Colombian Empanadas
Empanadas are a staple street food in Colombia. They are typically made with a crispy corn dough and filled with beef and potatoes.
Ingredients
Aji sauce
- ½ cup Scallions finely chopped
- ⅓ cup Cilantro finely chopped
- ¼ cup Roma tomato Diced, about ½ a tomato
- ¼ cup Frank's red hot sauce or to taste
- ½ cup Water
- ¼ cup White vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste I used about ½ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Empanada Filling
- 1 lb Steak chuck
- 3 Russet potatoes
- ½ cup Red onion diced
- ¼ cup Red bell pepper diced
- 3 Garlic cloves minced
- 2 Roma tomatoes chopped
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Empanada Dough
- 2 cups Precooked corn meal Harina PAN brand
- 2 cups Water
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Better than bouillon Chicken bouillon
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon Neutral vegetable oil I used avocado oil
Instructions
Aji sauce
- In a jar with a lid combine all the ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Filling
- Peel and dice the potatoes. Boil them with salt until fork tender for about 20 minutes. Lightly mashed them and set aside.
- Season meat with salt and pepper. Add enough oil to coat a skillet 2-3 tablespoons) and cook the meat.
- Cooking time will depend on how thick your meat is, I like to use as thermometer and cook until meat reaches 130F.
- In a food processor, add the meat cut into strips and process until the meat resembles ground beef texture.
- In the same skillet you cooked the meat add the onion and bell pepper cook until translucent for about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook one minute until fragrant for about 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes, cumin, paprika and dijon mustard. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce is reduced.
- Add the beef back to the skillet and combine with the sauce. Add the mashed potatoes and mix until fully combined. Taste for salt and pepper and add as needed.
- Allow the filling to cool down for about 10-15 minutes.
Dough
- In a bowl combine the water and better than bullion and mix well until the bullion is fully dissolved.
- Add the cornstarch, lime juice, oil, salt and stir to combine.
- Add the corn meal and mix well for about 2-3 minutes until you form a soft dough. Let the dough rest covered for 5-10 minutes.
Build the Empanadas
- Divide the dough in golf sized balls. Flatten them with a tortilla press or a round plate. Use a clean plastic bag or parchment paper to prevent the dough to sticking to your working surface
- If using an empanada mold, fill the dough with the meat and potatoes in the center and press to create a half moon shape.
- If you don't have an empanada mold, put the filling in one side of your dough and fold it in half. Press with a round bowl or cap to seal the filling in place.
Frying
- Heat up 3 cups of vegetable oil in a frying pan until they reach about 350 Fahrenheit or 165 celsius.
- Add the empanadas and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown
- Remove from the heat and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
Video
Notes
I suggest you start with making the aji sauce. You can make it up to 3 days in advance.
Boil the potatoes and while they are cooking prepare your beef.
Once the potatoes, beef and guiso are ready, prepare the dough while allowing the filling to cool down.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!