Easy Air Fryer Empanadas: Crispy Puff Pastry Delights for Your Air Fryer or Ninja Foodi
Welcome to the ultimate guide for making incredibly delicious and effortless Air Fryer Empanadas! This recipe is a fantastic choice for anyone looking for a quick and satisfying meal or snack, whether you’re a seasoned chef or a beginner in the kitchen. We’ll be using a clever shortcut – puff pastry – to achieve a beautifully golden and flaky crust with minimal effort. While not strictly traditional in their dough, these empanadas are bursting with flavor and offer endless customization possibilities, making them a family favorite in no time. Get ready to transform your air fryer or Ninja Foodi into a culinary powerhouse and whip up these savory hand pies!
These Air Fryer Empanadas are designed for ease and flexibility, allowing you to tailor them to your personal taste and dietary preferences. Their simplicity makes them an ideal weeknight dinner or a delightful appetizer for gatherings. The magic happens in your air fryer, which ensures a consistently crispy texture without the need for deep frying, offering a healthier twist on this classic hand pie.
Why Choose Puff Pastry for Air Fryer Empanadas?
When it comes to crafting homemade empanadas, the dough can often be the most time-consuming part. That’s where puff pastry sheets come in as a culinary hero! This recipe specifically leverages the convenience and incredible texture of store-bought puff pastry, similar to how we might use it for quick treats like Air Fryer Apple Pies. Puff pastry provides a light, airy, and undeniably flaky crust that crisps up beautifully in the air fryer, giving you that satisfying crunch with every bite.
The Benefits of Using Puff Pastry
- Effortless Preparation: No need for kneading, chilling, or rolling out dough from scratch. Simply thaw, unroll, and cut!
- Superior Texture: Puff pastry delivers an exceptionally light and flaky crust, a delightful contrast to the savory filling.
- Consistent Results: Pre-made puff pastry ensures a reliable outcome every time, perfect for busy cooks.
- Versatility: It pairs wonderfully with both savory and sweet fillings, opening up a world of empanada possibilities.
While our recipe embraces the convenience of puff pastry, we understand that some prefer a more authentic touch. If you’re inclined to make a traditional empanada dough from scratch, you can certainly adapt this recipe. A great resource for a classic dough recipe can be found at this empanada dough recipe link. However, it’s crucial to remember that different doughs have varying cooking characteristics. If you opt for a traditional dough, be prepared to adjust cooking times and temperatures accordingly, and always keep a close eye on your empanadas to prevent over or under-cooking. This particular recipe, including its cooking times, is specifically optimized for puff pastry.
Crafting the Perfect Filling for Your Air Fryer Empanadas
The beauty of empanadas lies in their incredible versatility, and the filling is where you can truly let your creativity shine. Our featured recipe uses a savory and robust ground beef filling, seasoned to perfection with taco seasoning, beef broth, and a medley of wholesome vegetables like chopped onion, sliced carrots, and diced potatoes. This combination creates a hearty and flavorful center that complements the flaky puff pastry wonderfully.
Preparing the Savory Ground Beef Filling
The filling needs to be fully cooked before it’s encased in the pastry. This can be efficiently done using a skillet on your stovetop. Simply brown your ground beef, drain any excess fat, and then stir in your chosen taco seasoning according to package directions. Next, add the beef broth, chopped onion, sliced carrots, and diced potatoes. Let this mixture simmer until the vegetables are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, ensuring a rich and moist but not watery filling. A dry filling is key to preventing soggy empanadas.
Ninja Foodi Users Rejoice!
For those with a Ninja Foodi Multi-Cooker, the entire process, from cooking the filling to air frying the empanadas, can be handled with this single versatile appliance. First, utilize the sauté function to brown the ground beef and cook your filling ingredients until tender and flavorful. Once your filling is perfectly cooked, carefully clean the inner pot of your Ninja Foodi. This is an important step to prevent any burning or residue from affecting the air frying process. After cleaning, you’re ready to switch to the Air Crisp function for cooking your empanadas.
Endless Filling Customization Ideas
Don’t limit yourself to just ground beef! Empanadas are incredibly adaptable. Here are some ideas to spark your culinary imagination:
- Chicken Empanadas: Shredded chicken mixed with cream cheese, corn, and a hint of lime.
- Pork Empanadas: Slow-cooked pulled pork with BBQ sauce or a spicy adobo marinade.
- Vegetarian Empanadas: A medley of black beans, roasted corn, diced bell peppers, and cheddar cheese. Or try a spinach and feta combination.
- Breakfast Empanadas: Scrambled eggs, crumbled sausage or bacon, and cheese – perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast.
- Sweet Empanadas: Beyond savory, puff pastry also shines with sweet fillings. Try apple pie filling, cherry preserves, Nutella, or sweetened cream cheese with berries.
No matter your choice of filling, ensure it’s not too wet, as excess moisture can make the pastry soggy. Allow the filling to cool slightly before assembling to make handling easier and prevent the pastry from tearing.
Tips for Achieving Perfectly Crispy Air Fryer Empanadas
Cooking with an air fryer is a fantastic way to get that deep-fried crispiness with significantly less oil, making these empanadas a healthier indulgence. However, a few key tips will ensure your puff pastry empanadas turn out golden, flaky, and absolutely delicious every time.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Basket: Air fryers work by circulating hot air. For optimal crispiness, arrange your empanadas in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook in batches if necessary, allowing enough space for the hot air to circulate around each piece. Overcrowding can lead to uneven cooking and a less crispy result.
- Preheat Your Air Fryer: Just like a conventional oven, preheating your air fryer is crucial. A preheated air fryer helps achieve an immediate crisp exterior and more consistent cooking. Aim for about 3-5 minutes of preheating at the specified temperature.
- The Magic of Egg Wash: For that beautiful golden brown and shiny finish, don’t skip the egg wash! A simple beaten egg brushed over the puff pastry before cooking will give your empanadas a professional, appetizing appearance and contribute to their rich color and slight crust.
- Monitor Cooking Times: Air fryer models can vary greatly in their heating power and efficiency. The recommended cooking time of 8-10 minutes at 360°F (180°C) is a great starting point, but it’s essential to watch your empanadas closely, especially during your first batch. They should be puffed up and deeply golden. If they’re browning too quickly, slightly lower the temperature. If they’re not browning enough, add a minute or two.
- Consider a Light Oil Spray: While not strictly necessary with puff pastry (as it already contains fat), a very light spray of grapeseed oil or olive oil can sometimes enhance crispiness and help achieve a more even golden color, particularly if your air fryer tends to cook less evenly.
- Sealing is Key: These empanadas are sized like hand pies and are sealed by bringing one side of the circular dough over the filling to meet the other side. Use the tines of a fork to firmly press and crimp the edges together. This not only creates a decorative border but, more importantly, seals in the delicious filling. A good seal prevents the filling from leaking out during cooking and helps maintain the empanada’s shape.
Air Fryer Empanadas are a fantastic solution for a quick lunch, a satisfying dinner, or a savory snack. They pair wonderfully with your favorite homemade salsa, a dollop of sour cream, or a fresh green salad. Enjoy these delightfully crispy and flavorful hand pies!
Air Fryer Empanadas
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Ingredients
- 1 Package of Puff Pastry Sheets 2 Sheets
- 1 Lb Ground Beef
- 1 Package of Taco Seasoning or Homemade Taco Seasoning
- 1/2 Cup Beef Broth
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Yellow or White Onion
- 1/4 Cup Sliced Carrots
- 1 Cup Diced Potato Peeled
- 2 Eggs Beaten
Instructions
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Begin by using a skillet on the stove and brown the ground beef then add in the taco seasoning per the package ingredients.
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Lower the heat and pour in the beef broth, onion, carrot, and potatoes.
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Cook until the veggies are soft and most of the liquid has been soaked into the veggies.
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While this is cooking prepare the pastry sheet, flatten the pastry sheet if not already, and then use a round biscuit cutter to cut out the dough. It should be easily pliable as well to stretch it a bit larger if needed.
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Use each round cut out and fill it with a bit of the cooked ground beef filling and then bring one side of the circle to the other to close it. Again it can stretch easily, seal it with the end of a fork.
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Place each filled empanada into the basket of the air fryer or the ninja foodi.
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Once full, use a brush to coat all of them with the beaten egg to give it a nice egg wash.
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Cook at 360*F for 8-10 minutes or until browned. If needed you can spray them with grapeseed cooking oil spray as well.
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Repeat these steps as needed for additional batches.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions About Air Fryer Empanadas
Can I make these empanadas ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can prepare the filling a day or two in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also assemble the empanadas (without egg wash) and store them on a baking sheet covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for a few hours before cooking. For longer storage, freeze the assembled empanadas on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. Cook from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the air frying time.
What if my air fryer is smaller?
Smaller air fryers simply mean you’ll need to cook in more batches. The key is never to overcrowd the basket. Ensure there’s space around each empanada for proper air circulation, which is essential for that perfect crispy texture. This might take a little longer overall, but the results are worth it.
Can I use other types of meat for the filling?
Yes, the filling is highly customizable! Cooked shredded chicken, ground turkey, or even finely diced pork can be excellent alternatives to ground beef. Just be sure that any meat you use is fully cooked and that the filling isn’t too moist before assembling the empanadas.
How do I store leftover Air Fryer Empanadas?
Leftover empanadas can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. To reheat, simply place them back in the air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for 3-5 minutes, or until heated through and crispy again. Reheating in a microwave will make them soft, so the air fryer is preferred to maintain their delicious texture.
Conclusion
These Air Fryer Empanadas offer a fantastic blend of convenience, flavor, and texture, making them a superb addition to your recipe repertoire. The puff pastry shortcut ensures a gourmet-quality result with minimal effort, perfect for busy weeknights or entertaining guests. With the versatility to customize fillings to your heart’s content, you’ll find yourself reaching for this recipe again and again. So, fire up your air fryer or Ninja Foodi and get ready to enjoy these crispy, savory hand pies that are sure to impress!