Description
These easy pork empanadas are filled with tender pulled pork, carnitas, or cochinita pibil and cooked until crisp and golden. Bake them in the oven or make them in the air fryer.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups cooked pulled pork, carnitas, or cochinita pibil
- 10–15 empanada dough discs, thawed according to package directions
- Olive oil, for brushing
Instructions
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a bowl or baking dish. Shred it with two forks. Stir in just enough of its cooking sauce to keep the meat moist without making the filling watery. Let it cool slightly.
- Place one empanada dough disc on a clean work surface. Add about 2 tablespoons of pork to the center, leaving a border around the edge.
- Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon. Press the edges together, then seal firmly with a fork. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- To bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the empanadas lightly with olive oil and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake according to the dough package directions, until crisp and golden.
- To air fry, preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Brush both sides lightly with olive oil and arrange the empanadas in a single layer. Cook in batches according to the dough package directions, flipping halfway if necessary, until crisp and golden.
- Let the empanadas rest for five minutes before serving.
Notes
- Keep the pork moist but not wet. Excess sauce can make the empanadas soggy or cause them to open.
- Do not overfill the dough.
- Cooking times vary significantly by the dough’s size, thickness, brand, and whether it is completely thawed.
- Check that the empanada discs are intended for baking if using the oven or air fryer.
- The pork must be fully cooked before assembling the empanadas.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Latin, Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 163.0
- Sugar: 1.3 g
- Sodium: 118.0 mg
- Fat: 11.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.8 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 10.9 g
- Cholesterol: 38.0 mg