I made this delicious tuna empanada recipe the other day after examining the kitchen for an hour trying to think of what I could make. Luckily I had all the ingredients needed to make them. Making these empanadas is incredibly easy thanks to frozen puff pastry.
Tuna Empanada Recipe Instructions
Lay your thawed frozen puff pastry on a clean smooth surface.
I like to smooth out the creases with a rolling pin before cutting it. You can see the difference if you look closely.
Cut the puff pastry sheet right down the middle. Then cut them where the creases were. You will have six equal sized squares.
Spoon the tuna filling onto the squares. Don’t add too much or you won’t be able to close them.
Place the remaining squares over the tuna filling and seal the empanadas closed with your fingers or a fork.
Brush with the melted butter and bake at 350 for 30 min or until golden and crisp.
Instead of using an egg wash to brush on top of the puff pastry before baking I used melted butter. Only because I didn’t have any eggs at the time and thankfully the butter worked just fine! For some spice I used picked jalapenos in the tuna filling but sometimes when I have them I also like to use a few chiles en adobo.
How to Make Tuna Empanadas
Ingredients
- 5 oz can of tuna drained
- 1/4 small white onion diced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 roma tomato diced
- pinch of oregano
- salt and pepper to taste.
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 2 tbsp of chopped pickled jalapenos
- 1 tbsp mayonesa
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1 box frozen puff pastry
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
For the Tuna Filling.
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Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
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Once oil is hot add the onion and cook until translucent.
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Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
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Add the tomato and cook until softened. about 5 min.
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Add the drained tuna and oregano. Salt and pepper to taste.
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Stir tuna mixture well and let simmer for 5 minutes.
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Remove from heat and add the cilantro,jalapenos and mayonesa.
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Let cool before assembling the empanadas.
Assembling the Empanadas
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Defrost the puff pastry sheets according to the directions on the box.
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Roll out the puff pastry sheets slightly with a rolling pin. Just enough to smooth out the creases.
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Cut the puff pastry sheets straight down the middle and then cut where the creases were. You will end up with 12 equal sized squares.
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Spoon the tuna filling equally onto 6 of the squares.
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Top the tuna filled squares with the 6 remaining squares.
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Use your fingers or a fork to seal the empanadas closed.
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Bake at 350 for 30 min or until the empanandas are golden and crisp.