Empanadas with Corn Dough / Empanadas con Masa de Maíz
” Empanadas with Corn Dough ” or “Quesadillas” are a delicious snack which can be eaten any day. They can be filled with a variety of fillings from farmer fresh cheese, squash flowers, potatoes, ground meat, shrimp, chicken, etc.
If you visit Mexico City or any small town, you will not have trouble finding a stand serving a variety of delicious empanadas. You can invite friends for a casual dinner any evening and present them with these empanadas. Believe me, they will not be disappointed!
Today’s corn empanadas are filled with “Tinga Poblana”, but you can also use fresh Mexican cheese, shredded cooked chicken, shrimp or cooked ground meat. Fillings vary from region to region, so here you can be creative and set your imagination free. I saved some of the “Tinga Poblana” from last week to cook these empanadas because the flavor of corn dough complements them very well.
Actually, the main reason for making these corn empanadas with “Tinga Poblana” is because I remember eating them in a small restaurant with tables and chairs outdoors. No, I am not talking about a fancy Paris-like restaurant, I’m talking about a run down place with ugly plastic furniture with good cheap food. The dough is very crispy and the Tinga is really flavorful. Enjoy!
How to make Empanadas with Corn Dough
- Prepare the dough in a bowl, mixing the masa harina, salt, and warm water to form a ball, knead dough until smooth. Divide the dough into 12 balls, and flatten and slightly cover with plastic wrap. Set aside. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Place one ball of dough between two pieces of plastic and press using a tortilla press, a heavy skillet or a dish. I know, you have seen the tortilla press, but somehow I love to use my glass dishes for this step. So, do not be afraid, use whatever you have.
- Remove the top piece of plastic and spoon some of the stuffing onto the tortilla. Leaving enough room to seal the edges.
- Using the piece of plastic fold the dough over to make a half moon shape turn over. Pinch the edges, making sure they seal to avoid any leaking of the mixture while frying. Remove the empanada from the plastic set aside on a large plate or tray and cover with a plastic wrap. Keep working with the rest of the dough making the empanadas.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat. It’s frying time!
- Deep fry the empanadas one or two at a time until golden brown.
- About 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot topped with lettuce and avocado. Eat them adding some salsa. After that, take a long walk.
- 2 cups of masa harina
- 1-¼ cups of warm water amount may vary depending on air humidity and other wheatear conditions.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 pieces of round plastic cut out from a bag. freezer bags are ideal for this purpose.
- 2 cups of filling cooked chicken, ground meat or grated cheese
- 2 cups of shredded lettuce
- 1 avocado diced
- About 1 1/2 cup of vegetable oil for frying
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Prepare the dough in a bowl, mixing the masa harina, salt, and warm water to form a ball, knead dough until smooth. Divide the dough into 12 balls, and flatten and slightly cover with plastic wrap. Set aside.
-
Place one ball of dough between two pieces of plastic and press using a tortilla press, a heavy skillet or a dish. I know, you have seen the tortilla press, but somehow I love to use my glass dishes for this step. So, do not be afraid, use whatever you have.
-
Remove the top piece of plastic and spoon some of the stuffing onto the tortilla. Leaving enough room to seal the edges.
-
Using the piece of plastic fold the dough over to make a half moon shape turn over. Pinch the edges, making sure they seal to avoid any leaking of the mixture while frying. Remove the empanada from the plastic set aside on a large plate or tray and cover with a plastic wrap. Keep working with the rest of the dough making the empanadas.
-
Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat. It's frying time!
-
Deep fry the empanadas one or two at a time until golden brown.
-
About 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot topped with lettuce and avocado. Eat them adding some salsa. After that, take a long walk.
The filling must be cold to keep the dough in shape.
Empanadas with Corn Dough Recipe
Did you like the recipe? Please let me know in the comments section, do you have questions, or share the link with your friends. I hope you have an incredible time cooking!
Provecho!
Mely Martinez, the cook at Mexico in my Kitchen!
More recipes:
Crab Empanadas Recipe
Tuna Empanadas
WOW Mely, siempre me impresionas! Tengo que tratar de hacer estas pronto! Como se me antojaron! Oye y esa sarten de donde la sacaste? Se ve buenisima para freir taquitos y enchiladas.
Un abrazo!
Si, yo tambien note lo del sarten, si no es de aluminio me gustaria conseguir uno. esta esla primera vezque entro a esta pagina, se ve muy bien
Hola Silvia!
Lo compre en una tienda Hispana en Georgia.
Funciona muy bien para enchiladas rojas, flautas, empanadas.
Saludos!
QUIERO! Mely es media mañana y quiero quesadillas fritas ! jajaja rellenas de tinga!
pero ya! Te ha quedado excelente esta entrada, te felicito! la fotografía excelente!
Tu blog sera uno de los mejores de la red!
Continúa así, te felicito sinceramente. Un gran beso!
MELY, Has probado ponerle a la masa un poco de salsa de chile guajillo? y quedan rojitas y el sabor de la salsa molida con ajo. Y en las fiestas patrias haces otras verdes (la masa con espinaca cocida y molida) y las acomodas verdes blancas y rojas. Saludos!
Hola Nora,
Si las he visto con chile en la masa en el estado de San Luis Potosi, pero verdes con espinacas solo he cocinado hecha en casa.
Pues para las fiestas patrias lo preparamos.
Saludos!
This looks so easy, and I love the idea of using a glass pie plate as a press!
Where did you get the little fry pan? Another great idea.
Hello Barbara,
Thank you for visiting my blog.
I got this cool frying pan in Georgia, I think, it was Alpharetta, GA in a Hispanic Store. I like that it has a large diameter but at the same time it works in my stove. It is a small version of the ones used in restaurants or street food vendors in Mexico.
A mi hija les fascinan las empanadas, la proxima vez las hare con las espinacas, que buena idea. Si tiene la receta de dulce de leche, cuando era chica me fascinaba en trocitos. Gracias
Hola Idida,
Gracias por tu visita, si tengo la receta de dulce de leche, no te refieres a la "cajeta" verdad? Si no al dulce que se vende envuelto en celofan? Por favor avisame si es esa para ponerla mas adelante.
Saludos!
hello! i love all your dishes! I wanted to know where you got your deep frying dish?
Hello Alejandra,
I got this frying pan at a Mexican grocery store in Georgia.
It is very useful.
Thanks for visiting.
Mely, I always leave so inspired when I visit your blog. These are wonderful! I'll be sure to try them out!!
Ola Mely,
Your Empanada rounds are just perfect. Mine don't always look so round, they are sometimes oblong…lol…I am going to study your post and maybe I will get better. Thank you so much for sharing at Full Plate Thursday and please come back!
I found the frying pan at my local Vallarta Market in Van Nuys, California. I was so excited because I have been searching for it ever since I saw this posting. We are making empanadas this weekend. I will let you know how they turn out.
Hello Danelle,
I am so glad you found it. Please do let me know. We made Tostadas last night in ours.
The frying pan is great to fry all kind of foods.
Have a happy weekend!
Mely
Okay, You've already answered the question regarding the frying pan used for the empanadas, but does it have a name? I'd love to get one, but I'm neither in Georgia or in California as posted by your readers.
A Texan Reader. Love your blog–yumilicious!!!
The empanadas were absolutely delicious. We have made our family's version of them before but this was the first time we used this cool frying pan. Less mess and crispy empanadas. Love all of your recipes. We are doing tacos tonight. Keep the recipes and fun cooking gadgets coming.
Hello Danelle,
Thanks for letting me know your cooking experience with the new comal.
Saludos!
Mely
Hi Anonymous,
I know this frying pan as " Comal para garnachas o enchiladas". It is not actually flat like a comal but that is the name I know for it. If you live in Texas you can find it at the flea markets. I just got a new one this year that my dear sister sent me from Texas. She got it at the flea market and also bought one for herself. They are very practice for frying food and there is less mess to clean.
I hope you have luck finding one. They cost around 30 -35 dollars.
Saludos,
Mely
There is a Filipino version called "Empananditas". It is made with flour dough (that turns golden and flaky), and is usually filled with ground beef (and or pork), potatoes, onions, garlic, peas, and raisins. I like to make mine a little bit spicy, to balance out the sweetness of the raisins. The combination of everything makes a wonderfully savory empanada. There's even a little bit of sauce in the mix ("gravy") to keep it from tasting dry. 🙂
When my husband and I went to Mexico (Playa del Carmen), there was a little kitchen off the beaten path, that made empanadas. They made one with just ground beef, and the other had shredded chicken. They served it with chopped cabbage and hot sauce. YUM! I think I ate 8 of them in one sitting, AND made sure to buy some to eat at the hotel. 🙂
Hello Emerald,
Glad to know you visited Playa del Carmen and had the opportunity of tasting the empanadas. I usually like to top mine with finely shredded cabbage. There are other versions of empanadas made with wheat flour dough and also filled with fish, cold meat or ground meat.
Thanks fro stopping by. 🙂
Mely
I visited mexico this weekend and had empanadas there. I was eager to recreate them, and your recipe nailed it! So very delicious! thank you
Hello Jessica,
I am so glad you were able to make them. Please come back soon.
Mely
We were looking up corn flour empanada recipes tonight and yours made us get up and start cooking with excitement. Thanks for the great photo directions. I used a glass pie plate to make the corn tortillas (my first time ever trying this) and they came out beautifully. We did use yellow masa harina which made the dough crunchy, but we still enjoyed our beautiful dinner. Next time we plan to try this recipe using white masa harina flour for a softer dough.
We were looking up corn flour empanada recipes tonight and yours made us get up and start cooking with excitement. Thanks for the great photo directions. I used a glass pie plate to make the corn tortillas (my first time ever trying this) and they came out beautifully. We did use yellow masa harina which made the dough crunchy, but we still enjoyed our beautiful dinner. Next time we plan to try this recipe using white masa harina flour for a softer dough.
I am so glad the instructions were helpful Stephenie.
And when you use fresh masa the texture of the empanadas is even crunchier.
Thank you for your comment and happy cooking.
Mely
Can you make these ahead of time and freeze up before frying? Thank you Janitta
Can you make these empanadas ahead of time and freeze before cooking? Janitta
Can you make these ahead of time and freeze up before frying? Thank you Janitta
wow! this looks delicious!! where can i get a frying pan like the one you have??!
thanks!
buscandotacones.blogspot.com
Hello Bertha,
Just look online for a "comal de pozo". Several readers how asked before have good luck buying it online.
Happy cooking,
Mely
Can you bake these on the comal? I know frying tastes better, but we're trying to cut calories 🙂
Yes, you can make them in the comal. Check this link:
https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/2009/03/corn-dough-quesadillas.html
Happy cooking!
Mely
My husband and I made empanadas tonight but the masa didn't cook all the way thru. We tried cooking them longer, but they almost burnt and still weren't cooked thru. I was afraid if I made the rounds thinner they wouldn't hold. Could it be the store bought prepared masa?
Hello Meggy,
Do you mean the masa preparada they sell for tamales? That masa has lard or shortening making it difficult to form a thin circle to make the empanadas. If plain masa is not available use corn flour masa, like maseca or other brand.
Happy Cooking!
Mely
Making these tonight using this recipe, cannot wait!
Hello George,
I hope you could tell us how did you like them.
Happy cooking!
I make a spicy ground beef/tomato based filling but make a white flour pastry. These sounds wonderful and I will definitely try your recipe. Your tips on the freezer bags is brilliant too!
Instructions and photos had me cooking with confidence in no time! Couldn't have done it without the tip of using the plastic bag circles! Thanks!
Can you bake these instead of frying like flour based empanadas?
Hello,
I had never tried them bake, or even heard of it. But, you can try. Maybe brushing a little bit of oil on and baking on previously greased sheet. Now, you got me thinking about it. I will try and post about it.
Saludos!
Hi, Mely,
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I'm trying to go gluten free and your instructions were great and helped me make spicy ground beef and cheese empanadas for the first time. They were very tasty with pico de gallo and lettuce on the side, along with refried beans. Thanks again and I will definitely return for more authentic recipes.
Cheers!
Hello,
Thank you for stopping by and leave a comment about your experience cooking the recipe. I do hope you come back and enjoy more mexican food.
Hello I was wondering can i make pumkin empanadas with this dough recipe please help me out
Hello Myrna,
You mean sweet pumpkin empanadas? I never heard of it, but for sure you can try. I bet the crunchy texture of the corn masa will be great with the soft and sweet filling of the pumpkin. I make some at home using cheese and sugar, and my family love them!
Saludos.. en la ZONA DE LOS TUXTLAS,EN VERACRUZ. Eso es lo que comen diariamente la mayoría de la población. También hacen garnacha panuchos muy rico todo. Feliciddes
Hola Pilar,
Gracias por tu comentario. A mi me encantan las garnachas que hacen en Veracruz!
I made them just as you said and they came out perfectly. Thank you so much for you recipe.
Hello Martha,
So glad to know you were able to cook them at home. Happy cooking!
Hola Mely,
These look delicious – I'm looking for things I can cook in advance and then freeze for my coeliac daughter to take to school for lunch. Do you know how well these freeze? And if they would still be good eaten cold after defrosting?
Many thanks!
Hello,
YOu can freeze them but you need to reheat them either in a griddle of your stove oven.
can you bake them?
Sorry, I had never try to bake them.
Where did you get the pan you used for cooking and what is it called?
Hello Jolene,
Some people call it ‘Comal de Bola”, check my last post, I talk about this pan and where to buy it.
Here the link:https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/2017/11/2017-gift-guide-for-the-mexican-food-aficionado.html
My friend Ella made these for a class in school years ago and they were terrific.Her father came from Trinidad I believe.
Now I know what my mother-in-law sent home with my husband. He called them “fried taco things” but I knew there had to be a name. I looked up fried masa stuffed with beef. 🙂
These were so delicious! I placed mine on a lightly oiled baking sheet and brushed the tops lightly with oil. I then baked them at 350 for20 minutes and turned the oven to broil for another 3 or 4 untill the edges we’re brown and crispy. Thanks so much for your recipe!
Hello Andrew,
Thank you for taking the time to come back and let us know about cooking the empanadas in the oven and the technique you used. I’m sure many people will appreciate the idea.