Empanada Dough Recipe

My empanada dough recipe is easy to make using simple ingredients, and perfect to use for sweet or savory empanadas of all kinds.

Course Appetizer or main

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword empanada dough, empanada dough recipe, empanadas dough, how to make empanada dough

Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Servings discs

Calories 168kcal

Add 2½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 stick butter, 1 egg, ¼ cup cold water, and 1 pinch salt to a food processor fitted with a dough blade. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. See notes if mixing by hand.
1 stick butter, 1 egg, ¼ cup cold water, 1 pinch salt, 2½ cups all-purpose flour
Pour dough mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Use your hands to form the mixture into a ball. Once shaped, wrap tightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Remove the dough from the fridge. Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface and roll out the dough as thinly as possible with a floured rolling pin.
Use a 5 or 6-inch round bowl or plate to cut discs from the dough by running the knife around the bowl. As you run out of dough, form it into a ball and roll it out again to cut more discs until all the dough is used.
Store or use immediately. Fill with no more than 2 tablespoons of preferred filling when ready to fill, to prevent bursting and make the empanadas easier to seal.
Seal by rolling or pursing the edges with your fingers, or pressing down on the edges with the tines of a fork. Brush with egg wash (beaten egg mixed with water) for best results.

How to Make Empanada Dough without a Food Processor

Using a fork, a pastry cutter, or your hands, cut the cold cubed butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in the salt and give it a stir.
Add water and egg and mix until it forms a dough. Knead to form a ball on the counter for about 5 minutes.
Follow the instructions in the recipe card to roll out the dough and cut into discs. Enjoy!