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Overview

Colombian Empanadas

Empanadas colombianas, Empanadas de carne y papa

This colombian empanadas recipe fries crisp cornmeal empanadas stuffed with seasoned ground beef and potato, and serves them with a fresh aji sauce. One serving is about 250 g — two empanadas with aji — and carries 459 calories. They are best eaten hot, straight from the oil, with the aji spooned over.

Empanadas reached Latin America with Spanish settlers, but Colombia made them its own: instead of wheat pastry, the dough is pre-cooked cornmeal — masarepa — which fries up crisp and golden, and the filling is seasoned ground beef mixed with mashed potato. They are sold hot from street stalls and market corners across the country, always with aji, the fresh herb-and-chilli sauce, for dipping. Unlike the baked wheat empanadas of Argentina, the Colombian version is defined by its cornmeal shell, its beef-and-potato filling and the fryer.

Pairs well with: Aji sauce and a cold aguapanela or lemonade.

Provenance

Colombia flag Colombia

Andean Street-Food Classic

Latin America & Caribbean

Time Dedication

1h 15m

45m prep • 30m cook

Batch Yield

6 Servings

459 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 250 g

Technical Skill

Intermediate

Intermediate (Frying)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Prime Metabolic Fit

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

Occasions: Street-food lunches, parties, football matches, family gatherings Cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home
Tags: Beef Spicy Savory Fried
Two golden Colombian empanadas on a black slate with a small bowl of aji sauce and a spoon

Andean Street-Food Classic

Photo: Francesc Fort, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home (USD)

This version uses pre-cooked white cornmeal (masarepa) for the dough, a beef-and-potato filling, and a fresh aji — the three marks of the Colombian style.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 1h 15m
P

Prep Stage: Filling, Dough and Aji

45 Mins • Filling, Dough and Aji

Boil the potatoes and mash them smooth. Cook the beef with the onion, tomato, garlic, 50g of spring onions, cumin and paprika until browned and cooked through, then stir in the mashed potato and let the filling cool. Mix the cornmeal with the warm water, oil and salt, knead for 5 minutes and rest for 10 minutes under a cloth. Stir the aji together from the cilantro, the remaining 30g of spring onions, lime juice, jalapeno, vinegar, salt and 2 tablespoons of water.

Maestro Tip: Let the filling cool before shaping — hot filling softens the cornmeal dough and the empanadas burst in the oil.

  1. 1

    Cook the beef and potato filling

    15 Mins Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)

    Heat a little of the frying oil in a pan and fry the onion, garlic and 50g of spring onions for 3 minutes. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through — ground beef must reach 71°C (160°F). Stir in the tomato, cumin and paprika, cook 2 minutes more, then fold in the mashed potato. Season with 1g of the salt and set aside to cool completely.

    The filling should be thick enough to hold its shape in a spoon — if it is wet, cook it a few minutes longer.

    Done when: Beef browned and cooked through, filling thick enough to hold its shape.

  2. 2

    Make the cornmeal dough

    10 Mins + 10 Mins rest Warm water, about 40°C (104°F)

    Tip the cornmeal into a bowl with 3g of the salt and the oil. Pour in the warm water a little at a time, mixing with your hands, then knead for 5 minutes until smooth and pliable. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 10 minutes.

    If the dough cracks when you press it, knead in a tablespoon of warm water at a time until it is smooth.

    Done when: Dough is smooth, pliable and no longer sticky.

  3. 3

    Shape the empanadas

    15 Mins Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)

    Divide the dough into 12 equal balls. Press each one into a disc about 12 cm wide between two sheets of plastic, using a plate or a tortilla press. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of filling onto one half, fold the dough over, and press the edges firmly together with your fingers, then crimp with a fork.

    Wet the edge with a drop of water before sealing — dry cornmeal edges do not stick.

    Done when: 12 sealed half-moons with no filling escaping.

  4. 4

    Fry until deep golden

    12 Mins 175°C (350°F)

    Heat the oil to 175°C (350°F) and fry the empanadas in batches of 4 for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper.

    Do not crowd the pan — too many empanadas at once drops the oil temperature and they turn greasy instead of crisp.

    Done when: Deep golden, crisp shells; filling steaming hot inside.

  5. 5

    Serve hot with aji

    5 Mins Serving hot, above 60°C (140°F)

    Serve two empanadas per person at once, with the aji in a small bowl for dipping or spooning over.

    Empanadas wait for no one — the shell is at its crispest in the first few minutes out of the oil.

    Done when: Empanadas crackle when bitten, aji spooned over.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Pile the empanadas on a plate lined with paper, put the aji in a small bowl in the middle, and eat them hot — the shell should shatter and the beef-and-potato filling should be steaming.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

459

kcal / serving

Protein

16g

Complete AA

Carbs

52g

Complex

Fats

22g

Healthy

Per serving (6 servings · 1 serving ≈ 250 g)
Energy459 kcal
Protein16 g
Carbohydrates52 g
Fat22 g
Fibre6.0 g
Sugar2.9 g
Sodium383 mg
Per 100g
Energy184 kcal
Protein6.3 g
Carbohydrates20.7 g
Fat8.9 g
Fibre2.4 g
Sugar1.2 g
Sodium153 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: B vitamins and iron (beef), vitamin C and potassium (potato, tomato, lime), vitamin A (paprika, jalapeno).

Beef and Potato, Real and Filling

Seasoned beef and mashed potato make a genuinely filling lunch — about 16 g of protein per serving, with slow carbohydrate that keeps you going.

Cornmeal Fibre

The cornmeal shell gives each serving about 6 g of fibre, which is far more than a wheat-pastry empanada, and the dough is naturally gluten-free.

Fresh Aji, Bright Flavour

The aji adds its flavour from fresh herbs, lime and chilli, not from fat or sugar — it brightens the whole plate for almost no calories.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Drinks

Aguapanela or Lemonade

A cold aguapanela or lemonade balances the salty, fried pastry — the sweet-tart drink is what Colombian street stalls serve with empanadas.

Vegetables

Green Salad

A crisp green salad with lime dressing cuts through the frying oil and turns two empanadas into a proper lunch.

Sliced Avocado

Creamy avocado cools the chilli heat of the aji and adds richness without more frying.

Sauces

Hogao Sauce

Hogao — slow-cooked tomato and spring onion — is the other classic Colombian sauce for empanadas, milder and sweeter than the aji.

Complete menu

Serve two empanadas per person with aji, a green salad and lemonade, followed by arequipe with cheese.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Eating Them Cold and Soggy

Fried cornmeal shells go soft as they cool, and the filling is best hot; eat empanadas within minutes of frying or re-crisp them in the oven. This is general food information, not medical advice.

Reusing Old Frying Oil

Oil reused many times breaks down and can carry off flavours and harmful compounds — use fresh oil for frying and discard it when it darkens or smells. This is general food-safety information, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA satisfying lunch — two empanadas with aji and a salad is a full meal.
  • ChildrenMild and soft inside; deseed the jalapeno and keep the aji mild for children.
  • ElderlySoft filling and crisp shell; serve one empanada with salad and a mild aji.
  • Pregnant womenFine when the beef is cooked through and the empanadas are eaten fresh and hot.
  • Breastfeeding womenA filling, energy-rich lunch that travels well in a lunchbox.
  • AthletesGood after training: about 459 calories with 16 g of protein per serving, plus carbohydrate from the cornmeal and potato.
  • Weight gainA good choice — energy-dense, satisfying, and easy to eat a second empanada.
  • Weight lossBest as two empanadas with a large salad; the fried shell is rich, so keep the portion to one serving.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesAbout 52 g of carbohydrate per serving, mostly from the cornmeal and potato — take one serving with salad and keep the aji unsweetened; ask a clinician about portion size.
  • High blood pressureSodium is about 383 mg per serving; keep the salt as written and skip extra salty sauces — ask a clinician for personal advice.
  • Kidney diseaseBeef adds protein, potassium and phosphorus, which some kidney diets limit — ask a clinician about portion size before eating it regularly.
  • GoutBeef is a purine-containing food, so a large serving can raise uric acid — keep the portion modest and ask a clinician if you have questions about your overall diet.
  • Stomach issuesFried food and chilli can bother sensitive stomachs; a smaller serving with a mild aji is usually easier — ask a clinician if symptoms persist.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseAbout 22 g of fat per serving from frying — enjoy occasionally and keep to two empanadas with salad; ask a clinician about your overall eating pattern.
  • Fatty liverEnergy-dense and fried; keep it an occasional treat and favour a single serving with plenty of salad — ask a clinician for personal guidance.
  • Food allergiesNaturally gluten-free and dairy-free as written. Contains beef and chilli; free of egg, nuts, fish and soy.
  • Special therapeutic dietsGluten-free and dairy-free as written, but fried and energy-dense; if you follow a restricted diet, ask a clinician or dietitian before adapting it.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Cool completely, then store in a sealed container lined with paper.
In the fridge
3 days in the fridge at 4°C (39°F) or below.
In the freezer
Up to 2 months; freeze in a single layer, then bag.
How to reheat
Reheat in an oven or air fryer at 180°C (350°F) for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp and the centre is hot, about 74°C (165°F).
Freezing recommended
Yes — the uncooked shaped empanadas freeze best; fry from frozen, adding 2 minutes.
Signs it has spoiled
Sour smell, slimy filling, or mould — discard it.

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