My wife and I usually go to this mom and pop Argentinian restaurant in the Upper East Side, called Libertador, for many of our date nights whenever we are craving some tasty Hispanic food. It’s extremely convenient because it’s about two blocks away from where we live, so it’s perfect for our nights out after work. One of our favorite items on their menu are the empanadas which they have a huge selection of. From ham and cheese, to meat, to spinach and cheese and so much more. They are probably one of the best empanadas you can eat. So, I obviously had to attempt to recreate their ham and cheese empanada which is my wife’s favorite to order on their menu.
Are these empanadas hard to make?
Surprisingly no. There are very few ingredients to this hand and cheese empanada recipe, the main ones being ham and mozzarella cheese. You combine these two ingredients with some spices, place them on an empanada disc and pop them in the airfryer/oven/deep fryer.
Do you make the empanada dough from scratch?
I am going to be quite honest with you. The answer to this question is a big fat NO! Although I give props to those who make their empanada dough from scratch, I typically stick to the store bought one because they are fairly inexpensive and come out extremely delicious.
I normally get premade dough from Goya because it is just so much easier to make. I found that they have puff pastry dough for empanadas as well as the regular dough for empanadas. Either one would work just as well. I do like the puff pastry dough for empanadas for this recipe, because it does come out a little flakier in the air fryer than the regular one.
How do you make ham and cheese empanadas?
First things first, take out your dough and allow it to thaw.
- Filling: To make your filling, place your chopped ham, cheese, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and onion powder in a bowl. Mix all the ingredients until well combined.
- Assembling: Lay out your thawed dough on the counter. Place about 1-2 tablespoons of filling (packed tightly) in each center of the pastry dough. Moisten the outer edges with water lightly. Then fold the dough in half and seal the edges with a fork.
- To cook: Preheat your air fryer to 375F. Spray the empanadas with cooking oil on both sides and cook for 12-15 minutes, until they are golden-brown. If you are going to deep fry them, heat the oil to 375F and deep fry for about 3-5 minutes, until they are golden-brown. Remove and enjoy!
If you love empanadas, check out my GUAVA AND CREAM CHEESE EMPANADA RECIPE!
Ingredients
- ½ lb of ham chopped
- 4 cups of mozzarella cheese
- 2 tsp of garlic powder
- ½ tsp of salt
- ½ tsp of onion powder
- ¼ tsp of black pepper.
Instructions
- Remove the empanada discs from the freezer and let thaw.
- Place your chopped ham, cheese, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and onion powder in a bowl. Mix all the ingredients until well combined.
- Lay out your thawed dough on the counter. Place about 1-2 tablespoons of filling (packed tightly) in each center of the pastry dough.
- 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.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. Once hot, spray your empanadas with cooking oil spray and place the empanadas inside. Cook for about 8 minutes, flipping halfway.
- After they are cooked, place on a plate and allow to slightly cool. Enjoy!
