We took two things we love—empanadas and tacos—and turned them into the best quick and easy Smash Empanada Tacos recipe. It takes around 30 minutes to put together. Plus, it’s a great way to celebrate National Empanada Day on April 8.
You might’ve already tried the viral smash burger tacos or smash gyro tacos, but these smash empanada tacos are so colourful and delicious that you’ll want to make them for every lunch. While empanada recipes vary depending on the region and they don’t all have the same stuffing, this Spanish appetizer is crave-worthy no matter where you get it.
Empanadas originated in Portugal and Galicia, Spain and were first recorded in a Catalan cook book in the 1520s. The word “Empanada” comes from the word “empanar” which means “to wrap or coat in bread.” Since then, the meat pie has been found in Argentina, Nicaragua, Colombia, Cuba and many other countries.
In this Smash Empanada Tacos recipe, we topped them up with all our favourite empanada ingredients, from potatoes to peas, green olives, red peppers and more.
Related: Cottage Cheese Empanadas Are the Sweet-Savoury Snack You Need
ingredients
Sauce (optional):
directions
Start by prepping all your toppings. Cut the potato into cubes and bake in the oven or air fryer with your desired seasoning (I used cajun, salt and pepper). Add the frozen peas to a bowl of hot water to thaw.
Cut the onion and bell pepper into long, thin slices. Sautee and carmelize them in a pan with olive oil and/or butter.
Add minced meat, egg, tomato paste and seasoning to a bowl and mix well.
Take 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture and add to each taco. Flatten the meat and set aside.
Heat a pan and add olive oil. When hot, place your first taco with the meat side down. Let it cook for around 4 minutes until fully cooked. Flip over and add cheese. Keep the taco in the pan for an additional minute and then set aside.
Repeat for all the tacos.
Once all the tacos have been cooked, add all your toppings.
While this step is optional, it’s highly encouraged. Make your sauce by mixing sour cream with the hot sauce and enjoy.
