Empanadas Iberian-Latin American stuffed pastry

Empanadas are stuffed pastries originating in medieval Iberia, derived from the Spanish verb empanar (“to bread” or “enclose in bread”). The earliest known reference appears in the 13th-century Libro de los Juegos (Book of Games) commissioned by King Alfonso X of Castile, which describes empanadas as large, filled pies baked for travelers and crusaders ^[1]. Iberian colonization brought the technique to Latin America, where it evolved into hundreds of regional variants.

The core technique involves a wheat or corn dough folded around a savory or sweet filling, then baked or fried. The original Iberian empanada gallega from Galicia remains a large, round, tray-baked pie sliced like a tart, distinct from the smaller hand-held versions common in the Americas.

Regional variants: Argentine empanadas, the most internationally recognized, use a wheat-flour dough baked with a filling of ground beef, onion, hard-boiled egg, and olives, often seasoned with cumin and paprika. Chilean pino filling features ground beef, onion, raisins, and hard-boiled egg. Colombian empanadas use a corn-flour dough, typically fried and filled with seasoned meat and potato. Mexican versions include sweet pumpkin or meat fillings, often baked. Peruvian empanadas de pollo incorporate chicken and ají amarillo chili. Salvadoran and Honduran empanadas may use plantain or yuca dough. Venezuelan empanadas employ arepa-style precooked cornmeal (masarepa), fried and filled with cheese, meat, or fish.

Distinguishing from similar pastries: Unlike Cornish pasties (English, with a solid, non-flaky pastry), Indian samosas (different dough, triangular shape, deep-fried), or Italian calzones (leavened pizza dough, folded), empanadas typically use a shortcrust or laminated dough. Spanish empanada remains a large communal pie, not a hand-held turnover.

Dietary notes: Traditional meat versions are not halal or kosher without specific preparation. Vegetarian and vegan versions (cheese, spinach, mushroom, pumpkin) are common. Wheat flour is standard; corn-based versions are gluten-free. Dairy (butter, cheese, eggs) appears in many doughs and fillings.

^[1] Alfonso X of Castile, Libro de los Juegos (1283), manuscript references to empanadas as travel food.