Colombian empanadas have a corn-based dough, are crispy on the outside, and filled with shredded beef and potatoes. They are eaten with aji (hot sauce) and lime, and one is never enough.
Time: 20 minutes from frozen · Yield: 4 units · Difficulty: easy
INGREDIENTS
4 frozen Colombian beef empanadas
Plenty of oil for frying
Colombian hot aji, for serving
Lime
PREPARATION
Heat plenty of oil in a deep pan or fryer. It should be very hot, but not smoking: if you drop a small piece of dough, it should bubble immediately.
Fry the empanadas directly from the freezer, without thawing. This step is important: if you thaw them beforehand, the dough absorbs oil and they become soft.
Fry for three to four minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy.
Drain on absorbent paper to remove excess oil.
Serve hot, with hot aji and a squeeze of lime on top.
TIP
Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry two at a time so that the oil maintains its temperature and they become truly crispy.
ALSO BAKED
If you prefer to avoid frying, bake them at 200 degrees Celsius for twenty minutes, turning them halfway through cooking. They will be less crispy but just as tasty.
AVAILABLE VARIETIES
At CoCo, we have frozen Colombian beef, chicken, and vegetarian empanadas, ready to fry. Cold chain delivery in the Netherlands and Belgium.
I'm Alex, a Venezuelan in Amsterdam and founder of CoCo Mercado Latino. I bring to the Netherlands the products we grew up with.
I cook at @alexcooks.ams and bring the product at @cocomercadolatino.