My beginner-friendly Empanada Dough is a simple hot water pastry dough that creates a soft yet sturdy crust perfect for savory or sweet fillings. This is a recipe I learned in Argentina, and it is buttery, easy to work with, and ideal for beginners who want homemade empanadas without complicated pastry techniques.
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Making homemade empanada dough may sound intimidating, but my recipe proves just how approachable it can be. Unlike traditional pastry doughs that require cold butter and careful handling, this hot water dough comes together quickly and creates a texture that is both soft and durable.
The warm water melts the butter directly into the dough, making it incredibly forgiving and easy to knead. The result is a dough that rolls out beautifully, seals well around fillings, and holds up during baking or frying without falling apart.
Whether you are making savory beef empanadas, chicken empanadas (dipped in traditional chimichurri or red chimichurri), dessert empanadas with a dulce de leche filling, or experimenting with your own fillings, this dough provides the perfect flaky, tender, and reliable base.
Recipe Origins
This is an Argentinian style empanada dough, which I learned in a cooking class from an Argentinian woman in Buenos Aires. You can book Vicky’s class here!
The key here is the boiling water, which leads to a sturdier crust that can handle almost anything you put in it! Make sure to follow my tip for measuring your water (carefully) AFTER it has been boiled so that you end up with the right amount of liquid in your dough.
Key Ingredients for Empanada Dough
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- All-Purpose Flour: Flour forms the structure of the dough and creates the chewy yet tender texture empanadas are known for. All-purpose flour provides enough strength to hold fillings while still remaining soft and easy to bite through.
- Unsalted Butter: Butter adds richness and flavor to the dough while helping create a tender texture. Compared to shortening, butter gives the crust a more flavorful and slightly softer finish. If you substitute shortening, the dough may become sturdier but less flavorful.
- Boiling Water: Hot water is the secret to this dough’s forgiving texture. It melts the butter directly into the dough and helps hydrate the flour quickly, creating a pliable dough that is easy to shape and seal.
- Salt: Salt enhances the flavor of the dough and keeps it from tasting bland. Since the dough itself is simple, even a small amount of salt makes a noticeable difference.
Why Hot Water?
One of the biggest advantages of this recipe is the use of boiling water combined directly with butter, which creates a dough that is soft, pliable, and less likely to crack while shaping. Many empanada dough recipes can become dry or difficult to seal, but this method creates a dough that rolls out beautifully and securely holds fillings, even juicy fillings, without tearing.
Recipe Variations
- Add a pinch of paprika or turmeric to the dough for extra color and subtle flavor.
- Substitute part of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a nuttier taste and heartier texture.
- Use lard instead of butter for a more traditional flavor and slightly flakier crust.
- Make smaller dough portions for appetizer-sized empanadas or larger ones for meal-sized pockets.
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Combine the boiling water, butter, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir until the butter is completely melted and smooth.
Step 2: Add the flour and knead the dough until it forms a shaggy but cohesive ball.
Step 3: Continue kneading on a floured surface until the dough becomes smooth and soft. Then wrap the dough and let it rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
Step 4: Divide the dough into golf ball-sized portions and roll each into a thin circle. Add filling, fold the dough over, and seal the edges with a fork or decorative braid.
How to Cook the Empanada Dough
Empanadas can be baked, air fried or deep fried. Baking creates a slightly firmer, golden crust, while frying produces a crispier and more indulgent texture.
- Frying: The most traditional option is to fry empanadas in oil. Pour some oil in a pan, allow it to heat, then carefully place your empanadas in the hot oil until they turn golden brown, then turn to the other side to do the same.
- Baking: For a healthier option, you can bake your empanadas. If you want to bake your empanadas I recommend giving them an egg wash (equal parts egg and water, brushed on) to give them a crispy, smooth finish. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown and crispy.
- Air Fryer: You can also try this dough in the air fryer. Air fry at 400 degrees until golden brown.
Take a look at my beef empanada recipe to learn how to make an Argentinian beef filling!
Expert Tips
- Be careful when mixing the dough at first since the water is very hot. Using a spoon initially helps prevent burns.
- If the dough feels sticky while kneading, add flour gradually, one tablespoon at a time, until it becomes smooth but still soft.
- Resting the dough is important because it allows the gluten to relax, making the dough easier to roll out without shrinking back. You’ll know the dough is ready to roll when you can tear off a small portion of the dough and the dough stretches!
- Roll the dough evenly so the empanadas cook consistently and do not become too thick around the edges.
- Make sure to seal the edges tightly and avoid over filling to prevent filling from leaking during baking or frying.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can refrigerate the dough tightly wrapped for up to 2 days. Let it come to room temperature before rolling it out.
Absolutely. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using. I also like to fill my empanadas and then freeze them before cooking! Freeze them on a cookie sheet, then transfer to a ziploc bag.
Sticky dough usually means it needs a little more flour. Knead in small amounts gradually until the dough becomes smooth and manageable.
This dough is versatile enough for beef, chicken, cheese, vegetables, fruit fillings, and even dessert-style empanadas.
Did you enjoy this recipe for Empanada Dough? If so, check out these other recipes I’ve selected just for you:
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4 Ingredient Argentinian Empanada Dough
Ingredients
- 3¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes (cold)
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp boiling water (tip: Boil 3 cups of water, then carefully pour 1 cup + 2 tbsp of it into your mixing bowl)
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the 1 cup + 2 tbsp boiling water (tip: Boil 3 cups of water, then carefully pour 1 cup + 2 tbsp of it into your mixing bowl) . Then add the 6 tbsp unsalted butter and 1 tsp salt into the boiling water and stir until the butter melts completely and the salt dissolves.
- Add 3¾ cup all-purpose flour into the bowl and use your hands to knead until the dough comes together in a shaggy but cohesive ball.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured countertop and continue to knead for about 5 minutes, until you have a smooth, soft dough that is not sticky (if your dough is sticky, knead another 1 tablespoon of flour into it at a time).
- Wrap the dough in cling wrap and allow it to rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
- Form the empanada dough into portions the size of golf balls. Roll each ball out into a thin disk.
- Place about 1 heaping tbsp of filling in the center of the dough ball. Fold one half of the dough over and pinch the edges together to hold the empanada together. Crimp the edges shut tight with a fork. For a fancier finish, pinch and twist little portions of the edge down to form a braided appearance.
Video
Notes
- Unsalted Butter: If you substitute shortening, the dough may become sturdier but less flavorful.
- Be careful when mixing the dough at first since the water is very hot. Using a spoon initially helps prevent burns.
- If the dough feels sticky while kneading, add flour gradually, one tablespoon at a time, until it becomes smooth but still soft.
- Resting the dough is important because it allows the gluten to relax, making the dough easier to roll out without shrinking back. You’ll know the dough is ready to roll when you can tear off a small portion of the dough and the dough stretches!
- Roll the dough evenly so the empanadas cook consistently and do not become too thick around the edges.
- Make sure to seal the edges tightly and avoid over filling to prevent filling from leaking during baking or frying.
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