Making frozen empanadas in air fryer is hands down the best way to prepare them! Empanadas are perfect when served as an appetizer, light lunch or quick snack! For the best results, simply place uncooked empanadas in the air fryer instead of the deep fryer and they’ll be ready in 10 minutes or less!
Air Fryer Frozen Empanadas are a tasty meal that is also filling. The results are nice and crispy and healthier than the deep-fried option.
What are empanadas?
Empanadas, originating in Spain, are made by folding filling into a pastry dough and then either baked or fried. These turnovers are a bit like hand pies / meat pies or Cornish pasties. This deep fried goodness is now enjoyed worldwide!
You can find empanadas made with meat such as ground beef, chicken empanadas or tuna. Plenty of vegetarian and vegan options are now out there such as cheese and onion, cheese and spinach, black bean and mixed vegetable.
I’ve even come across sweet apple empanadas!
This is such an easy air fryer recipe and definitely the best method to get the much-desired flaky texture of the pie crust.
Other Air Fryer recipes with puff pastry that I’ve tried and tasted include:
Vegan Curry Puffs (Thai)
Rose and Pistachio Puff Pastry Cream Horns/Cones
Tandoori Paneer Tarte au Soleil
Why you should use the air fryer:
Meals in less time – you can make a big batch of empanadas quicker than baking in a conventional oven – delicious food for a large family in less than 15 minutes! You do not even need to thaw them first.
Perfect crispy texture all over , including the bottom of the empanadas as the air fryer circulates hot air.
Uses just enough oil . Excess oil is needed for deep frying increasing the fat content of each serving. These are much heathier than the deep-fried version.
These are easy air fryer empanadas perfect for a snack when craving hits or add to a lunch box.
Ingredients:
Full ingredients with measurements are available in the recipe card below at the end of this post
So simple, the main ingredients you need are:
Ready-made frozen empanadas – you can either make them yourself or buy shop-bought. If you are vegan, check the side of the package to ensure they do not contain dairy products.
In America, you can find Goya Empanadas. In the UK, I have come across frozen empanadas online.
Glaze/egg wash – you need a glaze for the pastry
As I do not use egg, I made a glaze with milk, a pinch of turmeric and paprika .
Good alternatives are milk/non-dairy milk or water mixed with honey/maple syrup .
Alternatively, brush with olive oil or vegetable oil. If you have it , cooking spray also works.
How to make frozen empanadas in the air fryer:
I have used the Instant Pot Pro Crisp but you can also use the Instant Pot Duo Crisp which also has an air fryer lid. Any other brand will also do.
Select your favourite frozen empanadas and prepare your glaze in a small bowl.
Place on a baking sheet or plate and brush with your “egg wash” or glaze.
You can layer the air fryer basket with parchment paper or aluminium foil to save on cleaning later on. You do not need to use a baking tray in the air fryer.
Place unbaked empanadas in a single layer the basket. There is no need to thaw empanadas first.
Air fry on 350 degrees F or 180 C for 8-10 minutes and cook until golden brown. 350 F is medium-high heat which is about right to cook the empanadas in the centre without burning the pastry.
You may want to check the empanadas at around 6 minutes.
Note that this cooking time may vary depending on the size of your frozen empanadas. You may need extra minutes if the empanadas are very large.
Depending on the size of your air fryer, you can probably fit in around 6 mini empanadas or 4 large empanadas.
Repeat for any remaining empanadas. Despite preheating, I have noticed that the next batches require less cooking time, presumably because the air fryer is now so hot.
Serving Suggestions
Empanadas are the perfect finger-food that can be served just as they are – hot or cold. The flavourful fillings make empanadas an exciting meal.
For dip suggestions, sour cream or tomato sauce such as marinara would go great.
For a complete meal, why not try Cilantro, Lime and Coconut Rice , White Bean Panzanella , Mango Avocado Black Bean salad or Air Fryer Banana Chips with Black Pepper
Storage
Want to store air fried empanadas for later?
Once they reach room temperature, they can be stored in an airtight sealed container and placed in the fridge. They will keep well for 2-3 days.
To reheat, place in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes. Try not to overcrowd the basket – stick to a single layer. You can also microwave but the pastry may go soft.
I do not recommend re-freezing empanadas that have been defrosted.
How to make frozen empanadas at home
You can use store-bought empanada dough or pie dough for ease. Alternatively, make your own empanada dough. Roll out the dough into equal sized rounds/discs.
Next, you need to prepare your filling.
Allow the filling to cool.
Spoon the filling onto the dough on one side only. Leave a small gap on the edge. Do not add too much filling to the empanada discs as it may tear the pastry when you try to seal it.
Fold over the dough and either crimp with a fork or twist to make a pattern.
To freeze, place onto a baking tray and put it in the freezer. Wait until they are frozen. Then, wrap individually in plastic wrap or place in a freezer bag.
Approximately 8-10 minutes for standard sizes empanadas.
Thawing the empanadas will cause the pastry to go soggy and the filling may spill out. They are best cooked in their frozen state
There can be many reasons for this: 1. Not preheating the air fryer – if the air fryer is cold when you add the frozen empanadas, it will take longer to cook. 2. If your empanadas are large, they may need longer to cook. To ensure the filling is well cooked, turn down the heat and air fry for a few extra minute 3. Do not overcrowd the basket – the hot air will not reach the empanada dough and they will not cook properly
Other Air Fryer Recipes
Air fryer Potato Slices
Indian Potato in Air Fryer
Salt and Pepper Halloumi Fries
Air fryer Sheet Pan Focaccia Pizza
Air fryer Toasted Ravioli (No Egg)
Pumpkin Scones (2 ways)
Easy Avocado Fries
Grilled Air Fryer Pineapple
Best Air Fryer Baklava
Save Air Fryer Frozen Empanadas Recipe to Pinterest
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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How to cook Air Fryer Frozen Empanadas
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
Ingredients
- 12 Empanadas Frozen
- 4 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat an air fryer to 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C.
- Mix milk, turmeric and paprika. Brush the empanadas with this glaze using a pastry brush. 4 tablespoon milk, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Place frozen empanadas into the air fryer basket. 12 Empanadas
- Air fry for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown and heated through.
- Remove from the the Air Fryer.
Notes
- Do not thaw empanadas before adding them in the air fryer.
- The glaze will give these empanadas a beautiful golden colour.
- Large empanadas will take a bit longer to cook, while mini empanadas may cook faster.
- Goya empanadas : 9 minutes Trader Joe’s chicken and chimichurri empanadas : 12 minutes Mini empanadas : 7 minutes
- Keep the empanadas in a single layer, and don’t overlap.
- Flipping the empanada over during cooking is optional.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
How to cook Air Fryer Frozen Empanadas
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
Ingredients
- 12 Empanadas Frozen
- 4 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat an air fryer to 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C.
- Mix milk, turmeric and paprika. Brush the empanadas with this glaze using a pastry brush. 4 tablespoon milk, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Place frozen empanadas into the air fryer basket. 12 Empanadas
- Air fry for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown and heated through.
- Remove from the the Air Fryer.
Notes
- Do not thaw empanadas before adding them in the air fryer.
- The glaze will give these empanadas a beautiful golden colour.
- Large empanadas will take a bit longer to cook, while mini empanadas may cook faster.
- Goya empanadas : 9 minutes Trader Joe’s chicken and chimichurri empanadas : 12 minutes Mini empanadas : 7 minutes
- Keep the empanadas in a single layer, and don’t overlap.
- Flipping the empanada over during cooking is optional.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
This Easy Vegetarian Instant Pot Bean Soup recipe is perfect for the whole family. It is a great option for any night of the week and is fantastic for meal prep. It is vegan and gluten-free and can be served within 1 hour.
Great with this Instant Pot Bread .
Thanks to the Instant Pot, this delicious soup is ready in a fraction of the time compared to the stove top. It is a hearty vegetarian bean soup packed with nutrients that needs minimal prep.
If you soak the dry beans overnight, you can make this soup in around 45-50 minutes! It really is that simple and you can wander away from the kitchen whilst the Instant Pot pressure cooker works its magic.
Despite the cold weather, I love Autumn and Winter simply because its soup season! I love all kinds of vegetarian soup recipes, whether a black bean soup, a simple vegetable soup or pea soup.
I also like experimenting with flavour combinations and some of my best soup recipes are Carrot, Ginger and Coconut Soup with a Saffron Vinaigrette , Vegan Mulligatawny Soup and this African Peanut Soup .
Why you will love this recipe:
Made with pantry staples – most ingredients should be available at your local grocery store.
One-pot meals – this vegetarian bean soup is a one pot meal – it is all cooked directly in the Instant Pot making it so easy.
Budget friendly – Instant Pot uses 4.4 times less energy required than the oven. You can save 80% in energy and costs. All the ingredients are in this recipe are inexpensive, just like my spicy carrot soup recipe.
Suitable for those following a vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free diet.
This recipe can also be made without celery.
It can also be made-ahead in the slow cooker /crockpot or even the stove top.
The 15 Bean Mix:
This recipe uses a bean soup mix that is made with 15 different types of beans. The most popular bean soup mix consisting of dried beans is the Hurst Bean Soup Mix.
The Hurst 15 Bean Soup Mix is made with: great northern beans, pinto beans, large lima, yelloweye, garbanzo, baby lima, green split, kidney, cranberry, small white, pink, small red, yellow split peas, lentil, navy beans, white beans, black beans
This mix contains a seasoning packet is ham flavoured which you can discard. (The Hurst website states this flavour is artificial and does not contain animal products)
You do not have to strictly make a Vegetarian 15 Bean Soup but play around with whatever is in your pantry.
You can use a different bean mix or make your own with whichever dried beans you have to hand such as black-eyed peas, red beans or cannellini beans.
Whichever bean mix you use, the idea is to make it up to the same quantity.
You do not need to worry that the beans are different sizes – the idea is that the pressure cooking time is set to cook the largest and toughest beans.
This means some of the beans and lentils may go quite soft – all adding to the wonderful texture and flavour of the soup.
Tinned Beans
You can also make this soup in the Instant Pot with tinned mixed beans.
You will only need to pressure cook for 2 minutes as the tinned beans are already cooked. The veggies should all be soft within 2 minutes of High Pressure.
Ingredients:
Full ingredients with measurements are available in the recipe card below at the end of this post
Dried beans mix – soaked then drained.
Onion and garlic – slice or dice the onion and mince the garlic. Use fresh garlic and onion where possible for the best flavour but onion and garlic powder are quick substitutes.
Celery – you can add a chopped-up stick of celery along with the carrots, but it is entirely optional.
Carrots – either cut into cubes or rounds.
Tomatoes – I like to use tinned chopped tomatoes for ease. If you do not have tinned, use a large squeeze of tomato paste
Vegetable broth – use vegetable stock cubes that have been dissolved in warm water
I talian seasoning – Italian seasoning typically is made of oregano, thyme, basil, parsley, sage, and bay Leaves
Bay leaf
Lemon juice / lime juice
Olive oil – alternatively, use sunflower, vegetable or avocado oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Optional:
R ed pepper – add chopped red pepper for flavour and texture
Sweet potato – add chucks of sweet potatoes for extra flavour. With 20 minutes of high-pressure cooking, there’s a chance that the sweet potatoes will be very tender or mashed.
To save on prep time, you can buy ready prepared onion, garlic and carrots from the supermarket.
Why soak beans first?
I highly recommend soaking your dried beans before making this soup.
For best results, soak your beans in cold water as this reduces the pressure cooking time required. I like to soak my beans at least 8 hours.
Soaking beans also makes them more digestible for the gut.
How to make Vegetarian Instant Pot Bean Soup
I have used the Instant Pot Pro Crisp Multi Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer but you can use any electric pressure cooker.
Select Saute Mode and pour in your oil of choice.
Add in the onions, garlic and bay leaf and cook for about 2-3 minutes. This step is important as sauteing onion and garlic draws out so much deep flavour.
Add the drained bean mix and the remaining ingredients except for the lemon juice. After adding the veggie stock, see if you require any further cups of water. Season according to taste.
Give everything a good stir and ensure no food is stuck to the bottom of the pot. Deglazing prevents the Burn Sign coming on, although this is unlikely there is plenty of liquid in this recipe.
Close the Instant Pot Lid and keep the valve on Seal position.
Select Pressure Cook on High Pressure.
For pre-soaked beans, cook for 30 minutes.
For unsoaked beans, cook for 45 minutes.
Allow for natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then turn the pressure valve on quick release to release any remaining pressure.
If you want the soup thicker, you can use an immersion blender to blend a few of the beans.
Serving Suggestions
I love this warming vegetarian bean soup with crusty bread such as Pioneer Woman cornbread , tiger bread rolls or focaccia .
Crunchy tortilla chips served with sour cream make a great side
You may want to top your soup with fresh parsley and shavings/grating of vegetarian hard cheese.
Serve with fresh salad on the side and bread for a well balanced meal.
Storage
This vegan soup can be made in advance for meal prep. Ensure it has cooled to room temperature before storing.
Store the soup in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Vegetable bean soup freezes quite well and can be frozen in portions in freezer-safe containers. Allow to thaw and reheat on the stove or microwave. Some textures may change upon defrosting.
Pro Tips:
- When reheating soup, I like to add additional water or broth. This soup thickens as it cools. Adding additional water or broth will help to thin the consistency.
- You can soak the beans in cold or hot water, but don’t forget to rinse them under the water first to remove any dust or debris.
- Forgot to soak the beans? Add an extra 15 minutes on the Instant Pot panel for cook time.
- You may add fresh spinach or kale at the end of cooking to increase the nutritional value of this soup.
- For the variation, you can use other seasoning such as taco or Cajun or add red chilli powder, garlic powder and onion powder.
- Be careful when adding salt as commercial stock cubes contain salt.
- This soup is freezer friendly.
- You may add water if you don’t have vegetable stock on hand.
There are three ways to thicken this soup. 1. Use a hand blender to pulse some of the beans but not all 2. Use a fork or spoon to mush some of the softer beans against the side of the inner pot. 3. Sauté once the pressure is released. Place the soup back onto sauté mode to boil off some of the extra water.
For 1 cup of dried beans that have been soaked overnight, you will need 3 cups of water.
For 1 cup of dried beans that remain unsoaked, you will need 4 cups of water.
Dry beans are a pantry ingredient that lasts more than six months. Make sure to check out my authentic chana masala recipe made with dried garbanzo beans!
Other Bean Recipes
White Bean Panzanella
Mango Black Bean Salad
Instant Pot Afghan Lubya
Vegan White Bean Bruschetta
Easy Mung Bean Curry
Vegetable Tagine with Chickpeas
Save 15 Bean Soup Recipe to Pinterest
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
- YouTube
Vegetarian Instant Pot Bean Soup
Equipment
- 1 Instant pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup mixed beans 15 Bean Soup Mix
- 2 tablespoon oil
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 bay leaves fresh or dried
- 1 cup carrots chopped
- ¼ cup celery chopped (optional)
- 1 cup tomatoes crushed (tinned)
- 3 cup vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- salt
- pepper
Toppings/Garnish
- 2 tablespoon hard cheese optional (vegetarian)
- 2 tablespoon parsley
- lemon juice
Instructions
- First clean, rinse and soak the beans overnight or at least 8 hours in cold water. 1 cup mixed beans
- Once beans are soaked discard the water, and rinse once again.
- Select the saute mode on the Instant Pot panel.
- Heat oil in the liner of the instant pot. 2 tablespoon oil
- Then add onion, garlic and bay leaves. 1/2 cup onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves
- Saute for a couple of minutes.
- Add carrots and celery if using, mix well. 1 cup carrots, 1/4 cup celery
- Now add soaked (drained) 15 beans, tomatoes, Italian seasoning and vegetable broth along with salt and pepper. 1 cup tomatoes, 3 cup vegetable stock, 2 tablespoon Italian seasoning, salt, pepper
- Mix and deglaze the pot. Cancel the saute mode.
- Close the lid, keep the valve on sealing position, Press the manual/pressure button, set the time on 30 minutes on high pressure.
- Once 30 minutes is done and your IP display screen shows LO:00, turn off the instant pot. Let the pressure release naturally. It will take about 10 minutes.
- Open the Instant pot, stir the soup once, taste and adjust the seasoning according to your taste.
- Serve soup in the serving bowl. if you wish top it up with cheese and garnish it with fresh chopped parsley and some lemon juice. 2 tablespoon hard cheese, 2 tablespoon parsley
- Enjoy hot with some bread or crackers.
Video
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
