Empanadas

Name: Empanadas
Cook time: 110 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 500g All-purpose Flour; 7g Instant Dry Yeast; 250ml Water, warm; 80ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1 tsp Salt, fine; 2 large Onions, finely sliced; 1 Red Bell Peppers, diced; 1 Green Bell Peppers, diced; 2 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped; 400g Crushed Tomatoes, or grated ripe tomatoes; 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus the oil from the tuna cans; 1 tsp Sweet Spanish Paprika, pimentón dulce; 1 Bay Leaves; 300g Canned Tuna in Olive Oil, drained; 2 Eggs, hard-boiled, chopped; 12 Green Olives, sliced; 1/2 tsp Salt, fine, to taste; 1 Eggs, beaten (egg wash); Some Pepper (Black), to taste

These empanadas bake up golden and flaky, filled with a savory, slightly smoky mix of sautéed peppers and onions, tender tuna, chopped hard‑boiled egg and briny olives. The combination of crushed tomato and sweet Spanish paprika gives the filling a rich, comforting depth—perfect for picnics, parties or a cozy weeknight dinner.

These empanadas bake up golden and flaky, filled with a savory, slightly smoky mix of sautéed peppers and onions, tender tuna, cho... Show more

Traditional Spanish Recipe

Health Grade

B- · Healthy

Rating

4.2

Time

1 hr50 min

Price

1,58 €

Calories

665 kcal

meal prep

low sugar

mediterranean diet

kid friendly

Method

Boil the egg

Place the egg for the filling in a small saucepan and cover it with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring the water just to a boil, then lower the heat so it stays at a gentle simmer for 10 minutes. Drain, run it under cold water until cool enough to handle, then peel and finely chop it.

Mix the dough

In a medium bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour and instant dry yeast. Pour in the warm water, extra virgin olive oil, and fine salt, then mix until you have a rough, shaggy dough with no dry patches left.

Knead and proof

Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead it until smooth and elastic, about 5 to 7 minutes. Shape it into a ball, put it back in the bowl, and cover it with a towel or plate. Let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until puffed and nearly doubled in size. While it rests, make the filling.

Drain the tuna

Open the canned tuna in olive oil, drain it well, and reserve a little of the oil for cooking the filling. Flake the tuna into small pieces with a fork so it mixes evenly later.

Prep the vegetables

Peel the onion. Rinse the red bell pepper and green bell peppers, remove the stems and seeds, then dice them into small pieces. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Keeping everything fairly small will make the filling easier to spread and the empanadas easier to seal.

Cook the sofrito

Set a large skillet over medium heat and add the reserved tuna oil plus a little more olive oil if the pan looks dry. Add the onion and peppers and cook, stirring often, until soft and lightly sweet, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes, sweet Spanish paprika, and bay leaf, then let everything bubble gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the mixture thickens and looks jammy rather than watery.

Finish the filling

Fold the tuna, chopped egg, and green olives into the skillet. Taste and season with a little more salt and black pepper, then remove the bay leaf. Warm the filling for 1 to 2 minutes if needed, but keep it fairly dry and thick so it stays neatly inside the dough.

Cool the filling

Transfer the filling to a plate or shallow bowl and spread it out so the steam can escape. Let it cool for 15 minutes, until it is warm or room temperature rather than hot.

Heat the oven

Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper so the empanadas lift off easily after baking.

Shape the empanadas

Punch down the risen dough and roll it out to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut it into circles using a glass, bowl, or cutter. Spoon a small amount of filling onto one half of each circle, leaving a clean border around the edge. Fold the dough over into half-moons, press out any trapped air, and seal the edges well with your fingers or the tines of a fork. Arrange them on the baking sheet and brush the tops with the beaten egg wash.