Name: Vegetarian Empanadas
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min 20 s
Total time: 1 h 15 min 20 s
Yield: 25
Cuisine: Dinner
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1/2 tsp coriander; 1 small onion, minced; 2 Roma tomatoes (seeded and diced); 1 can of black beans (15oz can, rinsed and drained); 2 1/2 cups frozen corn; 1 lime, juiced; 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese; 1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 1/4 tsp salt and pepper

Corn, black beans and tomatoes- what could be better in a vegetarian empanada? How about a little cheese?

When I set out to make a veggie empanada my boys would love, I combined a few different online recipes. I found a few recipes with too much onion or scallion; not great for my heartburn. Other recipes weren’t flavorful enough. You need some depth in your filling flavor or it gets lost in the empanada dough.

A vegetarian empanada also had to have protein. Black beans and cheese bring in that healthy protein element, plus loads of flavor and texture. Luckily, my boys already eat black beans in their tacos, so this wasn’t a big stretch.

Sneaking in the tomatoes was tricky, but by making them super small, I was able to pass them off as peppers. Keep in mind that there are no peppers in this recipe. Peppers do play a large part in a lot of my other empanada recipes though, so it wasn’t a stretch for the kids to believe.

Plus, you could certainly add a chopped up red, orange or yellow pepper for some added flavor complexity.

Why eat Veggie Empanadas?

Not everyone can or wants to eat meat. For instance, my sister can’t eat pork or beef. Her body just doesn’t like it.

My sister can eat my chicken empanadas, but she leans towards more vegetarian meals. It is easier for her body to process. She could have my cheese and potato empanadas, inspired by my favorite Puerto Rican restaurant in Seattle, but that’s a lot of carbs for her too.

So, for those looking for a vegetarian option when making homemade empanadas, this veggie empanada is for you.

BONUS: this vegetarian empanada filling is great on its own. Just make a big pot and spoon it out onto some lettuce. You could also be lazy like us. Sometimes we eat it plain (cold or hot works), while the kids throw theirs into a store-bought crispy tortilla shell.

Vegetarian Empanada Filling

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1 small onion, minced
2 Roma tomatoes (seeded and diced)
1 can of black beans (15oz can, rinsed and drained)
2 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp salt and pepper

Gather all of your staple ingredients right HERE

Veggie Empanada instructions

Pour olive oil into large skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic, sauté until onions soften.
Add cilantro and cumin, stirring for about 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant.
Add tomato, black beans and corn, cooking for about 5 minutes.
Drain any excess liquid, pouring mixture into a bowl, allowing to cool to room temperature.
Add cheese and cilantro, stirring just until all ingredients are combined.
Allow vegetarian empanada mixture to chill for at least 2 hours, allowing the flavors to really set.

Don’t forget to Use our
homemade empanada dough recipe

Making Baked Vegetarian Empanadas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Take your baked empanada dough out of the fridge
Measure out smaller dough balls (about 2-3 tbsps of dough). Roll each ball with a rolling pin or use a tortilla press to make 6-7 inch round empanada shells.
Spoon about 1 tbsp of veggie empanada mix into the center of your empanada shell.
Fold shell in half, making a half moon, crimp the empanada dough together with your fingers or a fork.
Transfer to the baking sheet.
Brush each empanada with egg wash (whisk together1 egg plus 1 tablespoon of water).
Bake for 20 minutes, adding a little more time if needed, until golden brown.

More Veggie Empanada Flavors

Cheese empanadas (with potatoes and mojito sauce)

Meat Empanadas

Meat-lover empanada Recipes

What to serve with Vegetarian Empanadas

I love sides with my empanadas, whether be a few more cut up vegetables or a pile of tostones (fried plantains) or maduros (sweet plantains). I don’t like rice with empanadas, because there is already a lot of starch in the empanada shell. A nice cocktail, and some lime-filled ice cream to balance out the savory veggie empanada is all I need.

Mojito Sauce (you will find the recipe towards the end of the article)
Mojito cocktail or simple Caipirinha cocktail
Key lime ice cream

Ready to try it? Pin it!

Yield: 25

Vegetarian Empanadas

This easy baked empanada dough will have you whipping up flaky pastry pouches once a week to feed your entire family. All you need to figure out is which filling to spoon into each circle of dough!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes 20 seconds

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes 20 seconds

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1 small onion, minced
2 Roma tomatoes (seeded and diced)
1 can of black beans (15oz can, rinsed and drained)
2 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp salt and pepper

Instructions

Pour olive oil into large skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic, sauté until onions soften.
Add cilantro and cumin, stirring for about 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant.
Add tomato, black beans and corn, cooking for about 5 minutes.
Drain any excess liquid, pouring mixture into a bowl, allowing to cool to room temperature.
Add cheese and cilantro, stirring just until all ingredients are combined.
Allow vegetarian empanada mixture to chill for at least 2 hours, allowing the flavors to really set.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Take your baked empanada dough out of the fridge
Measure out smaller dough balls (about 2-3 tbsps of dough). Roll each ball with a rolling pin or use a tortilla press to make 6-7 inch round empanada shells.
Spoon about 1 tbsp of veggie empanada mix into the center of your empanada shell.
Fold shell in half, making a half moon, crimp the empanada dough together with your fingers or a fork.
Transfer to the baking sheet.
Brush each empanada with egg wash (whisk together1 egg plus 1 tablespoon of water).
Bake for 20 minutes, adding a little more time if needed, until golden brown.

Notes

Click for our Baked Empanada Dough Recipe

MORE FILLING IDEAS:

Pizza Empanadas: While not traditional, if you have very picky eaters in your house, you can mix a little pasta sauce into a bowl of shredded mozzarella cheese and use that as your empanada dough filling. Sometimes we chop up pepperoni to put inside our pizza empanadas too. You just don't want a soggy filling. Plain ole slices of mozzarella with a pasta sauce dip is a hit in our house too.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 65Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 56mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 3g

All information and tools presented and written within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on twisttravelmag.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. The nutritional labels are a product of online calculators, such as Calorie Count. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.

Easy Vegetarian Empanada Recipe Your Kids will Love