Pastelitos, and Empanadas Filling Ideas

Unique empanada fillings to bring variety and extra flavor to your gatherings: from savory to sweet, and from meaty to vegan.

| Lee en Español |

Usually, pastelitos, and empanadas are filled with minced beef and shredded chicken, but there are many other ways to make them: pick from beef, pork, seafood, chicken, vegan, and sweet fillings for your pastelitos and empanadas.

And we have those traditional recipes here, but we also have a larger collection of fillings to make your gathering a smashing success.

How to use them

You can use these in our traditional fried pastelitos and empanaditas, my no-butter baked empanadas, the gluten-free yuca empanadas, these sweet empanadas, or crispy dough sticks (the easiest way to make empanadas).

Beef fillings

Beef empanadas recipes are very popular, so it stands to reason that we'd have a lot to offer here. Check out our minced beef filling recipes with 3 variations to make your empanadas and pastelitos, and the traditional one to also use in pastelones.

Or try something new: our tasty carne ripiada is great too as a pastelito and empanada filling.

[Recipe + Video] Minced Beef Filling 4 Ways

Pick your favorite of four choices to stuff your empanadas, pastelitos, and pastelones with this juicy, tasty minced beef filling.

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Dominican Carne Ripiada Recipe (Shredded Beef)

Carne Ripiada Recipe (Shredded Beef): juicy, flavorful, easy to make. Venezuela has carne mechada, Cuba has ropa vieja, and Dominican Rep. has carne ripiada.

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Pork fillings

[Recipe + Video] Chorizo Filling for Empanadas and Pastelones

Looking to try a new filling for your pastelitos, empanadas, or pastelones? This extra-flavorful, easy-to-make chorizo filling is just perfect.

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[Recipe + Video] Apple and Pulled Pork Filling for Empanadas

Make amazing, unforgettable empanadas with this apple and juicy pulled pork stuffing. It's perfect for holiday buffets and feasts.

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Chicken empanada filling ideas

[Recipe + Video] Chicken with Tomato Sauce Filling for Empanadas

Let not your pastelones, empanada, and picaderas be boring for lack of choice. This tasty, juicy filling will make you add it to the favorites list.

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[Recipe + Video] Creamy Chicken - Filling for Casseroles and Party Foods

A lovely, creamy, rich, tasty chicken breast filling that you can use to stuff your pastelones and picaderas, or to serve as the meat dish in your meal.

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Seafood fillings

[Recipe + Video] Lambí Guisado (Stewed Conch)

Try this simple Lambí Guisado (Stewed Conch) recipe to make this tasty dish that will keep you coming for more.

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Vegan fillings

[Recipe + Video] Vegan Mince for Empanadas and Pastelones

So many of our pastelones and picaderas can be adapted to a vegan version by just changing the filling. And now we have a tried and tested meatless mince that our vegan readers will love.

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[Recipe + Video] Vegan Vegetable Mix Stuffing

Our original vegan pastelitos and empanadas stuffing just got so much better. It's so good that everyone --vegan or not-- will have seconds.

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Sweet empanada filling ideas

[Recipe + Video] Salsa, Dulce y Pasta de Guayaba (Guava Paste, Jam, and Sauce)

Make this dulce de guayaba into guava paste (pasta de guayaba) to serve as candy, guava jam (mermelada de guayaba) that you can use to fill cakes, and guava sauce (salsa de guayaba) to serve with your favorite sweets. It's a three-in-one recipe!

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[Recipe + Video] Pineapple Jam Filling for Dominican Cake

Nothing goes better with the heavenly Dominican cake like the classic pineapple jam that gives it a hint of sour.

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Dulce de Leche Cake Filling Recipe

Dulce de Leche Cake Filling Recipe: Use to fill your Dominican Cake, to fill any dessert, to spread on fruit, or as a sauce topping for your frozen desserts.

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Which one is your favorite of these empanada fillings? Is there one missing you'd like me to write a recipe for? Let me know in the comments.

Buen provecho!