Air Fryer Empanadas
Air fryer empanadas are filled with tender beef filling and air fried until crispy on the outside. These little pockets of goodness are perfect for celebrating Cinco de Mayo, the Day of the Dead and make an ideal back to school lunch option.
Post includes Weight Watchers points.
Empanadas. It’s fun to say, and they are so fun to eat. A tasty beef filling is seasoned with onions, garlic, and a flavorful assortment of rich, warm spices. Using premade pie dough or store bought empanada dough is the perfect shortcut, so these air fryer empanadas come together quickly.
Deep fried empanadas are delicious, but you will be surprised at how crispy and flavorful air fried empanadas can be. This lighter recipe uses less oil than deep frying but still has all the flavor and crunch.
Air fryer beef empanadas are the perfect handheld lunch or snack. Kids love taking them in their lunch boxes, and they make a great after school snack.
Empanadas can be served for dinner, or to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and other Mexican holidays. Easy air fryer empanadas are a great alternative on Taco Tuesday.
You can also whip up this Air Fryer Burrito, easy Air Fryer Sausage Rolls or you can easily cook Frozen Burrito In Air Fryer or Reheat Air Fryer Frozen Pizza.
WHY MAKE THIS RECIPE
Delicious Back To School Lunch – These easy empanadas are the perfect lunch cuisine. Just pop one in your kid’s lunch, and they’ll be the envy of the cafeteria table.
Easy Make Ahead Recipe – Freeze empanadas for a simple meal or snack.
Healthier than Deep Fried – Air fryer empanadas only use a small amount of oil, which is healthier than deep frying.
Bold Flavor – The meat filling has a bold flavor, but you can customize the seasoning for an empanada recipe your whole family will love.
INGREDIENT NOTES
Olive Oil – Or use your favorite light, neutral-flavored oil.
Aromatics – Bell pepper, white onion, and garlic add flavor and aroma to the empanadas. You can use green bell pepper or red bell pepper.
Ground Beef – Use lean ground beef for a slightly lighter dish. You can also substitute other ground meats like ground turkey or ground chicken. These can also be made with leftover shredded chicken.
Seasoning – Oregano, cumin, paprika, cinnamon and salt create a warm, deep flavor.
Olives – Chopped green olives add a bit of briny goodness.
Pie Crust Dough – Use store bought or make your own dough. You will need 2-3 rolls. You can also find premade empanada disc dough in many grocery stores.
Egg – For making an egg wash for the crust.
Ready to make this Empanadas Air Fryer? Gather your ingredients and I will show you…
HOW TO MAKE EMPANADAS IN AIR FRYER
Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion and pepper until it becomes translucent and begins to soften.
Add ground beef and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until ground beef is brown. Drain any excess fat.
Stir in the oregano, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and olives, and cook for a couple of minutes before letting the mixture cool.
Roll out pie crust and use a cookie or biscuit cutter to make 5-inch discs of dough.
Place 2 tablespoons of empanada mix into each disk of pie crust dough, being careful not to overfill.
Wet the edges of the pie crust with water, fold over to seal, and crimp with a fork.
Brush the empanadas with egg wash (using a whole egg or just the egg white).
Preheat an air fryer to 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C.
Spray empanadas with olive oil or cooking spray and place them into an air fryer basket.
Air fry for 8-10 minutes until golden, turning halfway through.
Serve warm.
EXPERT TIPS
After browning the meat, drain fat with a spoon or using a paper towel.
Premade pie crust is a great shortcut. You can also use premade empanada discs or make your own empanada dough and save any remaining dough in the freezer.
Roll out the empanada dough on a lightly floured surface and cut with a biscuit or cookie cutter to make dough rounds.
In addition to the seasonings listed, I also like to use freshly ground black pepper, chili powder and garlic powder.
When adding the meat mixture to the empanada disks, fill empanadas conservatively, or the meat mixture may ooze out during cooking.
Carefully wet the edges and fold dough in half. Crimp with a fork to seal.
Add a light egg wash with a pastry brush to give the air fryer empanadas a golden brown color.
Place empanadas in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook in batches if necessary.
Place the air fryer empanadas on a baking sheet pan in a warm oven to keep warm while cooking the remaining empanadas.
Serve empanadas with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, or your favorite dip.
Air fryers can vary, so use the cooking times listed are an estimate.
DELICIOUS VARIATIONS
Ground Turkey Empanadas – Replace ground beef with ground turkey for lighter and leaner empanadas.
Chicken Empanadas – Use ground chicken or leftover shredded chicken in place of the ground beef mixture.
Taco Empanadas – Season the ground beef with taco seasoning before filling the air fryer empanadas.
Spicy Empanadas – Add crushed red pepper flakes or jalapeno to make the easy beef empanadas spicy.
PREP AND STORAGE
Prep Ahead – Make up to 2 days in advance and store under plastic wrap in the fridge until ready to air fry.
Store – Leftovers can be stored for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Freeze – Freeze before cooking for up to 3 months.
