Baked Corn & Crab Empanadas! Sautéed onions, red bell pepper, sweet corn and crab meat make this summery version of a classic Latin American bite both delicious and fun to eat!
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Have you ever had an empanada?
Empanadas are a common Spanish, Southern European and Latin American food that consists of a baked or fried pastry shell stuffed with a filling. Empanada fillings can be savory like beef, chicken or seafood or sweet like guava, dulce de leche or fruit.
They're a great handheld bite to serve as an appetizer or party food, and a fun way to make a meal out of refrigerator odds and ends!
These Corn & Crab Empanadas feature fresh summer flavors like sweet corn and crab and are absolutely delicious whether you choose to make them baked or fried!
Looking for more flavorful handheld appetizers? Check out my Croquetas de Jamon (Cuban Ham Croquettes), Cuban Bocaditos (Cuban finger sandwiches) or Bacon & Refried Bean Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers.
This recipe is naturally dairy-free and can be made vegan. (See Variations & Substitutions area below.)
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Red bell pepper
- Jalapeno pepper. If you don't care for spicy foods, you can remove the seeds to reduce the heat or omit completely.
- Sweet corn
- Adobo seasoning. This is a blend of salt, garlic powder, white pepper, oregano and turmeric. It can be found in the ethnic or spice section of many grocery stores. If you can't find it, it's easy to make your own adobo seasoning.
- Fresh lime juice
- Cilantro
- White lump crab. I used a canned crab meat, but feel free to use fresh if desired.
- Mayonnaise
- Store-bought empanada dough discs. These are readily available in our local grocery stores because I live in an area with a large Hispanic population. If you can't find them, you can use puff pastry dough cut into 5 inch discs for a different style of empanada.
- Egg.
- Water
Instructions
Empanadas can be baked or fried. Below, I share both methods:
For Baking: Preheat the oven to 400°F degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
For Frying: Pour enough oil into a deep-sided pan to be about 2 inches deep. Set a metal cooling rack over a baking pan in your oven. Heat the oven to 200°F. You will place the empanadas here as you make each batch to keep them warm and crisp.
Make Filling
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, red bell pepper, corn and jalapeno pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften.
Sprinkle adobo seasoning over mixture and stir to combine. Squeeze fresh lime juice into mixture, scraping the bottom of the pan to get any browned bits.
Remove from heat and add cilantro, crab meat and mayonnaise, folding it together gently until mostly uniform, being careful not to break up the crab too much. Set aside to cool.
Make Egg Wash
This step is only needed if you are baking the empanadas. Whisking together egg and water. Set aside.
Assemble Empanadas
Place the thawed empanada dough discs on prepared pan. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the crab mixture into the center of each circle. (I like to use a spring-loaded cookie scoop.)
Brush a bit of egg wash around the edge of the dough circle -- this will act as a "glue" to keep the empanadas well-sealed.
Fold the dough over the filling to form a semi-circle, pressing down to adhere the edges. Using the tines of a fork, crimp the edges of the empanada.
Brush the exterior of the empanada with egg wash.
Repeat with the rest of the filling -- you should get 12 empanadas.
To Bake Empanadas
Bake the empanadas for 20-25 minutes, until they turn golden brown and glossy, and have puffed up. (They may also have some bubbly air pockets that form on the surface.)
To Fry Empanadas
Heat the oil in the pan to about 350°F. (You can check the temperature using a meat or candy thermometer)
When the oil has come to temperature, carefully place a few empanadas into the hot oil. (A spider or large slotted spoon is a good tool to use for this to avoid splashing.)
Fry until the empanada dough is golden, about 2 or 3 minutes, then carefully flip it and allow the other side to cook until golden brown. When both sides done, carefully move the empanadas to the cooling rack in the oven. Continue with the next batch.
Tip: Placing too many empanadas in the frying oil at the same time will drop the temperature and make for soggy empanadas, so I suggest only frying 2-3 at once.
When ready to serve, let the empanadas cool slightly; serve with your favorite salsa, dip or aioli.
Recipe FAQ's
Empanadas can really be filled with just about anything! Meaty fillings like chicken, beef and pork, sautéed vegetables, cheese and even sweet fillings can be found in different variations of empanadas throughout the world.
While fully cooked empanadas can be made head and reheated in the oven to crisp them up, I prefer making the empanada filling ahead, and either storing the filling in the fridge overnight and filling just before cooking, or filling them and the uncooked empanadas well-wrapped with plastic in the refrigerator overnight. When you're ready to make them, brush with egg wash just before baking or place them directly into the hot oil to fry.
Yes. Baked or fried empanadas should be cooled completely, then placed on a baking pan and frozen before being placed in a top top freezer bag or airtight freezer-safe container. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. (Just bake to heat through and serve.)
Variations & Substitutions
- Swap out your fillings with seasonal summer veggies like zucchini or grape tomatoes!
- Give your proteins a switch by using shrimp, shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked ground beef instead of crab.
- Change up your seasonings! Taco seasoning, Old Bay or your favorite blend will give these a different flavor profile.
Diet-Specific Substitutions
This recipe is naturally dairy-free.
- Gluten-Free: I haven't tried it myself, but this recipe for gluten-free empanada dough looks like a good option. Gluten-free puff pastry dough would make a good alternative in a pinch.
- Vegan: To make these vegan, sub out the crab meat with chopped hearts of palm or your favorite crab meat alternative. This article shares some vegan crab alternatives that may work. Note: Imitation crab meat is typically not vegan.
Corn & Crab Empanadas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup diced onion
- ¼ tablespoons diced red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno pepper seeds removed for less heat
- 1 cup sweet corn kernels
- 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning see notes
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1 6 oz can white lump crab drained
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 12 store-bought empanada dough discs thawed
For Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
Make Filling
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, red bell pepper, corn and jalapeno pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften.
- Sprinkle adobo seasoning over mixture and stir to combine. Squeeze fresh lime juice into mixture, scraping the bottom of the pan to get any browned bits.
- Remove from heat and add cilantro, crab meat and mayonnaise, folding it together gently until mostly uniform, being careful not to break up the crab too much. Set aside to cool.
Make Egg Wash (for Baking)
- Whisking together egg and water. Set aside.
Assemble Empanadas
- Place the thawed empanada dough discs on prepared pan. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the crab mixture into the center of each circle.
- Brush a bit of egg wash around the edge of the dough circle -- this will act as a "glue" to keep the empanadas well-sealed.
- Fold the dough over the filling to form a semi-circle, pressing down to adhere the edges. Using the tines of a fork, crimp the edges of the empanada.
- Brush the exterior of the empanada with egg wash.
- Repeat with the rest of the filling -- you should get 12 empanadas.
Bake Empanadas
- Bake the empanadas for 20-25 minutes, until they turn golden brown and glossy, and have puffed up. (They may also have some bubbly air pockets that form on the surface.)
- For frying directions, see Instructions section above or notes section below.
- Let cool slightly before serving with your favorite salsa, dip or aioli.
Notes
- Adobo seasoning can usually be found among the ethnic spices in the regular spice aisle, but if you can't find it you can simply use a blend of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric and oregano or you favorite spice blend.
- If you can't find frozen empanada dough discs, you can either make your own empanada dough OR you may also use store-bought frozen pie dough or puff pastry dough cut into approximately 5 inch circles. The texture will be different than traditional empanadas, but they're still good!
- Heat the oil in the pan to about 350°F. (You can check the temperature using a meat or candy thermometer)
- When the oil has come to temperature, carefully place a few empanadas into the hot oil. (A spider or large slotted spoon is a good tool to use for this to avoid splashing.)
- Fry until the empanada dough is golden, about 2 or 3 minutes, then carefully flip it and allow the other side to cook until golden brown. When both sides done, carefully move the empanadas to the cooling rack in the oven. Continue with the next batch.
- Swap out your fillings with seasonal summer veggies like zucchini or grape tomatoes!
- Give your proteins a switch by using shrimp, shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked ground beef instead of crab.
- Change up your seasonings! Taco seasoning, Old Bay or your favorite blend will give these a different flavor profile.
- Gluten-Free: I haven't tried it myself, but this recipe for gluten-free empanada dough looks like a good option. Gluten-free puff pastry dough would make a good alternative in a pinch.
- Vegan: To make these vegan, sub out the crab meat with chopped hearts of palm or your favorite crab meat alternative. This article shares some vegan crab alternatives that may work. Note: Imitation crab meat is typically not vegan.
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