I love me some empanadas, but often don’t have time to make them from scratch. When you need a quick meal instead, I’ll teach you how to make frozen empanadas in the air fryer for an easy alternative.
Just preheat your air fryer, pop the empanadas in, and you’re ready to enjoy a tasty meal in 15-20 minutes.
Best of all, there’s no need to defrost – just throw your frozen empanadas in your air fryer as-is for a super easy meal!
You can even pair them with some air fryer cooked Mahi Mahi for some tasty, spicy fish tacos for the ultimate spicy handheld assortment!
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 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
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
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!
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.
Can You Reheat Frozen Empanadas in the Air Fryer?
You can reheat frozen empanadas in the air fryer. Coming from a refrigerated state, the empanadas should take around 5 minutes at 350°F to reheat in your air fryer.
That said, frozen empanadas are best enjoyed cooked from their frozen state. They tend to dry out if you need to reheat them again.
Recipe Expert Tips
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 place to cook the filling through without burning the crust of your dough
It’s so simple to cook frozen empanadas in the air fryer and with so many great brands to choose from, you’ll be tempted to use them every time!
While I do still love a homemade one, the frozen version undeniably saves time. These frozen empanadas 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!
Air Fryer Frozen Empanadas (Chicken, Beef, or Vegetable)
Your air fryer cooks up frozen beef, chicken, or vegetable empanadas from their frozen state in just about 15 minutes. The golden crust and warm interior makes them delicious!
Preheat your air fryer to 350°F, following manufacturer guidelines
Remove frozen empanadas from all packaging
2 Frozen empanadas (any brand or flavor)
For a browner crust, brush crust with egg wash or butter, or spray with olive oil mist (optional)
Olive oil spray (optional)
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, such as Goya, and other flavors, such as frozen beef empanadas
For mini frozen empanadas, reduce cooking time to 10 minutes to start
You can apply an additional spritz of oil when you flip your empanadas to get a really crunchy crust
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I enjoy trying new recipes, creating my own, and dabbling with new techniques all the time. My husband loves to protest when I make him my guinea pig, but it’s all for the love of food!
My cooking philosophy is that great tasting food doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming to make. I'm a home cook with over 20 years of experience feeding myself and others. I've learned from a variety of different people, things I've learned online, and some trial and error as well.
I enjoy cooking a variety of foods, from convenience to comfort foods, as well as international cuisine. You can rest assured that all of my recipes have been actually made, thoroughly tested, and most importantly: tasted! I want you to enjoy my food as much as I do!
