Best Cheese Empanada Recipe from Spain

We are aware that the world is filled with empanada recipes, from all sorts of regions and their unique touch, but here we bring you one of the best.

We are talking about the one and only cheese empanada recipe, it is easy to make, it has simple flavors, and still, you won’t be able to get enough of them.

From the cooking methods to the ingredients replacements that you can make, alongside the step-by-step explanation of this Spanish tapas recipe, here you will find everything you need to know.

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Background of the Dish

The cheese empanada recipe is one of the oldest empanada recipes that you will find out there.

It had its origins in the XII century in Spain, but it quickly spread to the rest of the world.

In Spain, the most popular is the baked empanada recipe, since the fried ones are more common in America Latina, but thankfully with the cheese empanadas, you can choose any way you like.

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Things You’ll Need for Cheese Empanada Recipe

To make this cheese empanada recipe you will need flour, water, butter, salt, cheese for the filling, and other basic ingredients.

We also love other empanada filling ideas, and we think you might like them too. So feel free to try recipes such as beef empanadas or chicken empanadas.

Ingredients

• 8 cups (1kg) flour
• 1/2 cup (120 gr) butter
• 1 cup (240ml) milk
• 1 cup (240ml) water
• 500 g mozzarella
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• Oil for frying (skip if you make baked empanadas)

How to Make Cheese Empanada Recipe – Step by Step Guide

1. To start with this cheese empanada recipe grab a bowl, put the flour, add the butter, and mix with your hands.

2. Now you can add salt, sugar, and milk, then mix. Keep in mind that the sugar won’t give a sweet taste, but it will enhance the flavors.

3. After that, start adding the water little by little and form a dough. Don’t pour it all at once, or you might end up with a watery dough (in that case, you can fix it with more flour).

4. For the next step in this easy empanada recipe, take the dough to the counter and knead until it gets a smooth texture.

5. Cover and let it sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. You can cover it with a clean kitchen towel, plastic wrap, or a lid.

6. Now with the help of a rolling pin, stretch the dough to thin it out. It should be about 0.5cm thick.

7. Then, cut circles of about 10 cm. You can do this with the help of a large cookie cutter, a glass, or anything you have in hand.

8. Put a cube of cheese in the middle of the circle and then close the empanada (forming the shape of a half-moon).  

9. With a fork, prick the dough to close the edges. You can also do the classic repulgue, but that might be harder if you aren’t used to it.

10. Now you can fry the empanadas with oil until golden on both sides. For baked empanadas just cook them in the oven until golden too. Feel free to choose your favorite cooking method.

11. If you fry it, then remove the excess oil with the help of kitchen paper.

12. Now you can finally serve and enjoy the best empanadas.

Substitution of Ingredients

For the making of this cheese empanada recipe, you can play a lot with the ingredients.

The dough ingredients are basic (water, milk, salt, butter, and flour), but if you use store-bought dough then you can skip that step from this empanadas recipe.

This is a pretty simple empanada filling, so you can add more ingredients (ham, caramelized onions, hard-boiled eggs, etc.).

You could also switch it for other types of fillings, such as the Spanish shrimp empanadas, or go for a sweet version like the Spanish apple empanadas and the fruit empanada recipe with strawberries.

The vegetable oil is only necessary if you make fried empanadas, if you choose to bake them you can skip them.

Tips on Serving Cheese Empanada Recipe

Once you finish making this recipe for empanadas we recommend that you wait five minutes before serving them, so you won’t burn your mouth with the melted cheese.

Then, you can serve these homemade empanadas for lunch, dinner, or even tapas.

If you serve from 3 to 4 per person, then they can be the main dish (with other snacks, a side of salad, or just by themselves). But you can serve them as appetizers too.

The best empanada is the warm one, but since it only has cheese for the filling, you can serve them cold (right out of the fridge).

How to Store Cheese Empanada Recipe

We can assure you that this is the best empanada recipe because there are multiple ways of storing them.

Always let it come to room temperature once you finish cooking them. 

Then place them in a covered container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 45 days.

Keep in mind that you can also store these easy empanadas before cooking them.

Just prepare the cheese empanadas recipe, and before the cooking step, place them on a baking tray and cover them with plastic wrap.

In that way, you can store the cheese empanadas for up to 5 days in the fridge, and 60 days in the freezer, then let them cool to room temperature and cook them.

Recipe Card: Cheese Empanada Recipe

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