Homemade Argentinian Plant–Based Protein Empanadas
These homemade Argentinian plant–based protein empanadas are absolutely glorious. The filling is so tasty with just a hint of spice. The dough is exquisite, and not only easy and fun to work with, but creates a wonderful texture after baking or frying. These Argentinian plant–based protein empanadas are great to serve at parties, potlucks, weddings, summer parties and at Thanksgiving. The traditional version of this delicious recipe is often made for special occasions and at Christmas Time.
What are Empanadas?
These tasty empanadas are based on the traditional Argentinian street food snack. There are many variations of empanadas, often depending on which province in Argentina you are from. These are called Tucumanas (named after the Tucuman province), they feature a crispy dough encasing a tender, flavorful filling. They traditionally have a savory filling made with hand–cut beef (called carne a cuchillo) sautéed with onions and spices, and combined with chopped hard–boiled eggs and scallions.
But you can truly find them stuffed with many different fillings: ham, cheese and corn (humitas) are very popular. Also spinach and hard-boiled eggs. You can even find “sweet” empanadas. The typical fillings for these are quince or sweet potato jam, which come not as a spread but in a solid brick. In Buenos Aires, there are stores that exclusively sell empanadas.
We swapped out the animal products for a plant–based protein. Cooks in this region of Argentina consider it sacrilegious to use ground beef. They would also probably frown upon our use of a plant–based protein, but since consumption of animal products is the 2nd largest contributor to climate change, perhaps they can forgive us our sacrilege?
These hand–held meat pies are traditionally baked, yielding a less messy and lighter alternative to fried variations. But these can also be deep fried. The addition of scallions take this filling up a notch. This recipe features step–by–step photos courtesy of Victoria from Mission Food Adventures.
How to Make the Filling
Start your filling by cooking the plant–based protein. You can do this pretty far in advance and even freeze it once it’s cooked. Place the plant–based protein in a large pot with onion, carrot, bay leaf, thyme, garlic, parsley stems (if using), salt, and pepper. Add water to cover by about 1 ½ inches.
Bring to a boil, then cover and lower the heat. Simmer the protein for about 15–20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, and remove the plant–based protein from the pot. Reserve 1 ½ cups of the cooking liquid strained through a sieve for use later. At this point you can refrigerate or freeze the cooked protein mixture, if needed.
To make the filling, heat oil in a large skillet. Add chopped onion and cook until softened. Add paprika, ground cumin, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Next, add the protein mixture and reserved cooking liquid or broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook until the liquid is mostly evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir in red wine vinegar (see photos 5–10 below). Chill this mixture at least 3 hours or overnight.
When you’re ready to proceed and assemble the empanadas, stir chopped scallions into the filling. To ensure you divide up the filling evenly, you can also divide it up in advance on trays to make it easy to assemble the empanadas. This isn’t necessary, but a nice tip if you want to achieve perfectly even distribution.
Assembling the Empanadas
The vegan empanadas dough for these homemade Argentinian plant–based protein empanadas is soft, very pliable, and stretchy, making it a dream to work with.
To assemble the empanadas, thaw the dough discs in the refrigerator overnight or on the countertop for 30–45 minutes, if frozen. If refrigerated, remove the dough discs from the fringe about 5–10 minutes before you need to assemble the empanadas. Then, working with one disc at a time, place 1–2 heaping Tbsp. of the filling in the center of each empanada disc.
The amount of filling will vary based on the size of the empanada, but in general, it’s easier to seal the dough when it isn’t overstuffed. With experience, it will become easier to stuff them to the max and still seal them properly.
To seal the empanadas, fold the dough over the filling to form a half–moon, and seal the edges well by pressing the dough with your fingers. Make ½–inch edges by pressing the rims between your fingers to create a rope along the edges (see photos 15–18 below). If you’re having a hard time sealing the edges, you can brush the inside edges with an egg wash (1 egg + 1 teaspoon water, beaten), it will act as a glue.
Note: The traditional curl type seal for empanadas (called repulgue or churito) see photo below, is made by using your fingers to twist and curl the edges.
You can also use a fork to help seal the edges, just press the top of the fork against the edges, see photo below. There are also empanada molds that you can buy and will help make this process easier and faster.
For best results, we recommend refrigerating the filled and sealed empanadas for at least 30 minutes before baking or frying—this also helps them seal better and prevents the filling from leaking out or the dough from becoming g too warm and difficult to manage.
Baking the Empanadas
If you’re baking your empanadas, line baking sheets with parchment paper (or a reusable Silpat mat). Place the filled and sealed empanadas on the prepared baking sheets. To give them a nice golden finish, brush their tops with the egg wash, if using.
Bake at 375°F–400°F, the temperature will vary based on the oven and the size of the empanadas. We bake the smaller empanadas at 375°F. Baking time also varies (again based on the oven and size), but it is in the range of 20–30 minutes—until their bottoms are golden (rotate the baking sheets to ensure that all of the empanadas bake evenly). Transfer the cooked empanadas to a cooling rack, and let them cool for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
Frying the Empanadas
If you are frying your empanadas, make sure the oil has reached the temperature of 400 °F. If the oil is not hot enough, the empanadas will not be nice and crispy. Skip the egg wash, then carefully place the empanadas in the oil, and cook for around 5 –7 minutes, until golden and the pastry goes bubbly. Do not overfill the pan, but cook in batches so everything cooks evenly.
Remove from the hot oil, place on some paper towels for about 30 seconds to soak up excess oil and then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Expert Tips and Make Ahead Suggestions
This recipe requires a bit of a head start to cook and prepare the filling. So we actually think it makes this process easier if you divide the work over two days.
If you plan to make these Argentinian empanadas over the weekend (or a span of 2–3 less busy days), we suggest cooking the filling in the morning on day 1, and chilling it overnight. On day 2, make the dough, assemble and seal the empanadas, and then bake or fry.
You can cook the filling in advance and freeze it. If you only have one day to do most of the work, you can still cook the filling in the morning, chill it for at least 4 hours instead of overnight, and then continue with the dough and assembly. This recipe makes 22–24 Argentinian plant–based protein empanadas. Once cooked, they freeze really well, so we definitely suggest freezing any leftovers. You can easily warm the thawed empanadas in the oven to make them like new.
To freeze these empanadas, cool them to room temperature; set them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them until solid. When solid, transfer them to zip–top bags or freezer boxes and freeze them for up to 4 months. To reheat them, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or on the countertop for a few hours. Then transfer them to a baking sheet and warm them in a preheated 350°F oven until warmed through, 10 to 15 minutes.
If you are using any type of tortilla press to quickly and easily flatten the dough into circles. It is very important to line it with plastic before using it, otherwise the dough will stick and turn into a mess.
This recipe was adapted from Empanadas: The Hand–Held Pies of Latin America, it uses kosher salt (known as cooking salt, kitchen salt, or coarse salt outside of the U.S.). If you are using table salt, scale down the amount of salt since table salt is saltier. Keep in mind that which type of salt you use will make a big difference, so add it in gradual amounts and then check the flavor.
How to Make Argentinian Plant–Based Empanadas
Yields: 12 medium or 22–24 small empanadas
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Chilling Time: 3–4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
Braise
- ¼ pounds (455 to 570 grams) plant–based protein
- 1 small white onion, quartered
- 1 small carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 large (or 2 small) bay leaves
- 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 large (or 3 small) garlic cloves
- 10 parsley stems, broken in half (optional)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Filling
- 2 Tbsp. extra–virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ cups finely chopped white onions
- 2 Tbsp. sweet Spanish paprika or smoked paprika
- 2 ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth (or cooking liquid from the braised protein)
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ¾ cup thinly sliced green onions
Instructions
Braise the Protein
- Place the plant–based protein in a large pot. Add the onion, carrot, bay leaf, thyme, garlic, parsley stems (if using), salt, and pepper. Pour in enough water to cover by about 1 ½ inches. Bring the pot to a boil. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 15–20 minutes.
- Remove the plant–based protein from the pot, reserving 1 ½ cups of the cooking liquid strained through a sieve. Set the broth aside. Then chill the protein, covered, until ready to use. If refrigerated, it will last, covered for up to 2 days. To freeze it, cover with the cooking liquid just until submerged. Freeze it in containers for up to 3 months.
Make the Filling
- Heat the oil in a large skillet with high sides over medium–high heat. Add the white onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the paprika, salt, cumin, red pepper flakes, and black pepper, stirring well to combine.
- Add the plant–based protein and broth, stirring to combine. Bring them to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and continue cooking, uncovered, until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes (the mixture should still be moist). Remove the filling from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Cover and chill the filling completely, for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight.
Assemble the Empanadas
- Stir the green onions into the filling. Place 1–2 heaping Tbsp. of the filling in the center of each empanada disc. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half–moon, and press the edges together well. Make ½–inch edges by pressing the rims between your fingers to create a rope along the edges.
- Once they’re brushed with the egg wash, the empanadas can sit uncovered at room temperature for 20 minutes or can be refrigerated for up to 1 hour before baking. If frying, keep the empanadas refrigerated until the oil is up to temperature.
Baking the Empanadas
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the empanadas on the prepared pans and brush them with the egg wash, if using.
- Bake them for 20 to 30 minutes, until their bottoms are golden (rotate the pans in the oven halfway through baking to ensure that all of the empanadas bake evenly).
- Transfer the empanadas to a cooling rack; let them cool for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
Frying the Empanadas
- If you are frying your empanadas, make sure the oil has reached a temperature of 400 °F. If the oil is not hot enough, the empanadas will not be nice and crispy.
- Skip the egg wash and carefully place the empanadas in the oil, and cook for around 5–7 minutes, until golden and the pastry goes bubbly. Do not over fill the pan, but cook in batches so everything can cook evenly.
- Remove from the hot oil, place on some paper towels for about 30 seconds to soak up excess oil and then transfer them to a cooling rack. Let them cool for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information
| Calories: | 208kcal |
| Carbohydrates: | 27g |
| Protein: | 8g |
| Fat: | 7g |
| Saturated Fat: | 2g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat: | 3g |
| Monounsaturated Fat: | 2g |
| Cholesterol: | 36mg |
| Sodium: | 228mg |
| Potassium: | 111mg |
| Fiber: | 2g |
| Sugar: | 2g |
We’d love to hear from you and what you thought of this post. Did you make any changes to the recipe? Let us know in the comments below.
Sources:
How to make empanada dough for baking
https://www.laylita.com/recipes/how-to-make-empanada-dough/
ARGENTINIAN BEEF EMPANADAS TUCUMANAS (HAND-CUT BEEF, EGG, AND GREEN ONION EMPANADAS)
https://mission-food.com/hand-cut-beef-egg-and-green-onion/
Jul 15, 2020 by Victoria
HOW TO MAKE TASTY EMPANADAS
https://lovefoodies.com/tasty-empanadas/
EMPANADAS
https://www.cook2eatwell.com/empanadas/
Published: May 24, 2018 · Modified: Aug 16, 2022 by Elizabeth