Ham and Cheese empanadas are deep fried with caramelized onions and dipped in ranch for the ultimate finger food. With a flaky pastry and melty cheesy inside, you can't go wrong with this quick hot treat!
For more yummy finger foods, try this baked brie in puff pastry and crab rangoon egg rolls!
This post may contain affiliate links.
Jump to:
I've been into finger foods and apps quite a bit lately. I'm not sure if it's because I was sick over the superbowl and didn't get a chance to stuff my face with tons of wings, but between my crab rangoon egg rolls and bruschetta with mozzarella, fun finger foods is where it's at right.
These ham and cheese empanadas are really a delicious take on traditional empanadas. They filled with a mixture of ham, caramelized onions, mozzarella cheese, swiss cheese, a little mustard and mayo and packed in a flaky dough. I deep fried them for about 4-5 minutes, until they're nice and golden brown.
This recipe is ideal for quick breakfasts, a good party appetizer, or even a good way to use leftover ham from a holiday dinner.
What are empanadas?
An empanada is a pastry, akin to a turnover, popular in Latin America, that originated in Spain. The pastry is usually filled with a cheese and meat and wrapped with a flaky dough and fried or baked.
Key Ingredients
- Empanada Discs - to keep this recipe short and simple, I used store bought empanadas discs. They can be found in the freezer section of your grocery store. If you want to make your own empanada dough from scratch. You can also use puff pastry dough instead, just be mindful of cooking time as puff pastry tends to cook a bit faster.
- Ham - I used smoked ham that I simply cut into chunk sized pieces. Black forest ham, ham steak, is a really good option too.
- Cheeses - a mixture of mozzarella and swiss gives these empanadas flavor and that melty gooey cheesy filling. So good.
- Grain mustard - adding just a touch of mustard adds a ton of flavor and makes the empanadas taste like a fried ham and cheese sandwich. I used Noble Made's grain mustard
- Onions - we're caramelizing onions to take this recipe from good to great. It takes about 25 minutes to get the onions nice and jammy, but trust me - it's soooo worth it.
How to make Ham and Cheese Empanadas
- Start by caramelizing the onions - add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat and add sliced onions. Season with salt and cook for 5 minutes, until the onions begin to soften and become fragrant. Then add a ½ tbsp of sugar and 1 ½ cups of water to the pan and allow the water to cook off. The onions will be jammy and soft once the water has evaporated.
- While the onions are cooking, cut ham into bite sized chunks and place in a large bowl along with shredded mozzarella and swiss cheese. Then add mayonnaise, mustard, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Mix together.
- Once onions are finished cooking, add to the cheese and ham mixture and toss together.
- Add about 4 inches of oil to a large pot and warm over medium heat.
- Remove the empanada discs from the wrapper and place on a lightly floured surface. Add about 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling mixture to one side of the dough then fold dough over the filling. Gently press the edges together with your finger, ensuring that none of the filling is coming out. Then press a fork into the edges to seal the empanada. Repeat until the filling is used completely.
- Once the oil temperature reaches 360-380 degrees F, place 2-3 empanadas in the oil and fry for about 4-5 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
Helpful Tips
- Don't let the empanada discs sit out at room temperature for too long. You want the dough to be slightly chilled so leave it the fridge until you're ready to use it.
- Drain any excess liquid from the filling. Ideally, the filling should be moist but not wet. If you see any liquid collecting at the bottom of the bowl, carefully pour it out.
- Avoid adding too much filling to prevent the empanadas from opening while frying.
What to Serve with Empanadas
Recipe FAQs
I always say "everything in moderation". Empanadas are fried and filled with cheese, they aren't the healthiest food but they aren't the worst either.
You can buy premade empanada discs at the grocery store in the freezer section.
Empanadas are thought to have originated in Spain and Portugal.
Want more delicious and beautiful recipes? Subscribe to my newsletter, where you'll hear about new recipes FIRST and get tantalizing and exclusive perks!
Let's stay connected on social media and continue to cook together! Also, if you decide to make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and leave a comment below! Tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can see your creations! I hope that you love this recipe as much as we do!
Ham and Cheese Empanadas
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Mixing Bowl
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 Yellow Onions (sliced)
- 2 tbsps Olive Oil
- ½ tbsp Sugar
- 1 cup Ham (cut into chunks)
- 1 ½ cup Mozzarella (shredded)
- 1 cup Swiss Cheese (shredded)
- ⅓ cup Mayonnaise
- 2 tbsps Grain Mustard
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- 14 Empanada Discs
Directions
- Start by caramelizing the onions - add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat and add sliced onions. Season with salt and cook for 5 minutes, until the onions begin to soften and become fragrant. Then add a ½ tbsp of sugar and 1 ½ cups of water to the pan and allow the water to cook off. The onions will be jammy and soft once the water has evaporated.
- While the onions are cooking, cut ham into bite sized chunks and place in a large bowl along with shredded mozzarella and swiss cheese. Then add mayonnaise, mustard, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Mix together.
- Once onions are finished cooking, add to the cheese and ham mixture and toss together.Add about 4 inches of oil to a large pot and warm over medium heat.
- Remove the empanada discs from the wrapper and place on a lightly floured surface. Add about 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling mixture to one side of the dough then fold dough over the filling. Gently press the edges together with your finger, ensuring that none of the filling is coming out. Then press a fork into the edges to seal the empanada. Repeat until the filling is used completely.
- Once the oil temperature reaches 360-380 degrees F, place 2-3 empanadas in the oil and fry for about 4-5 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
Notes
- Don't let the empanada discs sit out at room temperature for too long. You want the dough to be slightly chilled so leave it the fridge until you're ready to use it.
- Drain any excess liquid from the filling. Ideally, the filling should be moist but not wet. If you see any liquid collecting at the bottom of the bowl, carefully pour it out.
- Avoid adding too much filling to prevent the empanadas from opening while frying.
Rate + Review
What do you think of this recipe?