Baked Vegan Empanadas with Arroz Tapado–Inspired Filling
Baked vegan empanadas with an arroz tapado–inspired filling made using Goya empanada dough. An easy baked empanadas recipe perfect for game day or parties.
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 tbsp Avocado Oil
- ¼ Red Onion, diced
- ½ Red Bell Pepper, diced
- 1.5 cups Ground Beef , I'm using 1 entire box of Abbot's plant-based beef
- ½ tsp Paprika Powder
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Non-Spicy Aji Amarillo Sauce, linked in the blog post
- 10 Black Olives, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp Raisins, roughly chopped
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
For Assembling
- 10 Empanada Dough Disc, I use 1 entire pack from Goya
- Oil or Egg Wash, for brushing
Creamy Cilantro Sauce
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt, I'm using Cocojune's plant-based Greek Yogurt
- ½ cup Cilantro Leaves
- ½ Lime, juice from
- 1 pinch Sea Salt
Instructions
Make the filling
- Heat the avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and red bell pepper and cook until soft and lightly golden, about 7-8 minutes.
- Stir in the paprika and garlic powder, then add the Abbot’s beef and aji amarillo paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is well browned and any excess moisture has cooked off.
- Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped raisins and olives and cook for another 1–2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let the filling cool completely. This step is important so the empanadas seal properly.
Assemble the empanadas
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the empanada discs on a clean surface. Use your finger to lightly dab the edges of the disc with water. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of filling to the center of each disc. Don’t overfill.
- Fold the dough over to form a half-moon. Press the edges together firmly, then crimp with a fork to seal.
- Place the empanadas on a lined baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with oil or an egg wash.
Bake & Make Sauce
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Halfway through baking rotate the pan 180 degrees.
- Blend all of the sauce ingredients together in a blender and set aside.
- Let cool slightly before serving with the cilantro sauce.