fluffiness.

Which dough is best for empanadas? ›

Empanada dough is a type of shortcrust pastry. It's buttery and flaky, similar to the pastry used for pies like pumpkin pie, apple pie etc, but it's not sweet. You will love how it's so easy to work with. It's easier to work with than store bought puff pastry!

What is the best store bought dough for empanadas? ›

Here's a delicious, flaky wrapper that's perfect for capturing all your favorite flavors: GOYA® Empanada Dough. Our line of ready-to-use flour dough discs are the #1 ingredient for preparing a wide variety of empanadas, a favorite in Latin America and around the world.

How do you keep empanadas from exploding? ›

Be sure not to overfill your empanadas as you assemble, which is easy to do. Use a little less than you think, to prevent any holes or tears in the dough and to prevent them from bursting open as they bake.

Are Taco Bell apple empanadas vegan? ›

According to the Taco Bell, website, these are ingredients for their apple empanada. Note that it is not vegan. Their Churro also is not vegan. Here are the ingredients for Taco Bell's taco shell.

Does empanada dough contain dairy? ›

Empanadas actually hail from Spain, but are also popular in American countries like Argentina, Chile, and Belize. They're essentially turnovers stuffed with savory ingredients. They sometimes contain dairy, but many classic recipes, like this one, do not!

What are mini empanadas made of? ›

These snack-size empanadas are filled with achiote-spiced ground beef and wrapped in a flaky dough. These bite-sized empanadas call for a bit if white wine in the dough, and a spiced ground beef filling.

Where are empanadas made of? ›

Empanada is made by folding a dough or bread patty around the stuffing. The stuffing can consist of a variety of meats, vegetables, or even fruits. Empanadas have their origins in Galicia (Spain) and Portugal. They first appeared in Medieval Iberia during the time of the Moorish invasions.

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