Empanadas are hearty and delicious handheld pastries popular in many Latin American and Spanish cuisines. Typically filled with spiced meats or cheese, empanadas also lend themselves beautifully to seafood fillings, like juicy shrimp. In this article we’ll walk through an easy recipe for making shrimp empanadas from scratch right in your own kitchen.
Start with Savory Empanada Dough
The foundation of excellent empanadas lies in the dough. Traditional empanada dough uses just a few simple ingredients, but ratios and techniques are key. Here’s a tried and true empanada dough recipe:
Ingredients
- 2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
- 2/3 cup cold water
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Instructions:
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Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Work in the cold diced butter using your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse sand.
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Add the cold water and egg. Mix with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms.
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Turn out dough onto a clean surface and knead gently until cohesive, about 1 minute. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Chilling allows the dough to rest, making it easier to roll out later on. Now onto the filling!
Sauté Plump Shrimp for the Filling
The filling for shrimp empanadas is quick and easy to prepare using basic pantry ingredients. Here’s all you’ll need:
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
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In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter into the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes until softened.
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Add the shrimp and season with paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are pink.
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Remove from heat and gently stir in the tomato and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
The filling can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to assemble the empanadas.
Assemble and Fry the Empanadas
Once your dough is chilled and the filling is ready, it’s time for the fun part – assembling the empanadas!
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On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a circle about 1⁄8 inch thick. Cut out rounds using a 4-inch biscuit cutter or small bowl. Reroll scraps as needed.
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Working one at a time, spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of shrimp filling onto the lower half of each dough round.
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Using your finger, brush the edges with water. Fold dough over filling into a half-moon shape, pressing edges firmly to seal. Crimp edges with a fork.
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In a skillet, heat 1-2 inches of vegetable oil to 375°F. Fry the empanadas in batches about 1 minute per side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Be sure to fry at the right temperature – too low and they’ll get greasy, too high and they’ll burn. Enjoy your homemade shrimp empanadas fresh out the fryer with your favorite salsa or sauce for dipping!
Bonus Flavor Variations
Once you master the method, get creative with your fillings! Consider these tasty shrimp empanada combinations:
- Southwest – Add corn, black beans, cumin, chili powder
- Mediterranean – Spinach, feta cheese, lemon zest
- Thai – Peanut sauce, bell pepper, carrot, basil
- Hawaiian – Pineapple, red pepper flakes, ginger
- Cajun – Smoked sausage, onion, garlic, hot sauce
The options for crave-worthy shrimp empanada fillings are endless. Make a batch for your next game day party or potluck and get ready for rave reviews. With this easy homemade recipe, you can enjoy empanada night anytime!
Easy shrimp empanadas | At home with Ros Emely HD 1080p
How do you make empanadas with lard?
Serve these empanadas alongside a picnic menu of beef sliders, grain salad with tomatoes, and Italian sundaes with Nutella. Mix warm lard, salt, vinegar, and 2 cups lukewarm water in a large bowl to combine. Gradually add 6 cups flour, mixing with a sturdy wooden spoon or your hands until a shaggy dough forms.
How do you make a shrimp empanada?
In a separate bowl, combine the flour with 1 cup of water and stir. Add the flour mixture to the pan little by little until the desired thickness of sauce is reached. For the empanadas: Chop the shrimp into medium pieces. In a pan over medium-high heat, add the butter, shrimp and 4 ounces salsa criolla. Stir.
How do you eat a shrimp empanada?
Gather a crew to help stuff and pinch them, then fry up enough for a crowd. If you can find head-on shrimp, buy them and add the heads to the stock. They’ll add an intense shrimp flavor to the filling. Serve these empanadas alongside a picnic menu of beef sliders, grain salad with tomatoes, and Italian sundaes with Nutella.
What is the filling for shrimp empanadas?
The filling for these shrimp empanadas is very Gulf-Caribbean, too. You see heavy Spanish influence here, and in this recipe that means olives and a classic sofrito of onions, garlic, tomato, olive oil and chile.