The Empanada: A Delicious Passport Through Latin America (and Spain)

Download the chicken empanada recipe and watch a video from the Northeast Teaching Kitchen on how to make it.

If there’s one snack that has mastered the art of world travel, it’s the empanada. Think about it: portable, versatile, always ready to show up at a party, and never the same in two countries. The empanada is basically the foolproof of food, is respected everywhere, and always reinventing itself. My childhood is full of empanada memories; the scent of fried dough makes my soul smile until this day. 

Empanadas are little pockets of happiness full of flavors. Let’s take a quick bite-sized trip around the world of empanadas:

• Spain: The OG. In Galicia, empanadas are made as giant pies—so big you need a family gathering just to justify cutting into one. They’re the dignified ancestors of today’s empanada.
• Argentina: Here, empanadas are basically a sport. Each province claims its version is “the best.” Some add potatoes, others raisins, and yes—there are literal empanada festivals with competitions fiercer than a World Cup qualifier.
• Chile: Enter the “empanada de pino” (beef, onions, olives, boiled egg, and raisins). This one is such a national treasure that during Chile’s Independence celebrations, not eating at least one is practically illegal.
• Colombia & Venezuela: Their empanadas are golden, fried, and usually stuffed with beef, chicken, or cheese. They often show up at breakfast, proving once and for all that donuts never really stood a chance.
• Mexico: Empanadas here are overachievers. Sweet with pumpkin or pineapple? Yes. Savory with beef or cheese? Also, yes. They’re like that cousin who can dance cumbia and bake cakes—equally impressive either way.
• Guatemala: Called “dobladas” in the capital, savory of sweet.

• Puerto Rico & the Caribbean: Often called “pastelillos,” these empanadas are filled with meat, chicken, or seafood. They taste like sunshine and go perfectly with the sound of ocean waves in the background.