Perhaps one of the most traditional recipes in Chile and Argentina, mainly, is the fried empanada dough, since it is one of the main dishes at family dinners and holidays. The best thing about these empanadas is that they are quite versatile, since the filling varies depending on the taste of each one. Among the most popular are the cheese ones (sometimes with shrimp, corn or chicken) and the pine one, which is basically ground beef fried with diced onion, hard-boiled egg and black olives.
At this article, we have the perfect recipe for the most delicious empanadas, read on and learn with us how to make dough for fried empanadas.
Ingredients to make dough for fried empanadas:
• 3 cups of wheat flour (420 grams)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 80 grams of lard (or butter)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 glass of milk or hot water
• 300 milliliters of olive or sunflower oil to fry
• 1 bowl of filling to taste (pine, cheese or other)
How to make dough for fried empanadas:
Mix the flour, salt and baking powder with a fork. Add the butter at room temperature and flatten with a fork until there are lumps, then pour in the milk or hot water little by little while kneading well until you have a homogeneous mixture. On a flat surface, stretch the dough with the help of a roller and cut medium circles, they can be about 8 to 10 centimeters in diameter.
Preheat the olive or sunflower oil in a pan. Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling into each empanada from the center to one edge, leaving enough space on the edges to seal the empanadas. Remember that you can fill the dough for fried empanadas with whatever you like.
To close and seal the empanadas, wet the edges of the dough with your fingers or a brush, close it and use a fork to seal the edges well. Fry the empanadas two at a time for 2-3 minutes per side. If your pan is larger, you can add more fried empanadas. You’ll know you can flip the empanada when you see the browned edges.
When you take them out of the oil, let them rest on a plate with absorbent paper for about 5 minutes and they will be ready to eat! As you can see, this dough for fried empanadas is very crispy and tasty, and can be used to make Argentine empanadas or Chilean empanadas.
Ideas to fill the dough for fried empanadas
The dough for empanadas is one of the most recurrent options for family dinners and breakfasts, especially on holidays and long weekends. It is a fairly versatile dish that you can adjust to your taste and experiences, which you can also fill with different things. If you want to make a vegetarian “pino” you can replace the ground meat with soy meat and they are delicious as well.
Likewise, do not miss these suggestions, with which you can obtain a dough for crispy and delicious fried empanadas thanks to the filling:
• Mushroom patties
• Humita empanadas
• Ground beef patties
