Shrimp Empadinhas from Brazil are a perfect appetizer to please at a party. They are mini pot pies stuffed with a shrimp and tomato-based filling.
Yo dudes, pot pies are the BOMB, I don’t care what anyone says. Since I was little they’ve always been one of my very favorite foods. In fact, maaaybe once a year when I was little, I’d get a phone call from Papa Foreign Fork when he was on his way home from work, asking if I’d eaten dinner yet. If the answer was no, he’d tell me not to eat until he got home. Then he’d show up at the door with a nice, steaming pot pie from Boston Market. Mmmm. These were the BEST days! And he was always so happy that I was so happy.
Now that I think about it, it’s kind of a weird tradition…. But whatever lol.
Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!
What are Shrimp Empadinhas?
Today we’re making a recipe that is very pot-pie-esque from Brazil! The real name of the recipe is Shrimp Empadinhas, and they’re Brazil’s answer to empañadas from other Latin American countries. Empadinhas are shaped like mini pies and are the miniature version of empadas in Brazil. They can be filled with the classic fillings like shrimp, chicken, or hearts of palm.
In our case today, we’re filling out empadinhas with shrimp. I don’t want to brag you guys, but this filling is SO good.
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A Mistake Turned Delicious
The first time that I was creating the recipe, I accidentally added too much chicken broth, and I couldn’t thicken the consistency of the filling back up again without compromising flavor. The filling resembled the thinness of a soup, so… I ate it as a soup! And seriously, you guys, it was delicious. It reminded me of a lobster bisque soup but with shrimp, and I was SUCH a fan. If you ever want to try the filling like this instead of putting it inside the pot pies, just add a bit more chicken broth than the recipe calls for. You can thank me later.
Finding the Right Pie Dough for Your Shrimp Empadinhas
To make these empadinhas, you’re going to need some pie dough. The tricky part here is finding a brand that doesn’t rip very easily. The best brand I’ve found for this is the Simple Truth Unroll and Bake 9” Pie Crust. Every other brand that I’ve used has ripped very easily when assembling the empadinhas, but the Simple Truth brand can hold its own quite well!
You’re going to need 2-3 boxes of pie crust to make this recipe, depending on the size of your empadinhas. When I used two boxes, I had the perfect amount of filling to make about 48 empadinhas! I did have a tiiiiny bit of filling leftover, but not enough to justify buying another box. However, if yours are slightly different sizes, a third box may be necessary.
These empadinhas are soft and buttery and they seriously melt in your mouth. The filling is delicious, and they’re the perfect size for popping a few at a party to enjoy. Serve these as an appetizer or as the main course, perhaps with a dessert of Brazilian Açaí Bowls!
If you liked these shrimp empadinhas, you should also try my:
- Empañadas from Argentina
- Burek from Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Australian sausage rolls
- Shrimp Scampi in the Instant Pot
Share a photo to Facebook or Instagram and tag @TheForeignFork or hashtag #TheForeignFork if you make them! Also, make sure to leave a review and a comment if you tried this recipe! Thanks for stopping by, dear reader; I can’t wait to see you again soon.
Shrimp Empadinhas
Equipment
- Whisk
- Food Processor
- Mini Muffin Pan
- Rolling Pin
- Pastry Brush
- Cookie Cutters
- Oven Mitt
- Mixing Bowl(s)
- Pot(s)
- Pan(s)
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 4 tbsp butter stick butter
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 tomato chopped
- 1 lb oz shrimp
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ cup cooked peas
- ¼ cup corn
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 boxes refrigerate pie dough
Instructions
- In a small pot, melt the butter. Add flour and whisk until the flour and butter combine to make a paste.
- Slowly add the stock into the pot, little by little. Whisk to combine stock with flour and butter. Then when combined, pour a bit more. Season with salt and pepper.
- Take out ½ cup of mix and reserve. Set the rest to the side.
- In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium high flame.
- Add onion to the olive oil and cook for five minutes or until translucent.
- Add garlic and tomatoes into the pan and cook for a 3-5 minutes more.
- Put the cocktail shrimp in a food processor or blender. Pulse a few times so that the shrimp are shredded but still are in small pieces.
- Add shrimp, corn, peas, and tomato paste into the pan and cook until everything is warm and the peas/corn are thawed.
- Add the remainder of the butter and flour mixture into the pan and mix. Allow the combination to simmer for a bit to thicken, perhaps about 5-8 minutes. Only add the reserved half cup of butter and flour mixture if you need the filling to have more liquid.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Using a 3 inch and a 1.5 inch cookie cutter, cut tops and bottoms out of the pie dough. You will need to use a rolling pin to re-roll the dough, and cut again from it. Use all the dough possible.
- In an un-greased muffin tin for MINI muffins, place the 3″ circle in the bottom. Fill with a teaspoon and a half of filling. Then place the 1.5″ circle on top and pinch the bottom and the top circles together around the edges.
- Once all of the pies are complete, whisk your egg yolk up in a separate bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush an egg yolk over the top of the empadinhas.
- Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the pastry is cooked through and the tops are golden brown. Enjoy!
- Leave a comment on this post letting me know what you thought! 🙂
To Hand Make Massa Podre Empadinha Dough (Optional)
- Cut the butter and shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add eggs, salt and water and knead to combine. Let rest for 30 minutes.
Eddie says
I live in Brazil. Empadinhas are made with a flaky dough that American pré-made pie dough (yuck) cannot match. Also, to get the right color on the top, use only the egg yolk for brushing.
The Foreign Fork says
Thanks Eddie, I appreciate the insight! I will make sure to link to that other dough in the notes so that people know how to made it from scratch if they want.
Hairstyles says
I have been reading out a few of your posts and i can claim pretty clever stuff. I will surely bookmark your blog.
Alexandria Drzazgowski says
Thank you very much! I appreciate it.