I love all sorts of empanadas, but often don’t have time to make them from scratch. That’s where frozen, premade ones like Trader Joe’s come in! When I’m short on time, I just make air fryer frozen empanadas for a crispy, delicious meal option that always hits the spot.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Using a frozen premade option for your air fryer empanadas is the perfect choice when you’re short on time. Just preheat your air fryer, pop the empanadas in, and you’re ready to enjoy a tasty meal in 15-20 minutes.!
While I particularly enjoy Trader Joe’s frozen empanadas (like the pictured chicken and chimichurri variety), you can use other brands and flavors that you enjoy! Goya and Aldi’s Casa Mamita are two other popular options.
You don’t even need to defrost them, since the empanadas cook perfectly right from the freezer. The air fryer delivers a golden brown crust and crispy texture outside, with a soft, tender interior for a delicious bite.
I like to make them for a simple lunch since they’re so quick and convenient, but you can make a couple empanadas or add some sides to make a larger meal for dinner.
You can even pair them with some Air Fryer Mahi Mahi spicy fish tacos for the ultimate spicy handheld assortment!
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What You’ll Need
- Frozen empanadas, regular or mini, any brand or flavor
Ingredient Tips
- Frozen empanadas. I typically go for Trader Joe’s, Goya, or the Casa Mamita mini frozen empanadas. Beef, chicken, and vegetable varieties all work equally well
How to Cook Frozen Empanadas in the Air Fryer:
- Preheat your air fryer to 350°F, following manufacturer guidelines
- Remove frozen empanadas from all packaging
- Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick spray to prevent your empanadas from sticking
- For a browner crust, brush empanada crust with egg wash or butter, or spray with olive oil mist
- Place the frozen empanada discs in the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer, allowing air space between each
- Air fry for 15 minutes at 350°F, flipping empanadas every 5 minutes
- Empanadas are cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Add additional cook time in 1 minute increments if needed to achieve this
- Rest for 2-3 minutes before consuming (they will be hot)
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
What Sauces to Serve with Empanadas
- Chimichurri
- Sour cream
- Avocado ranch
- Queso
- Salsa
- Cilantro lime sauce
- Southwest ranch
- Chipotle sauce
- Garlic sauce
- Guacamole
Which sauce is best will vary on your personal tastes as well as what’s in your empanada filling. Feel free to mix and match and find your favorite combos!
In fact, try them with my easy, creamy Air Fryer Queso Cheese Dip!
Recipe FAQs
Can You Cook Frozen Empanadas in an Air Fryer?
Yes, you can cook frozen empanadas in an air fryer.
You’ll get a heated filling and a warm, golden brown crispy crust using this method.
You don’t need to defrost them ahead of time, meaning you can cook the empanadas directly from frozen for less prep time required.
How Long Should I Cook Frozen Empanadas in the Air Fryer?
Full size frozen empanadas generally take 15 to 20 minutes to cook in the air fryer. Frozen mini empanadas typically take slightly less time, between 10 and 15 minutes being common.
You’ll just want to cook until the exterior is golden brown and the interior reaches a temperature of 165°F.
What Are the Best Frozen Empanadas?
• Trader Joe’s frozen empanadas
• Goya frozen empanadas
• Casa Mamita mini frozen empanadas
The above are the most common top picks for the best frozen empanadas. However, there are many other brands that you may enjoy as well.
What’s the Best Way to Cook Frozen Empanadas?
The best way to cook frozen empanadas depends on your desired texture and available equipment. Air frying ensures a crispy exterior, while oven baking at 400°F (200°C) for 20–25 minutes provides consistent results, especially for larger batches.
Pan frying offers a rich, golden crust but requires more effort and oil. For a quick option, microwaving works but sacrifices crispiness, leaving the empanadas soft.
Recipe Pro Tips For the Best Air Fryer Empanadas
- I’m air frying frozen chicken empanadas, but this method works with beef, potato, pumpkin, and all other varieties of frozen empanadas as well
- My frozen empanadas were cooked perfectly at 15 minutes in a Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer. However, different brands, models, and air fryer sizes will cause cooking times to vary slightly
- Don’t use a higher heat! 350°F is the perfect setting to cook the filling through without burning the crust of your dough
Storage and Serving Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I do not recommend refreezing them after cooking once, as they’ll start to dry out
- To reheat empanadas, cook for 3-4 minutes at 350°F in your air fryer (times can vary slightly between different sizes, so adjust as needed). Note that leftover empanadas will dry out more each time they are reheated so try to enjoy them fresh when possible!
Final Thoughts
It’s so simple to air fry empanadas right from frozen, and with so many great flavors and brands to choose from, you’ll be tempted to use them every time!
No more mixing, stuffing, rolling, or any prep work is needed, which is my favorite part (even though I do love homemade empanadas, you can’t beat the time savings). Simply heat and enjoy for a convenient meal anytime.
Frozen empanadas like these Trader Joe’s variety make a great lunch, or dinner when paired with some additional sides. You could also add them to an appetizer spread, perfect for a game day platter!
Katie’s tip
If you’re looking for an Italian style alternative, make sure to check out my recipe for Aldi Calzones in the Air Fryer!
Air Fryer Frozen Empanadas (Chicken, Beef, or Vegetable)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Frozen empanadas (any brand or flavor)
- Olive oil spray (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 350°F, following manufacturer guidelines
- Remove frozen empanadas from all packaging2 Frozen empanadas
- For a browner crust, brush crust with egg wash or butter, or spray with olive oil mist (optional)Olive oil spray
- Place the frozen empanadas in the preheated air fryer basket, allowing air space between each
- Air fry for 15 minutes at 350°F, flipping empanadas every 5 minutes
- Empanadas are cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Add additional cook time in 1 minute increments if needed to achieve this if necessary
- Rest for 2-3 minutes before consuming (they will be hot)
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Notes
- I’m using Trader Joe’s chicken frozen empanadas here. However, this works equally well with other brands and flavors too
- For mini frozen empanadas, reduce cooking time to 7 minutes to start
- You can apply an additional spritz of oil when you flip your empanadas to get a really crunchy crust
- Exact nutritional values will vary depending on specific brand used, any sauces added, and total amount consumed, so please consider this as only a guideline or estimate
Nutrition
