My wife and I usually go to this mom and pop Argentinian restaurant in the Upper East Side for date night whenever we are craving some tasty Hispanic food. One of our favorite items on their menu are the empanadas which they have a variety of. Our absolute favorite is a black bean and queso empanada. After trying it for the first time I was inspired to make my own!
They are pretty easy to make, all you need is a can of beans for the filling. You add a sofrito, some spices, melt the cheese and there you have it, it’s ready to be folded and fried. These empanadas served with a side of sour cream or a spicy dipping sauce will give it the perfect touch. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
For a healthier option, you can spray some cooking oil on the empanadas and place them in the air fryer at 375F for 15 minutes!
Black Bean and Queso Blanco Empanadas
Equipment
- Deep Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 can Black Beans Goya is the best
- 1/3 cup Onions diced
- 1/4 cup Green Peppers diced
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp Cumin
- 1/8 tsp Oregano
- 7 oz Queso Blanco about 3/4 of a brick
- 10 Empanada discs
- Oil
Instructions
- Remove the empanada discs from the freezer and let thaw.
- In the meantime, make a sofrito by coating a pan with oil and once hot put in the diced peppers, onions and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes.
- While the sofrito is cooking open a can of black beans and drain the liquid from inside.
- Once the sofrito is cooked, add the black beans, oregano, cumin, salt and cheese. Stir until all the cheese is melted. (it will melt quicker if you chop the cheese in tiny pieces.
- Once your filling is cooked, sprinkle flour over a counter space and spread. Lay the thawed discs over the flower.
- Place about 1-2tbsp of filling in the center of each disc.
- Place a small amount of water into a cup. Using your finger or a brush, wet the outer portion of the disc.
- Fold the disc in half, closing in the contents and meeting together both wet sides of the discs.
- Using a fork, press on the outer portion of the disc to seal it. Repeat on the other side. You should have the classic marks of the fork on the outer part of the empanadas after.
- Heat up about an inch of oil in a pan (or use a deep fryer) to about 375°F. Once hot, place the empanadas inside. Cook for about 2 minutes and flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Or until they are golden brown.
- After they are cooked, place on a plate lined with paper towel, and take off the excess oil.
