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Overview

Empanada de Choclo

Paraguayan Baked Corn and Cheese Empanadas

This empanada de choclo recipe wraps sweet corn, soft-cooked onion and melted mozzarella in a buttery wheat pastry, then bakes the empanadas until golden and crisp. The filling stays creamy inside while the crust turns flaky, and the corn gives every bite a gentle sweetness. One serving is about 107 g.

Empanadas reached South America with Spanish settlers, and in Paraguay they met choclo — the sweet corn that Guaraní farmers had grown for centuries. Corn-and-cheese empanadas became a fixture of Paraguayan street food and home cooking: cheap, portable, and eaten warm at any hour, from market stalls to the asado. The photograph shows empanadas baked in Misiones, Argentina, just across the river from Paraguay, where the same corn, onion and mozzarella filling is a familiar snack.

Pairs well with: Warm empanadas with a tomato salad and tereré or a cold drink

Provenance

Paraguay flag Paraguay

Paraguay Heritage

Latin America & Caribbean

Time Dedication

1h 25m

60m prep • 25m cook

Batch Yield

12 Servings

258 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 107 g

Technical Skill

Intermediate

Medium (Hand-Shaped)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Inappropriate

Dinner

Inappropriate

Snack & Tea

Ideal Light Bite

Occasions: Afternoon snack, parties, picnics, lunchboxes Cost: Low — about $1–2 per serving at home
Tags: Vegetables Cheese Savory Vegetarian Baked
Six golden baked empanadas de choclo with crimped edges and melted cheese showing at the seams, on white paper

Paraguay Heritage

Photo: Horacio Cambeiro, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Low — about $1–2 per serving at home (USD)

A good empanada de choclo is deep golden outside, with a crisp sealed edge and a creamy, stretchy corn-and-cheese filling inside.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 1h 25m
P

Prep Stage: Dough First, Filling Second

60 Mins • Mixing, Resting & Filling

Empanada de choclo comes together in two parts: a simple butter pastry that needs 30 minutes of rest so it rolls out without springing back, and a quick corn filling that must cool completely before it meets the dough — warm filling melts the butter in the pastry and makes it leak. Cut the corn and onion first, then make the dough while the filling cools.

Maestro Tip: Pat the corn dry before it goes in the pan: wet kernels steam the filling and soggy filling is the one thing that ruins an empanada.

  1. 1

    Make the Dough

    10 Mins Room temperature

    Rub the 60g of cold butter cubes into the flour, salt and sugar with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add the warm water a little at a time, mixing until a soft dough comes together — you may not need every last drop. Knead on a floured surface for 3–4 minutes until smooth.

    Stop adding water as soon as the dough holds together; too much water makes a tough pastry.

    Done when: A smooth, soft dough that does not stick to your hands.

  2. 2

    Rest the Dough

    30 Mins Room temperature

    Wrap the dough in cling film and leave it to rest for 30 minutes. This relaxes the gluten so the pastry rolls out thin without shrinking back — the single most important step for a tender crust.

    While the dough rests, cook the filling so it has time to cool.

    Done when: The dough feels soft and relaxed when pressed.

  3. 3

    Cook the Corn Filling

    10 Mins Medium heat, ~160°C (320°F) pan

    Melt the 15g of butter in a pan over medium heat, add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes until completely soft and translucent. Add the corn, oregano and black pepper and cook for 2–3 minutes more, until the moisture has evaporated. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool completely, then stir in the mozzarella cubes.

    The filling must be fully cool before filling — warm filling melts the pastry butter and the empanadas will burst open in the oven.

    Done when: The corn is dry, not wet, the onion is soft, and the bowl feels cool to the touch.

  4. 4

    Fill and Seal

    10 Mins Room temperature

    Roll the dough out to about 3 mm thick and cut 12 circles, about 12 cm across. Put about 2 tablespoons of filling on one half of each circle, leaving a 1 cm border. Fold the dough over, press the edges together firmly, and crimp with a fork or fold the edge over itself in a rope pattern (repulgue). Brush the tops with the beaten egg.

    Do not overfill — two tablespoons is enough. Overfilled empanadas burst and lose their cheese in the oven.

    Done when: Twelve neat half-moons with tightly sealed, crimped edges.

  5. 5

    Bake Until Golden

    25 Mins 200°C (400°F)

    Set the empanadas on a lined baking tray and bake in the centre of the oven at 200°C (400°F) for 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden with browned spots and the cheese is bubbling at the seams. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

    If one leaks a little cheese, that is fine — the leaked cheese crisps into a delicious edge.

    Done when: Deep golden pastry, crisp edges, and melted cheese visible at the seams.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Serve the empanadas warm, when the mozzarella is still stretchy and the pastry crackles. They need nothing on the plate, but a spoonful of tomato salad on the side cuts the richness nicely.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

258

kcal / serving

Protein

9g

Complete AA

Carbs

34g

Complex

Fats

10g

Healthy

Per serving (12 servings · 1 serving ≈ 107 g)
Energy258 kcal
Protein9 g
Carbohydrates34 g
Fat10 g
Fibre1.9 g
Sugar3.3 g
Sodium279 mg
Per 100g
Energy240 kcal
Protein8.3 g
Carbohydrates31.6 g
Fat9.3 g
Fibre1.8 g
Sugar3.1 g
Sodium259 mg

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

Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin A and calcium (mozzarella and butter), B vitamins and folate (corn and flour), potassium (corn and onion).

Fibre and Slow Energy From Corn

Sweet corn brings fibre and slow-digesting carbohydrate, so a couple of empanadas keep you full far longer than a plain pastry snack.

Protein From Mozzarella

With about 9 g of protein per empanada, the mozzarella makes this a genuinely filling snack rather than an empty one.

Calcium for Bones

Mozzarella is a good source of calcium, supporting bones and teeth as part of a varied diet.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

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

Vegetables

Fresh Tomato and Onion Salad

A sharp tomato and onion salad cuts through the buttery pastry and rich cheese with acidity and crunch, and it is the classic Paraguayan side.

Drinks

Tereré or Mate Cocido

Cold tereré or hot mate cocido are the everyday drinks of Paraguay, and their bitter, herbal edge refreshes the palate between rich, cheesy bites.

Sides

Grilled Meat (Asado)

Empanadas are the opening act of a Paraguayan asado: eaten warm while the meat grills, they take the edge off hunger without spoiling the main course.

Full Menus

The Paraguayan Snack Table

Put a tray of empanadas in the middle of the table with chipa, salad and tereré — everyone takes their own, and the tray empties fast.

Complete menu

Serve warm empanadas de choclo with a fresh tomato and onion salad and tereré, and follow with grilled meat from the asado for a full Paraguayan meal.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

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

Overfilling the Empanadas

Too much filling stretches the pastry and forces the seam open in the oven, so the cheese runs out and the empanada dries out. Two tablespoons per empanada is enough. This is general guidance, not medical advice.

Filling While the Corn Is Still Hot

Warm filling melts the butter in the pastry before it reaches the oven, which makes the dough greasy and the seams leak. Let the filling cool completely first.

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

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA warm, cheesy snack — two empanadas make a satisfying afternoon bite.
  • ChildrenChildren usually love them: sweet corn, mild cheese and soft pastry. Cut one in half to cool it first.
  • ElderlyVery suitable — soft, warm and easy to chew; serve one empanada with salad.
  • Pregnant womenGenerally suitable; make sure the egg wash is baked right through and the cheese is fresh.
  • Breastfeeding womenGenerally suitable; the protein and calcium support recovery — take a full serving.
  • AthletesA handy refuelling snack: about 9 g of protein and slow carbs per empanada; pair with salad after training.
  • Weight gainA good choice — take two empanadas with a tomato salad.
  • Weight lossKeep it to one empanada and load the plate with tomato salad; the pastry is rich in butter and cheese.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesCorn and flour are the main sources of carbs — keep it to one empanada and ask your clinician about a suitable serving.
  • High blood pressureMost of the sodium comes from the mozzarella and added salt; use less salt and a smaller portion, and ask your clinician about portion size.
  • Kidney diseaseLimit the portion — cheese and egg are high in protein and phosphorus; ask your clinician about portion size.
  • GoutEat occasionally and in smaller portions — cheese is moderate in purines; ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Stomach issuesUsually gentle on the stomach, but the butter and cheese are rich — eat one empanada and avoid eating it very hot.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseKeep the portion modest — the dish is high in saturated fat from cheese and butter; balance it with salad.
  • Fatty liverKeep the portion modest and favour the salad over a second empanada; the pastry is energy-dense.
  • Food allergiesContains wheat (gluten), milk, cheese, butter and egg. The egg is only a brush-on wash, but the dish still contains egg.
  • Special therapeutic dietsIf you follow a prescribed low-sodium or low-phosphorus diet, use less salt and a smaller portion, and check with your clinician.

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 an airtight container lined with paper towel.
In the fridge
3 days, covered.
In the freezer
2 months, unbaked and wrapped in portions; bake from frozen, adding 5 minutes.
How to reheat
Warm in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 8–10 minutes until the centre reaches 74°C (165°F); the pastry crisps up again.
Freezing recommended
Yes — freeze unbaked, then bake straight from the freezer.
Signs it has spoiled
Sour smell, mould on the pastry, or a slimy filling.

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