Learn how to make easy flaky empanada dough at home with this recipe. This buttery dough is made with only 5 ingredients and needs no chill time, so you can have perfect empanadas ready in just 25 minutes!

Filled and fork-crimped empanada next to rolled empanada dough discs and egg wash on a wooden board.

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Easy Flaky Homemade Empanada Dough

Popular in Spain and Latin America, empanadas are pastry turnovers filled with either savory or sweet fillings, then baked or fried until crispy golden brown with a flaky texture.

Classic beef empanadas are my favorite although you can use homemade apple pie filling inside an easy empanada dough recipe for something sweet.

Empanada dough doesn’t require yeast or chill time, which makes it super quick and easy to make at home. This recipe is ready in just 25 minutes and makes enough for 22 to 25 empanada shells, so fill and bake what you need and store the rest in the fridge for a couple of days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Jamielyn Nye

I Love this Homemade Dough vs. Store Bought Empanada Discs

Store-bought empanada discs work in a pinch, but with homemade dough ready in just 25 minutes, there’s really no need. You get a flakier, more flavorful result and you can control exactly what goes into it.

Plus, it’s incredibly budget-friendly. You most likely already have the five ingredients you need at home. Once you get into the habit of making your own dough, there’s no looking back!

XO - Jamielyn

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients for flaky empanada dough including flour, butter, egg, and water on a countertop.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Unsalted butter: Keep your butter in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. If it’s too soft, as a result, you won’t get that delicious flakiness. You could try using shortening or lard, but the taste may change.
  • All-purpose flour: The dough is usually made with wheat flour and that’s what I’ve used in this recipe. You can experiment with other flours or sometimes it is also made with cornmeal or even mashed potatoes!
  • Egg and water: The egg should be at room temperature and the water should be warm, but not too hot! This makes it easier to incorporate them into the dough.
  • Paprika (optional): This spice flavors the dough slightly and you can skip it if it’s not to your taste. You would also only add it if you’re making savory empanadas.

Variations

Most recipes for empanada dough call for wheat flour which is what I use here. You can also make it with corn flour or cornmeal, mashed potatoes, or sweet potatoes. The dough will have a different texture and taste if you use any of these.

For dessert empanadas, try adding a bit of lemon or orange zest to the dough and maybe some cinnamon for a bit of spice.

How to Make Empanada Dough

Combine butter and flour. This step is similar to making pie dough. You’ll be “cutting” the cold butter into the flour until you have a crumbly consistency. You can use a pastry cutter, a fork, or your hands. If you’re going to use your hands, make sure they’re not too warm or the heat will melt the butter.

Cubed cold butter and flour in a glass bowl with a pastry cutter for making empanada dough.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle in the salt and paprika and then use a fork to stir in the water and the egg. Keep stirring until a clumpy dough starts to form.

Tip the crumbly mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a ball is formed. Continue kneading for 5 minutes more, then cut the dough into 22 to 25 equal-sized pieces, about 1.5 ounces each.

Ball of homemade empanada dough on a floured wooden cutting board.
Rolling empanada dough balls into flat discs with a rolling pin on a floured board.

Roll each piece into a ball, then use a rolling pin to roll out to a 5-inch circle about ¼-inch thick or weighing about 1.5 ounces each.

Keep the dough covered with a towel while rolling and filling to avoid drying out. When ready, follow the instructions for your favorite empanada recipe.

Rolled out empanada dough discs on parchment paper with egg wash and a pastry brush.
Folded and fork-crimped empanada next to rolled dough discs ready to fill.

How to Fold and Close Your Empanadas

Add a spoonful of filling to the middle of the dough, then fold the dough over to make a half-moon shape. Press the edges together with your fingers to seal, then crimp with a fork along the outside rim. An egg wash helps keep filling from oozing out and gives a nice golden finish.

From here, follow your recipe to bake or fry. If frying, heat oil in a skillet and fry on each side until golden brown.

Rolling empanada dough into a thin disc on a floured wooden board.

Tips for Flaky Empanada Dough

  • Use cold butter. Cold unsalted butter helps to create those delicious flaky layers! If the butter is too warm, you could end up with tough dough.
  • Don’t overfill. Overfilling can cause the filling to leak out during baking which is exactly what you don’t want!
  • Lightly flour the rolling surface. You want to lightly dust the rolling surface so the empanada dough doesn’t stick to it. If you use too much flour, your empanadas can turn out tough and dry.
  • Keep it flaky. Too much kneading can make your empanadas tough instead of light and flaky. Handle the dough just until it comes together, if it starts feeling soft and sticky, pop it in the fridge for 15–20 minutes to firm the butter back up.
  • Thickness. I like a thicker empanada dough casing so I roll my discs about ¼” thick. If you want it to be thinner, roll it 1/8” thick.
Spooning beef filling onto a rolled out empanada dough disc.

Filling Ideas

Now, this is the fun part! There are so many options that you’ll never run out of empanada filling ideas for the handmade pockets.

  • Easy beef empanadas: Taco meat or shredded beef is a classic empanada filling.
  • Chicken: Another popular filling is ground or shredded chicken with tomato sauce.
  • Vegetables: For a meatless option, use fajita veggies by sautéing a mix of vegetables like mushrooms, zucchini and peppers and with fresh herbs for flavor.
  • Cheese: Some popular cheese choices are mozzarella, cheddar, or goat cheese. 
  • Ham and cheese: Take it up a notch by adding some diced oven baked ham to your cheesy filling.
  • Spinach and feta: Sauteed spinach and feta make a great filling combination!
  • Dessert: Stuff your empanada dough with Nutella, fruit compote, or dulce de leche for a warm and comforting sweet snack.
Baked empanadas sealed and crimped on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

More Homemade Dough Recipes

Filled and fork-crimped empanada next to rolled empanada dough discs and egg wash on a wooden board.

Flaky Empanada Dough

5 from 10 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 22 empanadas
Learn how to make easy flaky empanada dough at home with only 5 ingredients and no chill time. Ready in just 25 minutes!
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Video

Ingredients 

  • 14 Tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into cubes
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour , plus more for the counter
  • ½ teaspoon table or fine sea salt
  • Pinch paprika , optional
  • ½ cup warm water
  • 1 large egg , at room temperature and whisked

Instructions

  • Using a pastry cutter, a fork, or your hands, cut 14 Tablespoons butter into 4 cups flour until it is well incorporated and forms a crumbly consistency. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of paprika, if using.
  • Stir in 1/2 cup water and 1 egg until a clumpy dough starts to form.
  • On a lightly-floured work surface, dump out the crumbly dough and knead until a ball is formed. Do not add water; it will come together. Continue to knead 5 minutes more.
  • Cut the dough into 22 to 25 (1 1/2-ounce) pieces and roll into balls. On a lightly-floured work surface, roll the balls into 5-inch circles about 1/4-inch thick with a rolling pin. Keep the dough covered with a towel while rolling and filling to avoid drying the dough out.
  • Fill and and bake. When ready to fill and bake the empanadas, follow the instructions of your favorite recipe.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Quantity: This recipe makes about 22 to 25 (1/4-inch thick, 5-inch diameter) empanada dough rounds.
Make-ahead: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and store in the fridge up to 2 days before using. Remove 20 minutes before filling and baking to let the butter warm up a bit.
Freeze: Stack the circles with parchment paper between each and store in a zip-top bag in the freezer up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 43kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Fat: 3g, Sodium: 292mg, Potassium: 3mg, Sugar: 3g

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.