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1
Make and Rest the Dough
30 Mins (10 active + 20 resting)
No heat — room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Rub the cold butter cubes into the flour, 5 g salt, sugar and baking powder with your fingertips until the mix looks like fine breadcrumbs. Pour in the warm water and knead on a lightly floured board for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and soft. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 20 minutes.
Cold butter and a short knead keep the crust tender — overworked dough turns tough and shrinks in the oil.
Done when: Dough is smooth, soft and holds together without cracking when pressed.
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2
Simmer the Tomato Sauce
10 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Heat 10 ml of the oil in a small pan, soften 50 g onion and 6 g garlic for 2 minutes, then add the 300 g tomatoes and 2 g salt. Simmer for about 8 minutes, mashing with a spoon, until thick enough to coat the spoon. Taste and adjust the salt.
Leave the sauce a little chunky — it looks homemade and grips the empanadas better than a smooth puree.
Done when: Sauce is thick, deep red and coats a spoon; it should not run like water.
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3
Cook the Shrimp Filling
8 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Heat the remaining 15 ml oil in a wide pan, soften the 100 g onion for 3 minutes, then add the 12 g garlic, 150 g tomato, tomato paste, cumin, paprika and black pepper and cook 2 minutes. Add the chopped shrimp and lime juice and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the shrimp turn pink and opaque. Stir in the cilantro, season with the 3 g salt, then tip into a bowl and cool completely.
Cook the shrimp briefly and let them cool before filling — hot, wet filling melts the pastry and bursts the empanadas in the oil.
Done when: Shrimp are pink and opaque throughout, at least 63°C (145°F) inside; the filling is moist but not watery.
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4
Fill and Seal the Empanadas
15 Mins
No heat — room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Roll the rested dough to about 3 mm thick on a floured board and cut 8 rounds about 12 cm across. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cooled filling onto one half of each round, brush the edge with water, fold over into a half-moon and press the edges firmly, crimping with a fork.
Do not overfill — filling that touches the seam will leak and spit in the hot oil.
Done when: Edges are sealed all the way round with no filling caught in the seam; the rounds lie flat without tearing.
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5
Fry Until Deep Golden
12 Mins
Oil at 175°C (350°F)
Heat the 500 ml frying oil in a deep pan to 175°C (350°F). Fry the empanadas 3–4 at a time for about 3 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp, turning once. Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and serve hot over the warm tomato sauce.
Keep the oil at temperature between batches — oil that has cooled makes greasy, pale empanadas.
Done when: Crust is deep golden, crisp and blistered; the filling inside is steaming hot.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the empanadas hot on a spoonful of the warm tomato sauce with curtido on the side — this empanadas de camaron recipe is at its best eaten straight from the pan, crisp outside and juicy inside, with your hands.
El Salvador
1h 15m
