Fried Cheese Empanada Recipe (Ecuadorian Empanadas De Viento)

Ingredients for the Cheese Empanada Filling:

• 2 cups fresh Spanish cheese sliced or freshly grated mozzarella cheese grated cheese. 
• 2 teaspoons cilantro finely chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion (optional)
• 1/4 cup of sugar for topping
• Vegetable or corn oil for frying the empanadas

How To Prepare Fried Empanada Dough?

1. In a mixing bowl with hook attachment or food processor add the flour, baking powder and salt mix for 1 minute on slow speed (setting 2 on KitchenAid) or pulse a few seconds.
2. Add in the chilled cut butter and mix or pulse until a pea-size crumb texture is achieved.
3. In a bowl add the eggs, honey, water, and vinegar, and whisk together until well combined. Transfer to flour mixture and mix on slow speed or pulse until dough is developed. If you see the dough is to stiff add a tablespoon or 2 of water.
4. Once the dough is mixed, flatten it into a rectangular shape and wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
5. To mix the empanada dough by hand, sift flour and salt into a medium-size bowl. Add the cubed butter and using your hand or fork, blend butter with flour mixtures until a crumbly texture is achieved. Add in the liquids and the mix with your finger until it begins to come together. Transfer the mixtures onto a floured working surface and knead the dough with a forward-backward motion for about 10 minutes or until the dough is developed. Cover and place into the refrigerator.
6. To prepare the empanada dough disc, remove them from the refrigerator and place it onto a lightly floured working surface.
7. Using a rolling pin, stretch and sheet the dough very thin about 1 1/2-2mm in thickness and cut out 4 inch round discs using a cutter or small soup bowl. Rework the trimmed dough and repeat.
8. If you don’t have a cutter, portion the dough into 10 equal parts and round it into a ball. Flatten the empanada dough ball and sheet thin maintaining it’s a circular shape.
9. The empanada dough is now ready to use. You can refrigerate it up to 3 days coved in plastic or freeze up to 3 months. If you decide to freeze the empanada dough we recommend you add a layer of parchment paper in-between the dough discs.

How To Fill Ecuadorian Cheese Empanadas:

1. To fill the empanada, add dollops of your desired filling using a tablespoon into the center of the empanada disc. Try not to overstuff the empanada.
2. Brush a little bit of egg wash or water along the edge of the dough disc, this will help seal the edges so that they don’t open up during frying or baking.
3. To form the filled disc into an empanada shape, fold over the bottom side with the top and twist the edges with your fingers starting from one end to the other, this is called churito.
4. You can also fold the empanada disc and seal the seams with a form by pressing downwards.
5. Set the shaped empanadas aside onto a plate, once they are all form, cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before frying or baking. You can also freeze them to bake at a later date, they will freeze well for up to 3 months wrapped in a freezer bag.

How To Fry Cheese Empanadas?

1. Using a deep pot, fryer or skillet, fill with oil and heat until the oil is hot or the temperature reaches 160°C (325°F).
2. Carefully add into the frying pan the empanadas cooking them for a few minutes on each side until they are light golden brown in color.
3. Remove and place onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb some of the oil.
4. Sprinkle with some sugar
5. Serve and enjoy with our Chimichurri Sauce.

FRIED CHEESE EMPANADA RECIPE (ECUADORIAN EMPANADAS DE VIENTO)

Try this traditional fried cheese empanada recipe (Ecuadorian empanadas de viento with a cup of coffee. Super easy to prepare, these Ecuadorian fried cheese empanadas are perfect for breakfast or snack.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine Ecuadorian

Servings 10 Empanadas

Calories 230 kcal

Ingredients

  

INGREDIENTS FOR FRIED CHEESE EMPANADA DOUGH (EMPANADAS DE VIENTO):

• 240 grams all-purpose flour 2 cups
• 4 grams of baking powder 1 teaspoon
• 50 grams whole egg large egg
• 5 grams of honey 1 teaspoon
• 4 grams salt 1teaspoon
• 113 grams cold unsalted butter 1 stick cut into small cubes
• 80 grams of ice-cold water 1/3 cup
• 2 grams distilled white vinegar 1/2 teaspoon

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CHEESE EMPANADA FILLING:

• 2 cups fresh Spanish cheese sliced or freshly grated mozzarella cheese grated cheese.
• 2 teaspoons cilantro finely chopped optional
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion optional
• 1/4 cup of sugar for topping
• Vegetable or corn oil for frying the empanadas

Instructions

 

HOW TO PREPARE FRIED EMPANADA DOUGH?

• In a mixing bowl with hook attachment or food processor add the flour, baking powder and salt mix for 1 minute on slow speed (setting 2 on KitchenAid) or pulse a few seconds.
• Add in the chilled cut butter and mix or pulse until a pea-size crumb texture is achieved.
• In a bowl add the eggs, honey, water, and vinegar, and whisk together until well combined. Transfer to flour mixture and mix on slow speed or pulse until dough is developed. If you see the dough is to stiff add a tablespoon or 2 of water.
• Once the dough is mixed, flatten it into a rectangular shape and wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• To mix the empanada dough by hand, sift flour and salt into a medium-size bowl. Add the cubed butter and using your hand or fork, blend butter with flour mixtures until a crumbly texture is achieved. Add in the liquids and the mix with your finger until it begins to come together. Transfer the mixtures onto a floured working surface and knead the dough with a forward-backward motion for about 10 minutes or until the dough is developed. Cover and place into the refrigerator.
• To prepare the empanada dough disc, remove them from the refrigerator and place it onto a lightly floured working surface.
• Using a rolling pin, stretch and sheet the dough very thin about 1 1/2-2mm in thickness and cut out 4 inch round discs using a cutter or small soup bowl. Rework the trimmed dough and repeat.
• If you don’t have a cutter, portion the dough into 10 equal parts and round it into a ball. Flatten the empanada dough ball and sheet thin maintaining it’s a circular shape.
• The empanada dough is now ready to use. You can refrigerate it up to 3 days coved in plastic or freeze up to 3 months. If you decide to freeze the empanada dough we recommend you add a layer of parchment paper in-between the dough discs.

HOW TO FILL ECUADORIAN CHEESE EMPANADAS:

• To fill the empanada, add dollops of your desired filling using a tablespoon into the center of the empanada disc. Try not to overstuff the empanada.
• Brush a little bit of egg wash or water along the edge of the dough disc, this will help seal the edges so that they don’t open up during frying or baking.
• To form the filled disc into an empanada shape, fold over the bottom side with the top and twist the edges with your fingers starting from one end to the other, this is called churito.
• You can also fold the empanada disc and seal the seams with a form by pressing downwards.
• Set the shaped empanadas aside onto a plate, once they are all form, cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before frying or baking. You can also freeze them to bake at a later date, they will freeze well for up to 3 months wrapped in a freezer bag.

HOW TO FRY CHEESE EMPANADAS?

• Using a deep pot, fryer or skillet, fill with oil and heat until the oil is hot or the temperature reaches 160°C (325°F).
• Carefully add into the frying pan the empanadas cooking them for a few minutes on each side until they are light golden brown in color.
• Remove and place onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb some of the oil.
• Sprinkle with some sugar
• Serve and enjoy.

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