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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

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    Empanaditas / Pastelitos (Savory Turnovers)

    Empanaditas / Pastelitos (Savory Turnovers)

    En Español Recipe ↆ

    Serve delicious empanaditas and pastelitos with your picadera, they are a must at a Dominican party. This recipe has options for different doughs, fried and baked, and fillings with chicken, pork, beef, cheese, seafood, vegetables and sweets. There's one for every taste.

    Empanaditas and pastelitos.

    JUMP TO: show ↓
    1. Why we ❤️ it
    2. Empanadas vs. pastelitos
    3. Empanada fillings
    4. Dough
    5. About our recipe
    6. Video
    7. Recipe

    Why we ❤️ it

    Empanadas and pastelitos are not unique to the Dominican Republic, in fact, they can be found in pretty much every Spanish-speaking country in one shape or form, baked or fried, and in a variety of sizes. Each Spanish-speaking country has adapted this recipe to their own tastes and favorite ingredients.

    In the DR, these are a basic component of the party platter, a quick late dinner after a night on the town, and popular street fare.

    Empanadas vs. pastelitos

    What's the difference between Dominican Pastelitos and Empanaditas?

    The difference between empanaditas and pastelitos is merely cosmetic, but --as with many other things-- Dominicans do not seem to agree on one answer, but this is mine:

    Dominican Pastelitos are round, while Dominican Empanadas are half-moon-shaped.

    Not everyone agrees, though. It could also be a regional issue as an informal survey among our social media followers seems to suggest, though most agreed with my naming convention.

    Pastelitos and empanaditas tray.
    Fillings for empanaditas and pastelitos.

    Pastelitos and empanaditas and fillings.

    Empanada fillings

    And if we leave aside the question of shape, this recipe is very flexible, and we give you several options for fillings (chicken, pork, beef, cheese, or vegetables). Whichever you choose, it's sure to be a box office success.

    Vegan empanadas

    Do you have vegan friends? Go with our vegetable mix vegan filling, or a vegan picadillo filling in this recipe with video. For the dough, you can use the one from yaniqueque that also works wonderfully for empanadas y pastelitos.

    Chicken empanadas

    We have a recipe for a lovely, creamy chicken filling, and a pulled chicken in tomato sauce that is more traditional, both work great with empanaditas and pastelitos, and are inexpensive and easy to make. You can make them ahead of time and refrigerate them until it's time to assemble and fry the empanadas.

    Beef empanadas

    Beef lovers? Then a beef filling should be your choice and we have just the recipe you need. You can make it ahead of time and refrigerate it until it's time to assemble and fry the empanadas.

    Chorizo empanadas

    This is not your same ol' empanada, try this amazing chorizo filling for your pastelitos.

    Lambí empanadas

    Lambí (conch) is a refined, more expensive choice to stuff pastelitos, but well worth it. Check the recipe for instructions on how to make it into a filling for empanadas.

    Crab empanadas

    Another " deluxe" option is the guisado crabmeat empanadas. Just be sure to let evaporate all the liquid when preparing the crab so that the dough doesn't break when filling.

    Pork empanadas

    Want something more "exotic"? How about a combination of pork and apple? You can find it in this pulled pork recipe.

    Sweet empanadas

    You can even fill them with fruits and make sweet empanadas and serve them as desserts.

    Cheese empanadas

    Cheese is another popular choice, gouda or Emmental are great choices, but for a more Dominican touch you can make them with crumbled queso de freír (or halloumi if you don't find queso de freír).

    Pastelitos.
    No butter empanada.

    Pastelitos and empanaditas.

    Dough

    While I believe that the dough is secondary to a great empanada, it doesn't mean that it isn't important. The dough is a matter of taste and much discussion. I am of the school of crispy, flaky dough, but some people prefer a more "bready", flexible dough.

    The cooking method is also important to the end result.

    Deep-fried empanadas

    This recipe is for the traditional Dominican empanadita and pastelito, which is deep-fried.

    Baked empanadas

    For an easy, quick, baked vegan version, try this one. These lovely no-butter, baked empanadas are absolutely amazing and so much easier to make.

    Vegan empanadas

    If you are looking for an egg-free alternative, vegan alternative, the dough for yaniqueques works well too.

    Gluten-free empanadas

    We didn't forget you! Try Empanadas de yuca, a different type of empanadas made with yuca (cassava) dough.

    About our recipe

    You may have different ways to make the dough, but the deal-breaker is always the filling. This is why I've given you as many options as possible.

    This recipe yields about 18 empanaditas, though it may be fewer if you make them bigger. If you will make them as part of a larger picadera (appetizer) platter, it serves 9-18 people depending on how many more things will be served. On its own, and as party food, it serves 4-5 people.

    This dough recipe has the advantage of being simple, inexpensive, easy, requires no fancy equipment, and results in a crispy empanadita.

    Buen provecho!

    Tia Clara

    Video

    Recipe

    This awesome free recipe contains Amazon affiliate links, we receive a small commission from any purchase you make at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

    Dominican empanaditas y pastelitos
    Keep screen on while cooking

    [Recipe + Video] Empanaditas / Pastelitos (Savory Turnovers)

    By: Clara Gonzalez
    Empanaditas and pastelitos add variety and Dominican flavor to your hors d'oeuvres platter. We are presenting a generic recipe and easy step by step. See other filling and dough choices in the notes.
    4.96 from 23 votes
    Save for Later Send by Email Print Recipe
    Prep Time 45 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
    Course Party
    Cuisine Dominican, Latino
    Servings 18 (aprox)
    Calories 228 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 egg (medium), eggs and whites separated
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for working the dough

    Filling

    • Empanada filling, choose one from the list above the recipe

    For frying

    • 2 cups oil for frying

    Instructions
     

    How to make the dough

    • Mixing flour in
      Combine egg yolks, oil, salt, and baking powder. Once well combined, add the flour and mix.
      By this point, the dough will be crumbly and too dry. Start adding water by the tablespoon and working until it forms a cohesive ball with the least water possible. I used 7 tablespoons in the end, but it varies sometimes.
    • Working dough with the hands
      Mix everything with your hands on a lightly floured surface until everything is well mixed, but just squeezing without folding (like playdoh). Add some flour to the dough if it is too sticky, or a bit of water if it is too dry
      Once the dough has the consistency of playdoh (One to two minutes at most) wrap, and let the dough rest for ten minutes.
    • Rolling dough with rolling pin
      Separate a small, golf-ball-sized piece of dough.
      On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough forming a small circle.

    How to make make pastelitos:

    • Hands holding pastelito
      Cut out circles of about 2.5" [6.5 cm] in diameter. Paint the inside with egg white (which acts as glue so the layers don't separate).
      Place a tablespoon of the filling in the center of each circle, cover with another circle and seal the border by pressing it with a fork.

    How to make make empanadas:

    • Hands holding empanada
      Cut out circles 4" [10 cm] in diameter. Paint the inside with egg white (which acts as glue so the layers don't separate).
      Place a tablespoon of the filling in the center of each circle, double over in a semi-circle, and seal the border by pressing it with a fork.

    How to fry

    • Putting pastelito in hot oil
      Heat oil over medium heat in a 1 qt [1lt] pot. Deep fry the pastelitos / empanaditas until they are golden brown on each side.
      Rest on a paper towel to drain excess oil before serving.

    Tips and Notes

    There is some important advice on the introduction to the recipe, please read it.
    You will almost certainly have filling leftover. Save and add to your next soup.
    The nutritional information is based on the average of all ingredients.
    It's very important that the baking powder is fresh, this is a common point of failure in recipes that use it.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1pastelitoCalories: 228kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 14gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 732mgPotassium: 270mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1000IUVitamin C: 20.1mgCalcium: 110mgIron: 1.6mg

    Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.

    READERS SEARCHED FOR cheese empanada, chicken pastelitos, dominican beef empanada, dominican chicken empanada, pastelito dough
    More recipes with: beef, cheese, chicken, flour, meat, poultry

    Published Dec 19, 2001, revised Nov 21, 2022

    More Dominican Appetizers Recipes (Picaderas)

    • Easy Pulled Pork Empanadas with Apple (Empanadas de Cerdo)
    • Chorizo Empanadas - Filling and Dough Ideas
    • Beef Empanada Filling - 4 Meat Filling for Empanadas y Pastelones
    • Pastelón en Hoja al Horno (Easy Pasteles Casserole)
    Edited: Nov 21, 2022 | Publish: Jun 13, 2022

    ¡Hola! I am Tía Clara, your host. Thanks for visiting.
    - Any questions or comments about this?
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