Description
These Pizza Empanadas feature crispy fried dough, stuffed with melty cheese, sauce and pepperoni, topped with a super easy garlic butter. It’s all of the best things about pizza, in an easy-to-eat, handheld format. They’re a combination of Puerto Rican and Italian cuisine and two of my favorite foods!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 12-16 empanada dough discs (store bought or homemade)
- 8 oz pizza sauce + more for dipping
- 16 oz mozzarella
- 8 oz pepperoni*
- 1 egg, beaten
- oil for frying
For the Garlic Sauce: (Optional)
- 4 oz butter, melted
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tbsp parsley, minced
Instructions
- Fill the empanadas: Add a spoonful of pizza sauce to the center of an empanada dough disc before topping with some of the mozarella and pepperoni.
- Seal the empanadas: Brush the inner perimeter of the dough with beaten egg before folding the dough in half over the fillings. Crimp shut using a fork or by folding and pinching the edges (iykyk). Repeat steps 1 and 2 until all the empanadas are assembled.
- Fry: Heat the oil to 350°F before frying the empanadas in batches until golden brown all over. Transfer them to a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil.
- (Optional) Finish with garlic butter: While the empanadas fry, whisk together the melted butter, garlic, and parsley in a bowl. Brush over the finished empanadas as they come out of the fryer.
Notes
*Use any classic pizza toppings you like in addition to or instead of pepperoni.