Puerto Rican Empanadillas de Carne (Beef Turnovers)
Learn how to make authentic Puerto Rican empanadillas de carne from scratch — flaky homemade dough, a savory beef filling with sofrito and sazón, and all the flavors of home. The only recipe you need!
If there’s one recipe that takes me straight back to my childhood, it’s empanadillas. Growing up, my aunt ran a small food spot where she sold Puerto Rican fritters. Her empanadillas de carne were my favorite. The golden, flaky shell. The savory beef filling seasoned with sofrito, sazón, and adobo. That first crunch when you bite in. That’s the kind of food that stays with you for life.
This is that recipe. Authentic. The one that tastes like home.
Whether you’re making these for a family gathering, a holiday spread, or just because you’re craving something que sabe a Puerto Rico, you’re in the right place. I’ll walk you through the homemade dough, the filling, how to seal and fry them, plus every tip I’ve picked up along the way.
And if you already know what empanadillas are, bienvenido, mi gente. Let’s get into it.
What Are Puerto Rican Empanadillas?
Empanadillas are Puerto Rico’s version of a stuffed, fried turnovers, similar to empanadas found across Latin America, but with a few key differences. The dough for empanadillas is typically thinner and flakier than a standard empanada, and the crimping style (usually done with a fork) creates that iconic ridged edge we all know and love.
They are a staple of Puerto Rican street food and home cooking alike. You’ll find them at kioskos along the coast, at family cookouts, and on holiday tables. The classic filling is ground beef (carne molida), but they can also be filled with chicken, seafood, cheese, or vegetables.
Unlike empanadas from Argentina or Colombia, Puerto Rican empanadillas tend to use a simpler, lard- or butter-based dough and are almost always deep or pan-fried rather than baked.
Making your own dough?
I want to start off by saying it’s NOT necessary to use homemade dough. In fact, I typically use pre-made empanada discs to save time. If you want to make your own dough, I’m happy to share tips, but we are not purists around here so do what your heart desires.
For the dough, mix flour, salt, butter (slice up the stick of butter first) and egg with a food processor or mixer. Start adding water slowly until you get a nice stretchy dough consistency.
The dough shouldn’t be sticky, if it is, add more flour to the mix. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This step is not absolutely necessary, but it does make the dough easier to work with.
Take the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin. Sprinkle flour on the surface, the rolling pin, and your hands to prevent the dough from sticking. Once you roll out the dough, use a bowl or a round cookie cutter to cut circular shapes.
Cooking the Beef Filling
Sauté veggies until tender. Add sofrito and tomato sauce to veggies. Season ground beef with adobo seasoning to desired taste, add sazón and a few dashes of hot sauce. Cook until meat is brown. Once done, let the filling cool slightly before assembling.
How to assemble empanadillas?
My favorite method for sealing empanadillas is to use a fork. Place a couple of spoonfuls of beef filling on the dough and fold it shut. Fold the dough over to form a half-moon shape and press the edges together. Use a fork to crimp all the way around both sides, sealing tightly.You’ll want to fry each side of the empanadilla in hot oil.
Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the empanadillas in batches, a few minutes per side, until each one is golden brown and crispy. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use store-bought dough?
Yes! Goya sells frozen empanada discs that work great and save a lot of time. Store-bought discs are a totally solid shortcut and our go-to for weekly meals.
Can I make empanadillas in an air fryer?
You can, but honestly, we don’t love the results. The dough dries out and the texture just isn’t the same. If the air fryer is your only option, spray the dough with a little cooking spray. Just know results may vary.
Can I prep and freeze for later?
Absolutely, and this is one of the best things about this recipe. Assemble the empanadillas and freeze them on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag. When you’re ready, fry them straight from frozen (they’ll just need a couple extra minutes).
Tips for Perfect Empanadillas
- Cold butter = flaky dough. Don’t let it soften before mixing.
- Don’t overfill. Too much filling makes them burst while frying.
- Seal them well. Double-check the fork crimp on every empanadilla before frying.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Fry in batches so the oil temperature stays consistent.
- Let the filling cool before assembling so it doesn’t steam the dough and make it soggy.
- Sazón con achiote is my preference, it gives the filling that beautiful reddish-orange color and authentic flavor. I also like to mix it in a small amount of water before adding to ensure it coats the meat evenly.
Empanadilla Filling Variations
The classic is beef, but empanadillas are incredibly versatile. Here are some popular fillings to try:
- Pollo (shredded chicken with sofrito and sazón)
- Camarones (seasoned shrimp)
- Pizza (mozzarella cheese and marina sauce)
- Ham and cheese
- Sweet potato and black bean (a great vegetarian option)
A Note From Me
This recipe has been on the blog for years and it is still one of the most loved recipes in my familia. Every single time I make a batch I’m transported back to my childhood.
If you make these, I want to hear about it. Drop a comment below or share a photo, nothing makes us happier than seeing your kitchens full of good food and good people. ¡Buen provecho!
Puerto Rican Empanadillas De Carne (Beef Turnovers)
Authentic Puerto Rican Empanadillas De Carne from scratch — flaky homemade dough, a savory beef filling with sofrito and sazón, and all the flavors of home. The only recipe you need!
Ingredients
- Empandilla Dough (can substitute with pre-made empanada discs):
- 2 cups all-purpose white flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick of butter (cold)
- 1 egg
- 3/4 or a cup of cold water
- Beef Filling:
- 2 lbs of ground beef
- Adobo (or salt & pepper) - found in the International foods aisle
- 1/4 cup of sofrito
- 1 small envelope of sazón con achiote
- 2 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped)
- 1/2 of an onion diced
- 1/2 green pepper diced
- 1/2 red pepper diced
- 1 small potato diced
- 1 cup of tomato sauce
- Hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
Empanadilla Dough
- Mix flour, salt, butter (slice up the stick of butter first) and egg with a food processor or mixer. Add water slowly until you get a stretchy consistency.
- The dough shouldn't be sticky, if it is, add more flour to the mix. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Take the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin. Sprinkle flour on the surface, the rolling pin, and your hands to prevent the dough from sticking. Use a bowl or a round cookie cutter to cut circular shapes.
Beef Filling for Empanadilla
- Sauté veggies - onions, green peppers, red peppers, potatoes, garlic cloves - until tender. Add sofrito and tomato sauce to veggies.
- Add ground beef and season with adobo (or salt and pepper) to desired taste. Add sazón, mix it in a small amount of water before adding to ensure it coats the meat evenly. Add a few dashes of hot sauce (optional). Cook until meat is brown.
- Place a spoonful of beef filling on the dough and fold it shut.
- Seal empanadillas using a fork to press on the edge on both sides.
- Fry each side of the empanadilla in hot oil. Remove when the empandilla is a light golden color.
Yum! I can smell them now. Thanks for sharing.
Warm Regards,
Alexandra
http://www.littlewildheart.com
This sounds great. When do you add the tomato sauce and can Bob’s Red Mill gluten free baking flour substitute for the wheat flour? Very gluten intolerant
Hi Karen! Add it with the peppers etc. and yes, you can use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free baking flour instead. 🙂
Does it have to be glutin free?
I’m entertaining 7 Puerto Rican students this weekend, and using this recipe as one of my dishes; I’m also making rice and beans, roasted pork, Tostinos, and mashed potato balls stuffed with your meat filling. Hope all go’s well lol. Thanks for your recipes.
Not at all! Oh, it sounds like a fun (and tasty) gathering. Would love to hear how it all turned out!
These sound amazing! I’m going to make them larger and have them for dinner tomorrow night. 🙂
Yay! How did they turn out Emily?
YUMMY, these sound so much better than some the others I’ve read, they actually have ingredients and flavor. Me personally I’d leave out the potatoes (carbs on carbs)
Haha! I hear ya on the carbs part, but it’s so good. 🙂
can you bake them instead of frying?
Absolutely Lorie! I actually have in the past and still taste great. Frying is just the traditional way to make it. 🙂
Mmmm, que ricas!! thanks for sharing your recipe, I’m sure these homemade empanadillas are a good treat.
They are definitely delicious, I can certainly vouch for that. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by Alejandra!
Yum! I’m making these tonight but subbing sweet potatoes for the regular and although I like them fried much more my thighs suggest that I bake them. Thanks for the recipe!
Yum!! Do you think these can be frozen before frying and fried straight from the freezer?
I’ve been wanting to make my own and these remind me of home!! YUM!!!!
I am a puerto rican girl and this is almost the exact recipe I use. It is very authentic and delicious.
This recipe looks perfect, Jesenia! Thanks so much. I had an empanadilla de carne at the Plaza del Mercado in San Juan and fell in love. Can’t wait to try this out.
Awesome! The empanadillas there are AMAZING, I hope mine can do those justice. 🙂
Hello Jesenia,
These bad babies look amazing! I’m not a stranger in the kitchen but when making a new recipe, I like to be sure I have the right stuff. Sofrito, never used it before. Would that be the one by Goya? And I guess the same goes for the Sazon and Adobo. Or would anything with that name do? And can you please specify what type of pepper? Bell pepper? Chili pepper? Thanks a bunch!
Goya will probably be the easiest to find, but any brand will do. As far as peppers, the red and green peppers mentioned are bell peppers. However, depending on you’re taste preference, you can tweak this recipe and add anything you prefer. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Thank you for the quick reply! Can’t wait to make these.
Hi again,
I was super excited to find sofrito at the store. Getting my ingredients ready for these bad babies. However, there are a bunch of different Sazones. Con achiote, sin achiote, con zafron., etc,. Help a girl out and narrow down for me please! Thanks love
It’s a personal preference, but in our home we use the one with achiote (con achiote). Hope that helps! 🙂
Sure does! Love the color achiote gives my food. Thank you!
Great recipe! Empanadas/empanadillas are one of my favorite Latino foods 🙂 I may be using this recipe for a live cooking demonstration at school that’s timed. In the event that I don’t have enough time to make dough in advance, are there any store-bought doughs that would work, too?
Hi Melanie! That’s awesome your doing a cooking demonstration. Yes, you can purchase the empanadas discs in the freezer aisle. I believe Goya is the only one that sells them right now. We just like the flakiness of the homemade dough, but it’s good either way! 🙂
What a great recipe! The filling was SO good! The dough was so flaky! My family really enjoyed these; we were eating them hot out of the fryer with crema & salsa! Keeping this recipe to make them with my mom next. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us.
Glad to hear your family enjoyed them Nica! I’ve never tried them with crema & salsa, but will definitely be doing so. Sounds yummy. Thanks for stopping by and for the tip! 🙂
Do you deep fry or pan fry?
Hi Leann! We pan fry them, but I’m sure they could be deep fried as well.
The taste was fabulous. Since this was my first attempt at making empanadillas, however your recipe made the meal great.My family helped with the dough and filled the pastries
That’s awesome! Glad to hear your family enjoyed them and even helped make them! 🙂