These pepperoni pizza empanadas are crunchy on the outside, cheesy, and gooey on the inside. They are the perfect snack or appetizer for any occasion and more than perfect for game day!
As a mom of a boy who loves sports, game day viewings are a big thing in my house.
Most weekends, I find myself making quick fun dishes for my son and his friends on game day. That is really my favorite part of it all because I get to come up with new, fun snack ideas for the little ones and adults alike.
These pepperoni pizza empanadas are a quick and yummy treat that everyone will love. I mean, who doesn’t love everything pizza? So cheesy and gooey. Yum! The best part is that they are really easy to make and only take about 15 minutes to prepare.
Be sure to try my Ham and Pineapple Empanadas and Chicken Parm Empanadas too!
Ingredients
- Empanada Dough (pre-made)
- Marinara Sauce
- Shredded Mozzarella
- Pepperoni: For this recipe, I used mini pepperonis, but you can use regular size pepperoni and cut it in half if you’d like.
- Corn
- Oil
How to make pepperoni pizza empanadas
- Place 1 teaspoon of marinara sauce, about 1 tablespoon cheese, 10-15 pieces of pepperoni and 1 teaspoon of corn in the center of a disc.
- Carefully fold and using a fork, press firmly around the edges to seal. You can also use an empanada press to help you fold and seal the empanadas.
- In a medium pot or large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Fry the empanadas on both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes each side.
- Rest in a paper towel to drain excess oil.
- Serve warm with extra sauce for dipping.
Frequently Asked Questions
These empanadas are best served warm so that the cheese is nice and gooey, but you can make them up ahead of time and refrigerate, so you just have to quickly fry them when they are ready to serve.
If you have leftovers, the pizza empanadas can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat them in the oven at 350F for around 15 minutes to warm them through to serve.
You do need to be careful not to overfill the empanada dough as if they are too full they may not seal. But, you can easily add other fillings to suit your tastes. All of your favorite pizza toppings will be great in these empanadas. Try them with diced green peppers, pineapple, ham, or mushrooms.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Use a fork to seal the edges of the dough so they are firmly together and won’t split open when you fry them.
- Don’t go overboard on the fillings, half of the dough should be able to easily fold over and not be too stretched.
- Make sure that your oil is hot before adding the empanadas. If it’s not hot, they won’t get nice and crispy.
More Easy Appetizers
Pepperoni Pizza Empanadas
Author:Ingredients
- 10 discs empanada dough , pre-made
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese , shredded
- 1 cup mini pepperoni
- 1/2 cup corn
- 3 cups oil for frying
Instructions
- Place 1 teaspoon of marinara sauce, about 1 tablespoon cheese, 10-15 pieces of pepperoni and 1 teaspoon of corn in the center of a disc. Carefully fold and using a fork, press firmly around the edges to seal.
- In a medium pot or large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Fry the empanadas on both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes each side.
- Rest in a paper towel to drain excess oil.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Use a fork to seal the edges of the dough so they are firmly together and won’t split open when you fry them.
- Don’t go overboard on the fillings, half of the dough should be able to easily fold over and not be too stretched.
- Make sure that your oil is hot before adding the empanadas. If it’s not hot, they won’t get nice and crispy.
Nutrition
The nutritional information of this recipe and all recipes on mydominicankitchen.com is only an estimate. The accuracy of any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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Rosie says
Thanks for the recipe. Where do you buy empanasa discs? — I tried these with pillsbury pie crust (the type that you roll out) I cut circles but they didn’t come out that great. The frying was a disaster ( fell apart) so I baked them instead and of course the sauce came out. I’m assuming is because I used pie crust vs empanada discs? I’d like to give it another try…
Vanessa says
Hi Rosie,
Thank you for reading and giving this recipe a try. You can find empanada discs in the frozen section of your local grocery store. Look for the section with Hispanic brand products. Most grocery stores carry the Goya brand. You can also find them at Walmart. Please come back and let me know how you liked the empanadas. 🙂
Morgan @ Morgan Manages Mommyhood says
Yum! These look delicious! Such a fun finger food!
Adriana says
It is always nice to have a helper in the kitchen and these empanadas looks so good. Thanks for participating in this hop #client
Vanessa says
It truly is nice. ?