🧀 Cheese empanada
The Chilean cheese empanada is a half-moon of thin, crisp pastry filled with melted cheese. It is usually fried and eaten hot, straight from the pan, while the cheese is stretchy. It is a simple, popular snack and a favourite vegetarian option.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 100 g butter or lard, melted
- 1 egg
- about 150 ml warm water
- 400 g melting cheese, grated or cubed (mozzarella or similar)
- Oil for frying
Method
- Make a smooth dough from the flour, salt, butter, egg and water; rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll thinly and cut into 12–14 cm circles.
- Place about 40 g of cheese in the centre of each circle.
- Fold over and seal the edges tightly with a fork so the cheese cannot escape.
- Fry in hot oil for 3–4 minutes per side until golden, drain, and eat while hot.
How to make it lighter
- Bake instead of frying (200 °C, brushed with beaten egg): the empanada loses a lot of oil.
- Choose a lower-fat melting cheese or mix cheese with a little spinach for fewer calories.
- Pair it with a salad and tomato, and eat one rather than two.
History
The cheese empanada is one of the most common empanadas in Chile and is sold at street stalls, bakeries and at festivals. Its filling is simple: a soft cheese that melts well. It is often sprinkled with a little sugar by some cooks, a habit in some regions. It is a popular snack at national celebrations alongside the empanada de pino.
Count it in one photo
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v15. How we count →