Gluten-Free Empanadas de Picadillo
Gluten-free empanadas are baked or fried pastries that can be sweet or savory. This recipe is easy to double. The empanadas can be cooked ahead and taken to work or school for lunch. They can be made with egg replacement; see instructions below.
Check out our recipe for Gluten Free Pumpkin Empanadas for a sweet treat!
Gluten-Free Empanadas de Picadillo
Gluten-Free Empanadas are baked or fried pastries that can be sweet or savory. This recipe is easy to double. The empanadas can be cooked ahead and taken to work or school for lunch. They can be made with egg replacement; see instructions below.
Calories: 772kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (with xanthan gum), more for dusting
- 1 large egg , lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon dry sherry or dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3-4 tablespoons water
- 1 recipe Beef Picadillo or Vegan Picadillo
Instructions
- -Egg wash (1 tablespoon water mixed with 1 beaten egg), optional
- HIgh-heat oil, for frying
- In a mixer, combine flour blend, egg, oil, sherry, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix 2 to 3 minutes to thoroughly combine. Mixture will be dry and crumbly.
- Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a dough. Roll dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and let it rest 1 hour on the counter.
- Dust work surface with gluten-free flour.
- Cut dough into quarters. On the floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into a flat circle. Place 1/3 to ½ cup Picadillo filling on each circle. Wet the circles along the edges and fold each one over to cover the filling. Crimp the edges to seal in the filling.
- To bake, preheat oven to 375°F. Brush egg wash over empanadas. Poke each twice with a fork to let steam escape during baking. Arrange empanadas on a greased baking pan. Place in preheated oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes until they form a crust. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
- To fry, fill a skillet with 3 inches high-heat cooking oil and heat pan to 350°F. Place 1 empanada into the hot oil and cook 3 to 5 minutes. Turn empanada once or twice to brown on both sides. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Keep warm while frying remaining empanadas. Serve immediately.
Notes
For Egg-Free Empanadas de Picadillo, omit 1 egg. Combine 1 tablespoon flax meal with 3 tablespoons hot water; let cool. Use this mixture to replace 1 egg in step 1. Vegan Picadillo Follow the Beef Picadillo recipe except omit the ground beef and add 1 cup gluten-free TVP (textured vegetable protein) to chopped olive mixture in step 4. Mix well over medium-low heat until liquids are absorbed. Add 1 cup boiling water and 1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce. Reduce heat to low and stir until water is absorbed and the mixture on the bottom of the skillet looks dry. Add tomato sauce, chopped tomato and remaining whole olives to mixture and stir until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Gluten-Free Empanadas de Picadillo
Amount Per Serving
Calories 772
Calories from Fat 324
% Daily Value*
Fat 36g55%
Saturated Fat 3g15%
Cholesterol 163mg54%
Sodium 650mg27%
Potassium 464mg13%
Carbohydrates 101g34%
Fiber 12g48%
Sugar 16g18%
Protein 17g34%
Vitamin A 240IU5%
Calcium 278mg28%
Iron 5.5mg31%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Written by Kathryn Chadbourn, originally published in Gluten Free & More.
Need a good quality gluten-free all-purpose flour for this recipe?
Gluten-Free Picadillo
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion , diced
- 1 green bell pepper , diced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 (12-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup raisins
- ½ cup coarsely chopped pimiento- stuffed green olives or pitted green olives
Instructions
- Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking meat into pieces with a wooden spoon until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain fat from meat. Remove meat from pan and set aside.
- Return pan to medium heat and add olive oil. Cook onion and green pepper until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Return meat to the pan and stir in cumin, salt and cloves. Add tomato sauce, vinegar and raisins and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Stir in olives and continue simmering until flavors combine and sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
Vegan Picadillo: Follow the Beef Picadillo recipe except omit the ground beef and add 1 cup gluten-free TVP (textured vegetable protein) to chopped olive mixture in step 4. Mix well over medium-low heat until liquids are absorbed. Add 1 cup boiling water and 1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce. Reduce heat to low and stir until water is absorbed and the mixture on the bottom of the skillet looks dry. Add tomato sauce, chopped tomato and remaining whole olives to mixture and stir until heated through.
Disclaimer: All nutrition facts on Gluten Free & More are meant only as a guide and may differ depending on product brands used or ingredient substitutions. Some errors may occur, so you are encouraged to confirm the recipe’s ingredient and nutrition suitability for your own diet.
Have you tried this recipe? Give it a star rating and let us know your thoughts in the Ratings & Reviews section below.
I haven’t tried it yet but I was wondering if I can prepare these ahead of time, refrigerate then cook the next day!?
Hi Miriam,
This isn’t one of my recipes – it was from Gluten Free & More and we published it on our site after we acquired them earlier this year – so I can’t say for sure. However, I can say that they seem like they would be fine to make ahead, so long as the filling isn’t too runny. I would assume it isn’t, as empanada stuffing typically is not, but just wanted to put that out there. I would recommend taking them out of the fridge before you preheat your oven or before you get your frying oil ready, that way they have some time to get to room temperature before cooking.
The are delicious. I had to add 1/4 of GF flour to get the right consistency. It was too wet. Maybe due to the weather in Houston. It was easy to work the dough. One of the best ones I have tried. Thank you
I have made these 3x times. My family loves them even my picky gluten eater husband. I used lemon juice as I didnt have the sherry or white wine. Works great! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Where do I find the recipe for the filling?
Hi Natalie, we’ve added the recipe for the filling, you should see it below the empanada recipe now.
I’m keeping this recipe! They turned out great. I followed the recipe (used Pinot Grigio) and brushed them with egg wash. The only change I made was I used a mushroom and potato filling instead of the picadillo. I made two batches one with Bob Red Mill GF 1-1 flour and the other with King Arthur GF measure for measure flour. They both turned out great. Couldn’t taste a difference. I do feel however that I had to dust the Bob dough more often while rolling it out than I did with the King Arthur.