What You’ll Need
For the dough:
2 cups of yellow cornmeal (precooked, like Harina PAN)
2 ½ cups of warm water
½ tbsp of salt
1 tbsp oil
For the filling:
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup ground beef or shredded chicken (your call)
½ small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp cumin
Salt + pepper to taste
A splash of oil for cooking
Extras:
Oil for frying
Ají (spicy sauce) or lime to serve
Step-by-Step (No Stress)
- Boil the Potatoes
Cook the chopped potatoes in salted water until soft (about 15-20 mins). Drain and mash them—not super smooth, just soft enough to mix.
- Make the Filling
In a pan, cook the onion and garlic in a little oil. Add your meat, cumin, salt, and pepper. Once it’s browned and cooked through, mix it with the mashed potatoes. Boom—filling done.
- Make the Dough
In a bowl, mix the cornmeal, warm water, salt, and oil. Stir until you get a soft dough that doesn’t crack when you shape it. Let it rest for 5 minutes if it feels a little dry.
- Shape the Empanadas
Grab a ball of dough (about the size of a ping pong ball), flatten it between two pieces of plastic (like a cut-up freezer bag) until it’s a small circle. Spoon in some filling, fold it over, and press the edges to seal. Repeat until you’ve got a little army of empanadas ready.
- Fry Time
Heat enough oil in a pan to deep fry. Once it’s hot (around 350°F / 180°C), drop in a few empanadas at a time. Fry until golden and crispy—around 5-7 minutes. Let them rest on paper towels.
- Enjoy!
Serve them hot with a side of ají or lime juice, and that’s it. You’ve just made one of Colombia’s favorite snacks from scratch. Crispy outside, tasty inside, and super satisfying.
And if you are too busy to cook them come and try them at best Bakery of Edison NJ , Calima Bakery!