Argentinian Ham and Cheese Empanadas
Crispy, handheld pastries filled with jamón and melted cheese—a classic Argentine street snack. Ready in 25 minutes with store-bought empanada wrappers.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 285
- Protein
- 12g
Ingredients
- 12 wrappers store-bought empanada wrappers (thawed if frozen)
- 4 ounces jamón or prosciutto, thinly sliced
- 1 cup whole milk mozzarella or provolone cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 425°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Chop the jamón into pieces about the size of a dime—roughly 1/4-inch—so it scatters evenly in the filling.
- 3
Place 1 tablespoon of the shredded cheese and about 0.5 teaspoons of chopped jamón in the center of each empanada wrapper.
- 4
Wet your fingertip with a drop of water and run it along the outer edge of each wrapper to moisten the dough.
- 5
Fold each wrapper in half, pressing down firmly with your fingers so the filling stays inside and the edges seal completely.
- 6
Use the tines of a fork to press a seal pattern along the folded edge, pushing down firmly so no filling can escape.
- 7
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or brush it lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- 8
Arrange the sealed empanadas on the baking sheet in a single layer, leaving about 1 inch of space between each one.
- 9
Brush the top of each empanada lightly with olive oil using a pastry brush, then sprinkle salt and black pepper evenly over all of them.
- 10
Bake at 425°F until the pastry is golden brown and crispy, about 12–14 minutes. The surface should look the color of warm honey.
- 11
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let empanadas cool on the pan for 2 minutes before serving, so the cheese sets slightly.
Tools you’ll need
- oven
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- pastry brush
- knife and cutting board
- small bowl (optional, for assembling filling)
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