How to Make Panamanian Empanadas (You Must Try)

Don’t you love the taste of biting into a warm fried food? I definitely do! I love empanadas because they TOTALLY satisfy my cravings for a fried Latin American snack. Anyway, what I have for you today are several recipes for Panamanian empanadas that you should DEFINITELY consider making! Keep reading as I tell you how to make Panamanian empanadas that you’ll TOTALLY enjoy 😉

(There may be affiliate links in this post. Read my disclosure policy to learn more).

What Are Panamanian Empanadas?

Ok, well let’s start off by asking what are empanadas?

Empanadas are sweet or savory half-moon-shaped turnovers. People normally fill them with meat or fruits. Also, you can either bake them or fry them.

If you did not already know, there are many countries all over the world that have their own empanada versions.

FYI, these are the names of empanada-like foods in different countries:

Pastelillos (Puerto Rico)
Pachuqueños (Mexico)
Beef Patties (Jamaica)
Salteña (Bolivia)
Llauchas (Bolivia)
Tucumanas (Argentina)
Pastel de Forno (Brazil)
Catibias or Cativias (Dominican Republic)

Ok, now back to what are Panamanian empanadas?

Well, as stated earlier, Panamanian empanadas are similar to other kinds of empanadas around the world.

Just for fun, here’s a video that shows you the differences between Panamanian beef empanadas and Jamaican beef patties.

This YouTube video is by BuzzFeedVideo:

Keep in mind, that recipes for empanadas from Panama are unique depending on each family’s tradition.

(Just like many traditional foods from any country).

For example, some Panamanian recipes add vinegar to the meat. And, there are others that do not.

(By the way, empanadas are some of the best Panamanian snacks ;-))

Ingredients for Panamanian Empanadas

These are some of the most basic ingredients that many (but not all) Panamanian empanadas recipes require:

Flour *
Eggs
Butter
Salt
Vegetable oil
Water
Meat (i.e. ground beef)
Onion
Garlic
Vinegar
Red bell pepper
Tomato paste
Culantro (or cilantro)

*Many families use precooked yellow cornmeal instead of flour and omit the eggs and butter.

FYI, this is the same ingredient you use to make the SUPER popular Colombian arepas.

How to Make Panamanian Empanadas

These are the basic steps for making some amazing empanadas from Panama.

Add sifted flour, salt, and butter to a large bowl.
Mix well (you can use your hands).
In a separate bowl add egg and water.
Mix.
Add the egg and water mixture to the bowl with flour, salt, and butter.
Mix well.
Take the dough out of the bowl.
Knead the dough on a flat, lightly floured surface.
Set the dough aside in a covered bowl.
Heat oil in a pan on the stove.
Cook the diced onions, garlic, and red bell pepper in the pan.
Add the meat, season it, and cook it all the way through.
Set it aside.
Using a rolling pin or bottle, flatten the dough you had set aside earlier.
Shape the dough into a large rectangle.
Using a bowl, cut out rounds shaped from the dough.
At this point, heat some oil in a separate pan for frying.
Spoon in some of the meat onto half of the dough you had just cut out.
Slightly moisten the edges of the dough with some water.
Fold the dough in half with the meat inside.
Press the edges of the dough together using your fingers or a fork.
Place the empanadas into the hot oil to fry.
Fry until one side is golden brown.
Flip it and then cook the other side until it is golden brown.
Place the empanada on a paper towel to drain the access oil.
Repeat the process with the other empanadas.
Eat and enjoy!

P.S. You can also bake empanadas instead of frying them. Just brush them with some egg wash (after step 21) and place them in a 375-degree oven and cook them until they are golden yellow.

Panamanian Beef Empanadas Recipe #1

Before I begin, I feel like I have to mention something.

Please, don’t overeat these DELICIOUS fried foods!

Eating too many of these Central American empanadas can lead to health issues. This is especially true if you eat fried foods for a long period of time! For example, a Harvard study found that people who consume a lot of fried foods are more likely to develop depression (CNBC.com).

We DO NOT want that happening to us, right?

(As mentioned previously, it’s a good thing you can bake Panamanian empanadas. Am I right?) Or just don’t eat too many of them 🙂

OK, I’ve done my part by giving you this public health announcement. Now let’s continue with our first Panamanian empanada recipe!

I highly recommend you take a look at this EXCELLENT YouTube video below by Panama Tropic.

FYI, these are the ingredients you’ll need to make this particular empanada recipe:

Precooked yellow cornmeal (Masarepa)
Salt
Goya seasoning (Optional)
Cooking oil
Water
Lemon
Ground Beef
Potato
Eggs
Onion
Garlic
Sweet peppers
Culantro (aka broadleaf cilantro)
Black pepper
Tomato paste
Vegetable oil for frying

Here is the recipe video for Panama Tropic’s beef empanadas:

For your convenience, here is the link to the recipe page if you want to print it out.

(By the way, you don’t HAVE to use a tortilla press. You can use a heavy casserole dish or your hands, instead.

Also, here is the Amazon link for Panamanian hot sauce).

Panamanian Beef Empanadas Recipe #2

Ok, so what if you don’t want to go through all the work of making the empanada dough?

That’s totally understandable!

You can TOTALLY just buy premade dough for empanadas.

(My family and I usually use these when we make Puerto Rican pastelillos).

If you’re interested, you can find these premade dough disks in the refrigerated section of a Latin American grocery store.

Or, sometimes you can find them at Walmart. However, this is typically only true if you live in an area with a large Hispanic population.

Looking for a great Panamania empanadas recipe with premade empanada dough? Well, here is a great recipe by Familia Kitchen.

Some of the other key ingredients you’ll need for this specific recipe include:

Ground beef
Onion
Garlic
Red bell pepper
Parsley
Tomato paste
A packet of sazón seasoning

(Don’t worry about not using the rest of the sazón packets in the box. There are a lot of Puerto Rican and other Caribbean recipes that use sazón).

Panamanian Corn Empanadas Recipe

In Spanish, Panamanian corn empanadas are called empanadas de maíz . They’re made with corn-based dough.

Interestingly, this corn is actually the same kind you use to make a Panamanian drink called chicheme. The “corn” is actually hominy corn. If you’re interested in learning more, I talk more about it on my chicheme page.

More specifically, the kind of hominy corn you will use is called maíz pilado. It’s cracked or broken golden hominy.

If you’re interested, you can easily find it here on Amazon.

Now, if you’re looking for a great Panamanian corn empanada recipe, I highly recommend you check out the one in the video below by SANPAL 20.

(As mentioned above, a lot of families just use pre-cooked cornmeal. Otherwise, the work it takes to grind the hominy corn can be a lot).

Anyway, these are the ingredients you’ll need for these Panamanian corn empanadas:

Golden hominy corn
Water
Salt
Beef
Onion
Bell pepper
Garlic
Culantro
Cooking oil

Now, here’s the video for how to make Panamanian corn empanadas (traditionally):

What to Serve With Panamanian Empanadas

Panamanian empanadas go well with the following drinks from Panama:

Chicha
Chicheme
Naranjilla
Batidos (fruit smoothies)
Natural fruit juices
Coconut water
Coffee

Frequently Asked Questions for Empanadas Recipes From Panama

Here are some FAQs and answers related to Panamanian empanadas.

Are empanadas from Panama?

No, empanadas are not specifically from Panama. There are actually many different empanadas and empanada-related foods all over the world. For example, you can find empanada recipes like Panamanian empanadas and Jamaican beef patties, too.

Do Panamanians eat empanadas?

Yes, Panamanians do eat empanadas! Empanadas are VERY common street food, snacks, or meals. More specifically, they’re turnovers that are either fried or baked. Also, they are filled with savory meat and different kinds of vegetables and spices.

What are 3 types of empanadas?

These are the different types of Panamanian empanadas:

Corn empanadas
Beef empanadas
Pork empanadas
Carimañol (made with yuca)

What food is Panama famous for?

Panama is famous for these various foods and dishes:

Sancocho de Gallina (chicken stew)
Hojaldre (fried dough)
Panamanian Tortillas
Carimañola (yuca fritter)
Arroz con Guandú (rice with pigeon peas)
Chicheme (hominy corn drink)

Final Thoughts on Recipe for Panamanian Empanadas

I seriously hope you consider making one of these delicious Panamanian snacks. They’re savory and very filling. Plus, they go well with any Panamanian drink you can find (or make). You should definitely consider trying them!

What are your thoughts on Panamanian empanadas? Have you ever had them? Please let me know in the comments below!