Authentic Argentinian Vegetarian Empanadas 3 Ways (Vegan Empanadas Option)

Authentic Argentinian vegetarian empanadas are flaky, baked hand pies with three vegetarian fillings - including a vegan empanada option. 

Taught to me by an Argentinian pastry chef, it doesn't get better or more traditional than this baked empanadas recipe.

How I learned the recipe for these vegetarian empanadas from an Argentinian chef

Last night I got one one of those Facebook reminders. "Ksenia and Mara have been friends for 2 years!"

For a moment, my heart skipped a beat because I realized I have been keeping this authentic Argentinian veggie empanadas recipe from you for over a year - and this morning, I just had to right that wrong.

I met Mara at a work meeting. She was a newly arrived immigrant from Argentina, having just recently moved to Montreal to be with her husband. I was a newly arrived transplant from Winnipeg, having just recently been hired to plan a Jewish cooking school for the local community.

She was a classically trained pastry chef in need of work, I was a classically disillusioned former professional writer in need of rehabilitation. We both were doe-eyed and just a little bit lost, hopeful and scared.

Naturally, we became colleagues - and friends.

Are these vegetarian Empanadas a classic Jewish recipe?

Yes! You'd be surprised to learn that this vegetarian empanadas recipe is a classic Jewish recipe.

The Argentinian pastry chef who developed them, Mara, worked with me on two ambitious events for the Jewish Food Project. She learned the basics of these recipes from her Jewish Russian-Polish mom, who in turned learned them from her grandmother.

In many ways, these baked Argentinian empanadas are based on Russian pirozhki, and were brought to Argentina with the Jewish migrants of the late 1800s.

She taught me the recipe and fillings for these Argentinian vegetarian empanadas during one of those long cooking nights.

What makes Argentinian empanadas special?

Empanadas are common all oven Latin and South America, including Argenita, Colombia, and Mexico. Argentinian empanadas are a classic of Argentinian cuisine. So what makes them different, you may ask?

Unlike Mexican empanadas, Argentinian empanadas are not spicy.

Unlike Colombian empanadas, Argentinian empanadas are baked empanadas, and not fried. Argentinian empanada dough is not made out of corn but baked with a flour dough. 

As a plus, Argentinian empanada dough is entirely vegan. In fact, despite the perception that Argentinian food is mostly ground beef and meat-centric, you'll be surprised to learn that a lot of food in Argentina are vegetarian. See my Argentina travel guide for more on my experience with the food and the people in the country, and the inspiration that came from it like my dairy and gluten-free alfajores and bread pudding. 

Unlike other hand pies like Russian pirozhki, Argentinian empanadas don't contain yeast. 

 Two of these recipes are for vegan empanadas! The dough is fully vegan, and two of the fillings I provide below (mushrooms + kale empanadas and vegetarian empanadas sweet potato and lentils) are vegan. Plant-based eating is not a foreign concept to Argentinian food! Just avoid the egg wash before baking.  If none of these types of empanadas float your boat, you might want to try mushroom bourekas or butternut squash. 

Ingredients for Homemade Empanadas Recipe

For homemade empanada dough:

You can make your vegan empanada dough recipe, or you can buy store-bought empanada discs in most Latin stores. If making your own, you will need:

• all-purpose flour - this empanada doughrecipe uses all-purpose flour. You can use bleached or unbleached flour, though my preference is always for unbleached! Alternatively, use your gluten-free flour blend of chioce. 
• salt - this helps flavor the dough very slightly.
• vegetable oil - use a neutral tasting oil like grapeseed oil or canola oil. You can also use olive oil if you want something more flavored.
• cold water - acts as a binder

Veggie Filled empanadas Options

1. Onion and cheese vegetarian empanadas:

• onions - you can use yellow onions, or sweet Vidalia onions here.
• cheese - Mara and I love Gouda cheese here, but any nice, melty cheese will work.
• oregano - this gives our veggie empanadas that authentic Argentinian flavor!

2. Mushroom and kale vegan empanadas:

• mushrooms - you can use regular white or mini portobello mushrooms
• garlic - fresh garlic is best here!
• kale - you can also use swiss chard or spinach
• lime juice - fresh or bottled is fine

3. Sweet potato & lentil (also a vegan empanada recipe!):

• onions - you can use yellow onions, or sweet Vidalia onions here.
• sweet potato - shred your sweet potatoes on a grater or in the food processor
• lentils - canned lentils will do great, because you don't have to cook them. Or you can cook your lentils in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop.
• cumin
• smoked paprika - optional. You can also use regular paprika in these vegan empanadas

See exact measurements in recipe card below.

Equipment

We used our hands to pinch our veggie empanadas, but if you make a lot of dumplings you may want to invest in a set of empanadas molds.

You will also need:

• 1 Rolling Pin
• 1 Baking sheet
• 1 silicone brush
• 1 frying pan
• Parchment paper

How to make Argentinian Vegetarian Empanadas Recipe

Make own empanada dough

Preheat oven to 400F.

Combine the flour with a teaspoon salt in a large bowl or skillet. Add the oil and the water and knead until dough forms. If the dough requires, add more water. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Form the empanada dough mix into ping-pong-sized balls. Flatten each ball with a rolling pin.

Make vegetarian onion and cheese empanadas filling

Preheat a large pan to medium heat. Add 2 TBs grapeseed oil. Saute onion until it turns golden, 10 minutes. Remove from heat and season with oregano, salt & pepper. Set aside. When making empanadas, layer 1 TB of onion mixture per empanada and top with a sprinkle of cheese. Repeat with remaining filling and dough.

Make mushroom and kale vegan empanadas

Preheat a large pan to medium heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil. Sautee mushrooms until they begin to brown, 10-15 minutes. Add kale and garlic, mix well to combine and sautee an additional 3 minutes. Remove from medium-high heat and season with lime, salt & pepper. Set aside.

Make vegetarian empanadas with vegan sweet potato and lentil empanadas filling

Preheat a large pan to medium heat. Add 2 TBs grapeseed oil. Sautee onion until it turns golden, 10 minutes. Add sweet potatoes, lentils and seasonings. Cook until sweet potatoes cook fully, about 15 minutes. When making empanadas, layer 1 TB sweet potato and lentil mixture per empanada. Repeat with remaining filling and dough.

Fill empanadas

When making empanadas, layer 1 tablespoon of filling per empanada dough circle and place empanadas dough on the side. Repeat with remaining filling and dough.

Seal empanadas

Seal veggie empanadas with filling in the center and set aside. To seal vegetarian empanadas, the easiest thing to do is crimp the sides with your fingers. You then have a few options for ornamental seals:

• roll little bits of the empanada edge on itself, like in the fold above.
• Use a fork to gently press against the edges, leaving the fork imprint along the border like a half-moon shape. 

Bake empanadas

When ready to bake the empanadas, arrange on parchment-lined baking tray. Brush the empanadas tops with egg wash, and sprinkle sesame seeds (optional). Bake at 400F until golden brown, rotating sheets halfway through, 30 to 40 minutes.

What to serve with vegetarian empanadas?

Serve these Argentinian empanadas with:

• chimichurri
• Colombian Aji
• Pico de gallo, which is the Colombian empanada sauce (or store bought salsa)
• your favourite hot sauce.

Scaling the Recipe

This recipe makes approximately 24 vegetarian empanadas, each one about the size of your palm. You can double the dough quantities for more, or scale down for just a few empanadas of one filling type. It's totally your call!

But because these are so tasty, we recommend making more of your favourite savory baked vegetarian empanadas and saving them for later.

Storage

Leftover empanadas will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. 

They are perfect if stored in the freezer in a sealed container or freezer bag, and will keep for 6 months. To freeze, arrange baked or unbaked empanadas (I prefer unbaked) on a baking sheet, and once they have frozen transfer them to a ziploc bag for longer storage.

You can freeze them baked, or simply shaped raw - and bake frozen empanadas straight from the freezer (add about 5 minutes to the baking time).

Making Empanadas and Empanada filling Advance

Though fresh Argentinian Empanadas taste amazing out of the oven, especially the cheese empanadas filling, you really can make them ahead of time and just reheat before serving!

All the fillings can be made a day in advance. The dough can be made and kept in the fridge, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap - or frozen.

Sweet potato vegetarian empanadas are also great in room temperature.

Heating instructions

You can reheat these baked empanadas in the microwave, or in the oven at 200F for 10 minutes.

If frozen, bring vegetarian empanadas to room temperature or defrost them in the fridge overnight before heating in the oven. You can also pop them in the microwave from the freezer.

Check out our Web Story for these Vegetarian empanadas

Get the low down on how to make these Argentinian empanadas with a mouthwatering, photo-laden web story.

Immigrant Cuisine Spotlight: Argentinian Cuisine

I went to Argentina with JDC Entwine in 2015. While there, I discovered a country full of immigrants - from Morocco, Italy, Poland, Russia, Chile, Colombia and many more places.

Argentinian cuisine is a melange of those cultures and flavors.

Yes, everyone knows asado and Argentinian beef. But did you know Argentina is also famous for Italian food and pasta?

Did you know about Argentinian flan and Argentinian bread pudding?

Have you ever tasted good chimichurri sauce?

Since visiting Argentina, and cooking with Mara, I have fallen deeply in love with Argentinian cuisine. I have many Argentinian recipes in my archives. I dream about going back, and visiting the Iguazu Waterfalls. Exploring other areas except Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata. Discovering more of the rich history of Argentinian Jews, and Argentinian Jewish cuisine.

But meanwhile, I'll just have to live through these vegetarian empanada recipes.

You may also like to try...

If you love veggie empanadas, give these other vegetarian hand pies a try!

My chickpea samosas are one of my favorite creates to date: gluten free with a delicious tamarind dipping sauce and even a tamarind drink coined the "Samosa Cocktail" to go along with it. Alternatively, try my arepas con queso or cheesy bourekas recipes.

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