Chorizo Empanadas [Video+Recipe] Filling + 3 Types of Dough

Ingredients

• 454 g (1 pound)Mexican-style chorizo sausages
• 1 medium red onion (65 g)red onion, minced
• 1 red or green bell pepper (76 g)bell pepper, diced
• 80 ml (⅓ cup)pitted green olives, sliced
• 115 g (1 cup)tomato sauce
• To taste (optional)salt
• 1 sprigparsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)
• 2 mediumeggs, hard-boiled and minced
• About 75 g (½ cup)boiled potatoes, diced
• About 115 g (1 cup)Cheddar cheese, or cheese of your choice

Instructions

1. 1

   Remove the casings

   Cut along each sausage casing with a knife, then peel it away and discard it.

2. 2

   Cook the filling

   Warm a frying pan over medium heat and add the chorizo. Cook for about 7 minutes, stirring and breaking up any clumps, until browned and cooked through. If there is excess grease, discard some as needed; the amount depends on the sausage. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent. Stir in the pepper and olives and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce and stir until heated through. Season with salt to taste if wanted, then remove from the heat and scatter over the optional parsley.

3. 3

   Choose the additions

   For empanadas or pastelitos, mix in the minced hard-boiled egg or diced boiled potato. Alternatively, fill empanadas with cheese and the chorizo mixture.

What are chorizo empanadas?

Empanadas are filled pastries found across Latin America, with fillings and dough styles that vary by region. This Dominican-inspired version uses Mexican-style chorizo with vegetables, olives and tomato sauce for a savoury, boldly flavoured centre.

The filling is cooked on the hob, so it is a practical option when you want a flavourful pastry filling without a long simmer. The boiled egg, potato and cheese are optional ways to use it when assembling the pastries.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 410 calories, 23g protein, 14g carbs, 29g fat.

Chorizo and cheese provide most of the fat and much of the protein, while the potato and tomato sauce contribute some of the carbohydrates. Serve a pastry with salad or vegetables for a more balanced plate.

Start with the chorizo

Remove the casing: Slitting and peeling it off lets the sausage break up more easily in the pan. Cook the meat until browned and cooked through, breaking apart any large clumps as you stir.

Watch the fat: Chorizo can release different amounts of grease depending on the sausage. The recipe suggests draining excess if needed, rather than removing all the cooking fat.

Build the filling in stages

Soften the onion: Cook it in the chorizo until translucent before adding the pepper. This gives the onion time to soften while keeping the next additions distinct.

Finish with sauce: Add the olives and pepper for a brief cook, then stir in the tomato sauce just until hot. The filling should be well combined before you take it off the heat.

Pick an addition

Egg or potato: The method offers minced hard-boiled egg or diced boiled potato to mix into the filling for empanadas or pastelitos. Add either once the chorizo mixture is cooked.

Cheese: For another option, use cheese alongside the chorizo stuffing when filling empanadas. The recipe leaves the cheese choice open, so use the listed Cheddar or another preference.

Season to taste

Salt is optional here: chorizo, olives and cheese can all contribute plenty of savoury flavour. Taste the cooked filling before adding any, and remember that the recipe author did not add salt.

Parsley is an optional garnish added after the pan comes off the heat. It gives the finished filling a fresh herbal note.

Serving and assembling

This recipe gives instructions for the filling and its optional additions, rather than for making or baking pastry. Use it with your chosen empanada or pastelito dough and follow that dough recipe for shaping and cooking.

Serve the pastries with a simple salad or cooked vegetables to balance the rich filling. If using cheese, consider the saltiness of the cheese when seasoning the chorizo.

Recipe notes & tips

• Break the chorizo into small pieces as it cooks so it browns evenly.
• Drain only the excess grease; the amount released varies between sausages.
• Let the onion turn translucent before adding the pepper.
• Taste the filling before adding optional salt.
• Choose either boiled egg or potato as a mix-in, or use cheese as an alternative filling addition.

Variations

• Use green pepper: Swap the red pepper for green, as the recipe allows.
• Add boiled egg: Stir the minced egg into the cooked filling for empanadas or pastelitos.
• Add potato: Mix in diced boiled potato for a softer, more substantial filling.
• Choose another cheese: Replace Cheddar with a cheese you prefer.
• Finish with parsley: Scatter chopped parsley over the filling for an optional fresh garnish.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving the casing on: Cut and remove it first so the sausage can break up in the pan.
• Cooking in large clumps: Break up the chorizo as it browns for more even cooking.
• Draining all the fat automatically: Check how much the sausage releases and remove only excess grease if needed.
• Adding the pepper too early: Let the onion turn translucent first, then add the pepper and olives for 1 minute.
• Salting without tasting: Check the cooked filling first, since the chorizo and olives are already savoury.

How to store

Cool the cooked filling promptly, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat it thoroughly in a pan before using, and follow the storage instructions for any assembled pastries or dough.

Frequently asked questions