Black Beans Empanaditas Recipe
savory mini empanadas w/sweet & sour wasabi sauce
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Ingredients
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Dough
Filling
Sweet & Sour Wasabi Sauce
Assembly & Frying/ Baking
Method
Dough
- 1
Make dough
In a large bowl whisk together 2.5 cups flour and 1 tsp salt. Add cold cubed butter (6 tbsp) and cold shortening (2 tbsp). Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut fat into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining (about 5–7 minutes).
- 2
Add water
Drizzle 6 tbsp ice water over the flour mixture, tossing gently with a fork after each addition until dough just comes together. You may not need all the water; dough should be moist but not sticky.
- 3
Chill dough
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gather into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).
Filling
- 4
Sauté aromatics
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped 1/2 cup onion and sauté 4–5 minutes until translucent. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.
- 5
Prepare beans
Add 1.5 cups cooked black beans to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook 2–3 minutes to heat through.
- 6
Mash and season
Using the back of a spoon or a potato masher, lightly mash the beans in the pan, leaving some whole beans for texture. Stir in 1 tbsp fresh lime juice, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Cook another 1–2 minutes to let flavors meld, then remove from heat and stir in 2 tbsp chopped cilantro and 1/4 cup crumbled cotija or feta if using. Allow filling to cool to room temperature (about 15 minutes).
Sweet & Sour Wasabi Sauce
- 7
Make sauce
In a small bowl whisk together 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp wasabi paste (start with 1/2 tsp if you prefer milder heat), 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp lime juice and 1/4 tsp sesame oil if using. Taste and adjust: add a pinch of salt or more honey for sweetness, more vinegar for tang, or more wasabi for heat. Chill until ready to serve.
Assembly & Cook
- 8
Roll and cut dough
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) if baking, or prepare a skillet with 1/2 cup vegetable oil for shallow frying over medium heat. Lightly flour a work surface with 1/4 cup flour. Roll dough to about 1/8-inch (3 mm) thickness. Using a 3.5–4 inch round cutter (or small bowl), cut circles. Gather scraps, re-roll once, and cut until dough is used. You should get approximately 18–22 small rounds (depending on cutter size).
- 9
Fill empanaditas
Place about 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of cooled black bean filling in the center of each round. Brush the edges with a little beaten egg (from 1 egg) to help seal. Fold dough over into a half-moon and press edges to seal. Crimp edges with a fork or fold pleats to seal tightly. Repeat until all rounds are filled.
- 10
Cook empanaditas - frying
To shallow fry: heat oil in a wide skillet to 350°F (175°C). Fry empanaditas in batches, seam-side up first for 1–1.5 minutes, then flip and fry another 1–1.5 minutes until golden and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Total frying time about 3 minutes per batch.
- 11
Cook empanaditas - baking (alternative)
To bake: place empanaditas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush tops lightly with beaten egg. Bake in the preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 12–15 minutes, rotating sheet once, until golden brown. Baking yields a slightly flakier, less oily empanadita.
- 12