• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Belly Rumbles
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Restaurants
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Restaurants
  • Work With Us
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Blog

    Filipino Empanadas - Authentic Tasty Delicious!

    June 5, 2017 By Sara McCleary Updated May 13, 2021 - This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    Filipino empanadas, full of flavour with flaky light pastry using a secret ingredient. Perfect Filipino snack food and you can freeze the leftovers for another day.

    Filipino empanadas, full of flavour with flaky light pastry using a secret ingredient. These Filipino empanadas are the perfect snack food.

    Filipino empanadas, another snack food I fell in love with when visiting The Philippines last year. I shared a recipe for Filipino lumpia a little while back, another favourite from our food tour of Manila's Chinatown. On this tour is where we also tasted delicious Filipino empanadas.

    Filipino empanadas, full of flavour with flaky light pastry using a secret ingredient. Perfect Filipino snack food and you can freeze the leftovers for another day.

    As with the lumpia, I researched to find an empanada recipe that was close to what was tried. And like the lumpia recipe, I ended up taking bits from one recipe and bits from another. Trial and error until I finally came up with something close to what we tried.

    These empanadas have a slight sweetness as Filipinos do love that a little added sweetness in their food, including savoury. The filling of these Filipino empanadas is fantastic, but I am extremely impressed with the pastry.

    Most of the recipes I can across used butter or oil in their pastry. Due to the fine little fried air bubbles that were on the surface of the empanada I tried in Manila, I had a very strong feeling they used lard. After playing around with pastry recipes, I am pretty sure I was right.

    Filipino empanadas, full of flavour with flaky light pastry using a secret ingredient. Perfect Filipino snack food and you can freeze the leftovers for another day.

    I say “secret ingredient” in the title above, but “forgotten” would be more accurate. It’s no secret lard is magical in pastry recipes. It makes for a flaky and light pastry. Due to not being a healthy fat, it has lost favour with home cooks. I know I rarely use it.

    Don’t be put off by the smell of lard, it’s not that appealing (to me anyway). But it is worth using for the final result. It also loses all trace of smell and taste on cooking.

    Filipino empanadas, full of flavour with flaky light pastry using a secret ingredient. Perfect Filipino snack food and you can freeze the leftovers for another day.

    That’s the beauty of using lard. Unless you have made pastry with it, you are none the wiser as to why the pastry is so good.

    I highly recommend you don't make this recipe with butter. Because if you are going to the trouble of making these Filipino empanadas, use lard for a fantastic result. Plus I want to challenge you a little.

    Filipino empanadas, full of flavour with flaky light pastry using a secret ingredient. Perfect Filipino snack food and you can freeze the leftovers for another day.

    As mentioned in the notes in the recipe, the cooked empanadas can be frozen. Makes sure they have completely cooled before freezing. I simply put some in a ziplock bag and froze them. To reheat them, it was a case of straight from the freezer to a lined tray and the oven (medium heat). Until heated all the way through and crisp.

    You can also check out my folding technique on Instagram, for a bit of guidance.

    Don't forget to have a look at my Filipino lumpia recipe, and also our exploration of the tasty treats we experienced in Binondo, Manila's Chinatown.

    If you make and enjoy this recipe, or any of our others, tag us in the photo on social media. Would love to see what you have made!

    Sara xxx

    Filipino empanadas, full of flavour with flaky light pastry using a secret ingredient. Perfect Filipino snack food and you can freeze the leftovers for another day.

    Filipino Empanadas

    Recipe Author: Sara McCleary
    Filipino empanadas, full of flavour with flaky light pastry using a secret ingredient. Perfect Filipino snack food and you can freeze the leftovers for another day.
    4.91 from 11 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 35 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Dough Resting Time 20 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 35 mins
    Course Snack
    Cuisine Filipino
    Servings 18 pieces
    Calories 215 kcal

    Ingredients

    Filling

    • 20 ml (1 tablespoon) oil
    • 1 white onion finely chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 500 grams pork mince lean
    • 1 carrot finely diced
    • 1 small potato finely diced
    • 45 grams (¼ cup) sultanas
    • 75 grams (½ cup) frozen baby peas
    • 40 mls (2 tablespoons) soy sauce
    • 40 mls (2 tablespoons) oyster sauce
    • 2 teaspoons sugar
    • ½ teaspoon white pepper
    • 65 mls (¼ cup) water

    Pastry

    • 450 grams (3 cups) flour
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 50 grams (¼ cup) lard cold and chopped into small pieces
    • 125 mls (½ cup) cold water
    • 1 egg
    • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
    • vegetable oil for frying

    Instructions
     

    Filling

    • In a large non stick pan, over a medium heat, heat oil and sautee onions and garlic until soft.
    • Add pork mince and cook for a few minutes until it starts to brown.
    • Stir in carrot and potato and continue cooking for a few more minutes.
    • Add peas, sultanas, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, white pepper and water. Stir well.
    • Continue to cook the mixture over a low heat, stirring so the mixture does not burn, until liquid has evaporated.
    • Cover and place empanada filling to the side to cool while making the pastry. If it is a hot day, I suggest you put the filling in the fridge once it has cooled slightly.

    Pastry

    • Place flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, whisk together.
    • Add lard to the flour mixture. With the tips of your fingers rub (see notes) the lard into the flour mixture.
    • Whisk water, egg and vinegar together and add to flour mixture.
    • Mix until combined and then turn out on to a lightly floured bench.
    • Knead until mixture forms a smooth dough. Adding a little more flour if too sticky to handle.
    • Shape into a flatish ball and wrap in plastic. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to rest.

    Assembly and Cooking

    • Divide dough into 18 round balls, and cover with some plastic wrap to avoid them drying out while assembling.
    • On a floured bench, roll out a dough ball with a rolling pin, until around ½ centimetre thick.
    • Place 2 tablespoons of empanada filling in the centre of the rolled out dough.
    • Fold the dough in half over the filling, then seal the empanada but pleating* the edges and crimping as you go.
    • You can see how I do it on Instagram here.
    • Continue with the remainder of the dough and filling. Keeping the empanadas covered as you go so they don’t dry out.
    • Place enough vegetable oil in a wok, which would be high enough to cover the empanadas. Heat oil until it reaches 180°C (350°F). Cook a few empanada at a time (don’t crowd the wok) until they are golden brown.
    • Once golden remove from the wok and drain on kitchen paper towel.
      Serve immediately.

    Notes

    Rubbing the lard into the dough
    Take pieces of lard between your finger tips and then rub the lard together with the flour. Lift the mixture up as you rub it to keep it as cool as possible. Do not use the palms of your hands, as you don’t want the lard to melt. Shake the bowl now and again to bring the larger lumps of lard to the surface. Continue until all the large lumps have been incorporated into the flour and the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
    Sealing Empanadas
    If you don’t want to fold and crimp them you can just use the prongs of a fork to seal the empanadas. Push the fork prongs down on the edges of the empanada to seal.
    Yes, you can freeze these!
    Empanada can be frozen once they have been cooked and cooled. Warm them up in the over from frozen.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 215kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 8gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 255mgPotassium: 214mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 610IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword how to fold empanada, ingredients in a traditional filipino empanada, traditional empanada recipe
    Did You Make This Recipe?I do a happy dance when people share how they went. Tag me on Instagram or Twitter @bellyrumbles & #bellyrumbles
    « Baked Beer Can Burgers with Bacon Pineapple & Egg
    Pea and Rosemary Dog Treats Recipe + Hello Harley! »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Juvy

      March 21, 2021 at 9:00 am

      Can i bake this?

      Reply
      • Sara McCleary

        March 23, 2021 at 3:49 pm

        Hi Juvy, I don't recommend baking them.

        Reply
      • Herma

        August 25, 2021 at 2:57 am

        Hi Can I put rhe dough in rhe fridge for future use ? and for how long

        Reply
        • Sara McCleary

          August 29, 2021 at 2:49 pm

          Hi Herma
          You could keep the dough in the fridge for 24 hours, but I wouldn't keep it any longer than that. Freezing it for later use would be a better option.

          Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    photo of Sara McCleary, Founder, Belly Rumbles culinary travel blog

    Well hello there! I’m Sara McCleary a food photographer, creative recipe developer, and avid traveller (when the World isn’t in a pandemic).

    Welcome to Belly Rumbles, my slice of the Internet.

    I share Recipes discovered or inspired by my adventures and family favourites too! Come join me on my culinary adventure.

    More about me ?

    Footer

    back to top


    Nitty Gritty

    About Us

    Let's Connect

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • About
    • Sara McCleary
    • Work With Us
    • Contact
    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

    © Sara McCleary and Belly Rumbles® 2009-2023

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Yummly
    • LinkedIn
    • Reddit
    7.1K shares