How to make an easy Spanish empanada: recipe

Although the Spanish empanada may not be as good as the Argentinian empanada, it´s still a delicious dish. Of course, if you visit Spain, trying the empanada is a must. Today we are going to tell you all about the empanada of Spain…the easy Spanish empanada recipe, its ingredients, origin and much more.

What are Spanish empanadas??

Before telling you the easy Spanish empanada recipe, you must know What are Spanish empanadas? as there are other kinds that are totally different. The Spanish empanada is a pastry filled with either seafood, meat or vegetables. The word empanada comes from “empanar” which basically means to wrap something in a bread.

Easy Spanish Empanada recipe

Before telling you the easy Spanish empanada recipe, you must know What are Spanish empanadas? as there are other kinds that are totally different. The Spanish empanada is a pastry filled with either seafood, meat or vegetables. The word empanada comes from “empanar” which basically means to wrap something in a bread.

Ingredients for Spanish Empanada

To make the Spanish tuna pie, we need to separate the ingredients in two.

Ingredients to make the filling of the empanada:

• Between 1 and 2 cups of oil drained from the canned tuna
• 1 Red pepper and 2 green pepper (both cut into cubes)
• 2 onions
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika and 1 tbsp paprika
• A pinch of salt
• Black Pepper
• 400/500 gr of crashed tomato
• 650 grams of canned tuna
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar

Ingredients need to make the dough of the empanada:

• Around 3 or 4 cups of bread flour
• 100 ml of oil (the one we used for the filling)
• 1 cup of hot water
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 10 grams of sachet dry yeast

How to make Spanish empanadas

As we said at the beginning, the Galician empanada takes a long time, but it´s quite simple and making it is totally worth it. Here is the easy empanada recipe:

Recipe to make the filling of empanada:

1. In a pan put the oil drained from the canned tuna to medium heat. Next add all the ingredients step by step in this order: Onion, green pepper, red pepper and garlic. Stir and mix it all together and leave it for 30 minutes so it soaks and gets softer.
2. Add the black pepper and the paprika and keep moving it all together for 1 minute. Then you can place the crashed tomato and sugar (mix it again and keep it to medium heat for about 10 minutes)
3. After turning off the heat, add the tuna and mix it with the rest.
4. Set aside the filling and drain part of the oil so we can use it for the dough. Let the fill cool for a while in a container.

Easy recipe for empanada dough:

1. Prepare the yeast mixture by adding in a bowl hot water, sugar and yeast (leave it for 5 minutes)
2. In another bowl add the bread flour, the yeast mixture, the sugar and the drained oil from the filling and mix it all together until it gets sticky and you can form a ball with it.
3. Once the ball is formed, add some oil to it and let it cool while covered with plastic.

Finish your easy recipe for empanada

1. Divide the ball in two parts (one should be a little bit bigger) and roll one of the parts (the bottom) through a baking pan. Fully covered.
2. Add and extend the filling of the empanada through the dough.
3. Roll and place the other part of the dough over the filling and put together the edges of each side.
4. Bake in the oven at 350 ºF (175 ºC) for about 30/40 minutes (until golden).
5. Your easy Spanish empanada recipe is done! Enjoy it!!

Different types of Spanish empanadas

What types of empanada are there? The one we just mentioned is the traditional Spanish empanada recipe. As we said, the Galician empanada is the most popular type of empanada in Spain. Other than that, you will also find either beef or chicken empanadas. Normally they make these ones with a smaller size and that´s why it´s also easier to make. There are also other not so common kinds of empanadas:

Salmon empanada recipe

The salmon empanada is not very popular, but it is said that it´s typical for eastern times. Many people take the chance of spending more money during the festive days and that´s why instead of using tuna, the y decide to use salmon (which is a more expensive food). The salmon empanada recipe is more or less the same, but its ingredients are different. Other than the salmon, to make it you will need olives, capers, chopped tomato and potatoes in the shape of cubes.

Blood Sausage pie or
“empanada de morcilla”

Have you ever heard of the blood sausage pie or empanada de morcilla?? We know this one may have more haters than lovers, but for many people the “empanada de morcilla” is one of the best types of empanadas. It´s true that is not very common, but if you ever have the chance of trying it, we totally advice you to do it.

Vegetarian Spanish empanada

Probably 90% of the types of empanadas are not vegetarian, but don´t worry because the empanada of pisto is perfect for your vegetarian diet. Actually, this vegetarian Spanish empanada is like the authentic Spanish empanada but without the tuna. The only problem is that it´s made with egg so it doesn´t work for vegans. If you find a vegan empanada, share it with us so more people know about it.

History and origin of Spanish empanadas

The first mention of empanadas is in a cookbook published in 1520 in Catalonia, but it´s said that the origin of empanadas comes from Galicia and Portugal. Also, many people agree that its origins as well as the origin of the Italian calzone are from the moors.

Now, the empanadas are very popular in South American countries, like Argentina or Colombia, but that´s because the colonists brought this famous Spanish dish back in the days.

Enjoy the Spanish empanada!