Taco Empanadas
These taco empanadas are made from scratch with my ground turkey taco meat and my quick and easy pizza dough recipe!
The texture of the dough, which is similar to this bagel recipe and easy garlic knot recipe, is closer to a calzone or hot pocket, but who cares, they came out delicious and so much lighter than using the frozen empanadas discs which means you can eat more for less!
Empanadas can be filled with just about anything you can think of, I usually make them with picadillo but why not taco meat? I put them to the test, and my youngest Madison who loves empanadas ate four, she loved them!!
I usually buy the frozen Goya empanada disks, but many of you tell me they aren’t available near you so I decided to test them out with my pizza dough recipe and they worked out great, with a slightly different texture of course, but no added fat and less calories means you can eat more! Of course, if you wish to use the frozen discs, go for it!
To cut the rounds I used a small glass jar and cut out 10 4-3/4-inch circles. Do do this you want to roll it out as thin as possible, then cut as many as you can. Roll the remaining dough and repeat. If you have a large round cookie cutter, even better.
Serve these for lunch, pack them in your kids lunch box or serve them as appetizers with salsa!
How To Make Baked Taco Empanadas
Variations and Tips:
- To make the dough, you MUST use a thick Greek yogurt such as Stonyfield or Fage. It won’t work with Chobani, the dough will be too sticky. It also won’t work with plain yogurt.
- Use beef instead of turkey
- For dairy-free, omit the cheese and replace the yogurt with Kite Hill Dairy Free Greek Yogurt (blue label).
Taco Empanadas
These taco empanadas are made from scratch with my ground turkey taco recipe and my quick and easy pizza dough recipe!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound 93% ground turkey
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 small onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon bell pepper, minced
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 ounces canned tomato sauce (1/4 can)
- 5 tbsp part-skim shredded Mexican cheese blend
Dough:
- 1 cup (5 oz) unbleached all purpose or whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (make sure it’s not expired or it won’t rise)
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (use less if using table salt)
- 1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt (use Stonyfield or Fage, not regular yogurt, not Chobani, it will be too sticky)
- 1 whole egg, beaten
Directions:
For the meat:
- Brown turkey in a large skillet breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks.
- When no longer pink add dry seasoning and mix well.
- Add the onion, pepper, water and tomato sauce and cover.
- Simmer on low for about 15 minutes, uncover and simmer until dry, about 8 to 12 minutes. You don’t want any liquid remaining, it will make the dough soggy.
For the dough:
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Place parchment paper or a silpat on a baking sheet. If using parchment paper, spray with oil to avoid sticking.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk well.
- Add the yogurt and mix with a fork or spatula until well combined, it will look like small crumbles.
- Lightly dust flour on a work surface and remove dough from the bowl, knead the dough a few times until dough is tacky, but not sticky, about 15 turns (it should not leave dough on your hand when you pull away).
- Place on a floured work surface and roll the dough out until it’s very thin. Cut circles about 4-3/4 inches (I used a small work bowl turned upside down) cut out as many rounds as you can.
- With the remaining dough, roll out and form into more rounds. I got 10 altogether.
- Place 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture on each round topped with 1/2 tablespoon cheese.
- Brush the edges with egg wash then fold the edge over and crimp with a fork.
- Transfer to the baking sheet and brush the tops with egg wash.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 22 minutes, or until golden
Nutrition Information
Yield: 10 servings, Serving Size: 1 empanada
- Amount Per Serving:
- Freestyle Points: 2
- Points +: 3
- Calories: 112 calories
- Total Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Cholesterol: 36.5mg
- Sodium: 254mg
- Carbohydrates: 11.5g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Sugar: 1.5g
- Protein: 10g
Vegetarian Meals
Gluten Free
Under 30 Minutes
Freezer Meals
Paleo
Slow Cooker Recipes
Low Carb
Dairy Free
Pressure Cooker Recipes
Whole 30 Recipes
Keto Recipes
This was amazing!!!!
I failed at making pretty empanadas, but this recipe is among my favorites to date. The meat is SO DELICIOUS and SO EASY. I doubled the recipe and ended up pressing the second half of dough into a parchment-lined round cake pan and topping with the meat and cheese for a Mexican-pizza type result, without the hassle of forming the pastries themselves. Will use the meat for all kinds of dishes in the future!
Hey there, thanks in advance for all your recipes! I read through all the comments and did not see anything regarding making these in advance, then cooking. I’d like to make them in the morning, then pop them in the oven for a hot dinner.
Do you think the dough will rise too much in the fridge during the day?
I have not tried this but should be ok.
I tried it with almond flour and oikos 0% yogurt. I could not get it to work. Too sticky and wouldn’t roll out. Would it be the yogurt I tried or does almond flour not work well?
Could be either but the yogurt is very important. You need non-fat Greek yogurt like Stonyfield or Fage, not regular yogurt like Chobani, it will be too sticky.
I couldn’t get mine thin enough so I only got 5. but they were very good. I think I might try using my pasta roller next time to get it thinner. I used the air fryer with success.
Can I make the meat ahead of time and fill the dough the next day?
So good! I’ve actually been making the skinnytaste bagels with chobani, but I was nervous about the dough here bc of some comments of people having difficulty. Unfortunately Fage seems to be sold out everywhere in LA, so I went with Open Nature (had never heard of it), and it worked like a charm! I doubled the meat and saved half (or maybe more) to use in burritos. I’m not a fan of eggs, so I brushed mine in almond milk (also reduces the calories). I used a lot of flour on all surfaces to avoid any sticking, which I can definitely see being a problem if you’re not prepared. I didn’t have any issues with the dough ripping. I gave them to my boyfriend for sinner and he had no idea they were low calorie. I served 3 empanadas with brown rice and broccoli for a total of 460 calories (based on ingredients I used). I can’t wait to make these again and use other fillings!
I am so extremely excited about this recipe! I never even thought to use the bagel dough to bake empanadas! I haven’t made them in so long because pie dough is so terrible for you. I love your recipes! Thank you!
If I want this to be for dinner, what else can I serve with?
Salad, beans, rice?
Can you use fat free Fage Greek Yogurt, or does it have to be regular?
Holy moly these are awesome! This incredible two ingredient dough continues to amaze! Kids loved these too, another keeper!
Awesome!
A wonderful appetizer for a friends night.
I live in Australia and am not familiar with Stonyfield or Fage low-fat Greek Yogurt – only Chobani. What other types of low-fat Greek Yogurt can I use?
I made these with Lebni (labne)… it was a mess. also my first experience making bread dough like this.
I made these multiple times and they turn out great each time. For my family, I double the spices. I also fry onions then add tomatoes (covered for 10 min then uncover it for another 5) with garlic and add that instead of canned tomato sauce. Its so good. Thank you for the recipe.
Are these in one of the books?
I just about threw the dough across the room. I’ve used the two ingredient dough before but i’ve never rolled it out thin. It was sticky! It shrank! It wouldn’t stick together in a half circle and it tore! I wanted to cry!! But i persisted and I’m glad I did because these were DELICIOUS. My 15 year old ate 4 of them and took leftovers for lunch today. We used a habanero pepper jack for the cheese which was really hot but just pleasantly warm when you only used a little bit for each one, but added so much. Yummy! Will make again 🙂
Have you tried making the dough GF? If so which flour did you use? Would love to make these for my family.
I have made this recipe a few times and absolutely love it!!! I am trying to make it for a friend who has celiac. I tried using gluten free flour, and the dough just will not stick together. Do I need some type of gum in order for the dough to not be crumbly?
These came out very tasty and good-looking – got a major thumbs up from the family! I did have some trouble with the dough in the beginning but eventually got the hang of it. I essentially added a bit more flour, and dusted generously; I also rolled each cut out piece thinner individually without trying to get the big sheet super thin. That worked better for me. I got 15 empanadas out of the double batch, so my SP are more than 4. But still fine. I used half whole wheat flour and nobody noticed ;-). I will surely make these again – thanks for the recipe!
Made these gluten free. I only had plain yogurt on hand, so I drained it in a cheesecloth for three hours beforehand. Dough was a little sticky, but I added gluten free flour and it rolled out well. I was able to make five big empanadas with this dough. Oh, and although my gluten free flour mix contains Xanthan gum, I added an extra teaspoon. I also put in three teaspoons of baking powder. Makes the dough non-crumbly. I added one can of tomato paste and one tomato paste can of water to the meat instead of the tomato sauce. It didn’t even go the final 20 minutes to dry out. It only took 15 extra minutes after I took the lid off to cook down. It tasted great, and even my non-celiac husband liked them. He would add extra spices to the dough though. I live in Canada, and Greek yogurt costs $5.00-$6.00 dollars a pop, so I couldn’t justify spending that amount. The plain yogurt worked just fine I think. All in all, a great addition to the repertoire. I’ll be making these again.
Made these tonight and, OMG were they yummy! Thank you!
I have made these many times already and what can I say, they are fabulous.. I was wondering if you would recommend these for the air fryer.?
Have you tried this recipe yet? http://skinnytaste.wpengine.com/air-fryer-beef-empanadas/
I can’t get over how amazing this recipe is. My boyfriend requested that this be dinner for the rest of his life. Yet again, your recipe doesn’t taste a bit like it is “skinny”— just pure deliciousness! So happy I tried this recipe out. You’ve outdone yourself again! Thank you!!
Thanks Natalie!
If you leave out the cheese, how many points would these be?
I’ve cooked your recipes for years, and loved each one. I recently joined WW and was so happy to see I didn’t have to let go of my favorite recipes. Tonight we tried the empanadas. I was Super skeptical of the dough but WOW, we felt like we were cheating! These were so so good. My husband asked for them again tomorrow!Thank you for this and for all your recipes!!
You’re welcome Erica! Glad you both enjoyed!
I made these a few weeks ago, and they were DELICIOUS. Still having some issues finding greek yogurt in Canada that works well for the dough recipe, but nevertheless, these were delicious! A great way to make them involves using SALSA instead of tomato sauce. I did this when I realized we had no tomato sauce in the cupboards, and it was AMAZING. It added such a great flavour! Can’t wait to make these again soon!
These came out horrible. Followed the directions, but no way is 2 T. going to fit plus cheese. Folding them over was a joke. Patched them with remaining dough. Good flavor. Never again.
The recipe said half a pound of turkey, but the video looks like a full 1 lb. package. Could you confirm?
Sadly I would not recommend these. The dough was really hard to work with, extremely sticky! I could barely form empanadas with mine, they turned out to be lumps of dough with a little meat (I had to remove a bunch of the meat to get them to fold over).
Sounds like you used a different yogurt. If you don’t use the two I mention, Stonyfield or Fage Greek yogurt, it will be sticky because it’s not as thick.
My whole family LOVED these and I have a lot of picky eaters! Thank you! However, I used the Goya shells and the ww app is saying they’re 7 point instead of 2?
Great! The goya shells are more points, but be sure you use recipe builder.
Does anyone have advice for the dough? I have made this recipe twice because it is so tasty but I struggle with the dough because mine turns out soooo sticky! Half the empanadas rip open when trying to fill them and it is super hard to roll out the dough. I tried flouring both my work surface and rolling pin before making each empanada but it was still a struggle!
I chilled it overnight wrapped in plastic. Then put flour on the surface before rolling it out with the rolling pin
I have been a fan of yours for about 7 years! You are my go to for recipes! These empanadas were amazing! I am doing WW and my picky kids make it hard but your recipes make it easy! This dough is amazing! Thank you so much for providing great tasting meals !!
So glad you enjoyed it Fran!
Can these be frozen after made
I just made these today with cup4cup gluten free flour and they turned out fantastic! If you flour your surface the dough is really easy to work with even being gluten free. My husband is going to love these tonight. Thank you Gina!
Made these today and they are AWESOME!!! DELICIOUS!! Easy to make! Thank you Gina! I love all of your recipes and trying them out one at a time!!
The taco meat is delicious but for some reason my dough was too sticky! I measured the 1 cup Fage yogurt in the same cup I measured the 1 cup of flour in. Any thoughts on how to correct this for next time? Love your recipes. Despite the sticky dough this recipe was delicious! Made it with your corn salad as well. Husband loved it!
HI Abigail,
I did the same thing. I measured the yogurt in the same cup I measured the flour in. Last time I made the dough it was extremely sticky. However, this time it was perfect. The first time I used the flour I had in the house ( all purpose BLEACHED white flour). This time, I used all purpose UNBLEACHED flour. Not sure if that’s what made the difference, but the dough came out perfect this time. Hope this helps.
Jackie 🙂
Making these tonight. Bought all ingredients, but not seeing when to add the shredded cheese. Im thinking when I add the wet ingredients to the meat?
you add the cheese AFTER you put the meat into the empanada wrapper. 🙂
Is there anything you can substitute for the egg wash? My daughter is allergic to eggs.
Melted butter
I just made these for dinner and they were amazing!! We made them with the Puertorican Beans and my 9 year old even loved our dinner!! The dough was a little sticky but after rolling it out and adding more flour as I kneaded it, it turned out perfect!! So shocking that you can use 2 ingredients to make a great dough!! We love all your recipes and will be making this one again for sure!!
Thanks Jenny! Glad everyone enjoyed it!
These were so easy and delicious and the hubby approved! I added some tomato paste to thicken it up a bit.
HOw much would the points change if I used the Goya discs?
You would have to calculate.
Do we thaw the discs before assembly/cooking?
Love all your recipes!
Yes thaw first!
I used the Goya wrappers and they turned out really dry. Any tips?!
Did you use the puff pastry ones? There are two Goya types at my grocery store. We like the puff pastry type better.
Any suggestions for substitutes for the greek yogurt to make this recipe dairy free? or has anyone tried making them dairy free??
She mentioned in her post, “For dairy-free, omit the cheese and replace the yogurt with Kite Hill Dairy Free Greek Yogurt (blue label).
Hope long did you air fry for?
This was a train wreck. I even bought Stoneyfield greek yogurt. I easily used another 1/2 c of flour if not more and it was still sticky. I kept adding flour and adding flour. It never resembled course crumbs. I sprayed my hands to try to knead it. And kept adding flour. After 20 minutes it went in the trash. The 2 ingredient dough is a joke to make anything that needs to be rolled out.
Can’t wait to make these! I found the frozen empanada discs today!
What’s the pts if we would use the Goya Disks? I have them in my area.
Love these!! Dough turned out soft and delicious. Everyone enjoyed them
Delious will try in the air fyer next time. Has anyone tried freezing them afterthey were baked??
How many points would this be of you used the pre made dough?
I made these the for dinner last night and they were amazing!! I served them with fresh pico de gallo, corn & black bean salsa, and a little queso. Delicious!
awesome!
I agree with Stacey Mullane, these remind me of a Pampered Chef recipe for taco ring, which has always been a favorite. (in taste, then you feel guilty afterwards..hehe) I actually used the Chobani yogurt and had luck with it. These were well received! I made a double batch and they actually heat up nicely in the microwave, 20 – 30 seconds. We’ve been brain storming about what else we could fill these with…I think maybe the Harissa Chicken, or BBQ Chicken, or Pork Carnitas. Thanks Gina for the great recipe and inspiring us to think outside the shell!
Awesome!!
I bought some pre-made and they were bbq chicken and black bean. My bf loved them so I am going to see if I can make them once I master this version…*lol*
Made these for dinner tonight. They were a hit! Love your recipes Gina! Thank you
Great!!
I made these for dinner tonight. I thought the meat mixture was a little dry. Next time I will use more tomato sauce. I also did not care for the dough but that was probably the whole grain white wheat flour I used, which was all I had on hand. 🙂 I served them with jalapenos, salsa and sour cream. My husband loved them. I will definitely try these again with different flour or the Goya rounds. Thanks for all the great meal plans and recipes.
These came out delicious! I brought two to lunch the following day.
Wow I never saw myself making empanadas (as much as a I love to cook). But following your weekly meal plan this was on the list and allowed me to try something new. They were amazing and incredibly delicious. I did use ground beef since I am not a big turkey fan and loved them. As I assembled them I thought it was going to be a disaster but they were beautiful!
great!!
I made these tonight for dinner. They were delicious. Will be making them again soon. Very easy go to. Thanks
These were so delicious! My family loved them and thought I was a rock star for making them! Lol. I love how there is nothing unhealthy in them as well. I tell everyone about your website because it is just the best thing ever. Keep doing what you’re doing and I will continue to be a loyal meal plan follower!! Thank you!!!
Thanks Tiffany!
So freaking delicious, but terrible to make. The dough was very sticky and hard to work with. It was difficult to roll out without sticking, and difficult to scrape them up once they were rolled and cut. The filling was simple to make. I also felt like 2tbsp of filling was too much for the size of dough rolled out. The end result was spectacular though, we could not stop eating these!!!
I had the same experience. They were delicious but a huge mess to make. Made them last night with the frozen discs and so much easier but we did prefer the taste in the homemade dough. My dough never looked like the photos and was, as you said, so hard to handle. I want to try again.
I had the same experience as well!!! So so sticky, and I’m not sure why. Even after I folded, they were hard to get onto the silpat. I think the egg basting made it even more of a mess… definitely not easy, but soooooo yummy!
WHat brand of yogurt did you use? You have to flour your dough and surface so it doesn’t stick.
I am a beginner cook, so I thought maybe I did something wrong, and maybe I did. I floured my surface, but not my dough. I also used fage. They weren’t the prettiest, but dang they were good! Any recommendations for what to do next time to decrease the stcky?
wow. wow. wow!!!!! I was semi skeptical of the dough recipe, not because it didn’t look delicious, but because it was SO simple!!!!!! This will absolutely be a go-to in our house now! and she’s right, my kids gobbled every bit up!!!! Thanks for a great recipe!!!!
You’re welcome!
If I omit the cheese, what would the points be?
i love your site and your recipes. But this one wasn’t I realistic in serving size, in this week’s menu you list 2 empanadas -they are tiny, plus you show 6 in the photo representing it.
It’s a platter! And since I had rice and beans with this, I felt two was enough but feel free to add more.
Great meal. We enjoyed them so much.
I am making these tonight and put the nutrition facts in the freestyle points builder and it came up to 3 fsp.
The SmartPoints® calculator isn’t meant for recipes and will often give you the wrong points (usually higher) because it’s counting 0 points foods such as eggs, chicken, fruits and vegetables. So if you see a recipe with a SmartPoints® value that’s different from what the calculator tells you, that is why.
The only accurate way to determine any recipe’s SmartPoints® value is to plug the ingredients into the recipe builder on the Weight Watchers website (Click on “My Foods,” select “Recipe,” and click “Create a recipe.”)
How about serving the filling as a taco salad instead.
Hi Gina!! I read the original dough recipe, but I am confused about what you wrote about GF flour. Is it the same amount of flour as regular flour?? Thanks, Erica ?
Yes
I’ve been making this for years with the package taco seasoning and crescent rolls. Obviously not WW friendly. I’m definitely going to try this. Thankfully I’m here in NY and I can buy those Goya empanada disks that I’ve been wanting to try.
Any recommendations for a vegetarian version?
Sure, why not make them with seasoned mashed black beans instead!
A local Empanadas shop here makes one with potato and eggs! I bet that would work!
Would using half beans & 1/2 ground turkey change the point s much ?
Can the dough be made with gluten free flour?
I have not tested
Making these for dinner tonight. Using Kirkland brand yogurt. You could use a thinner brand if you strain it first to get some of the whey off. No cheesecloth? Spread your yogurt on a layer (several sheets thick) of paper towels. That will get the moisture out pretty quckly!
I strain my homemade Greek yogurt with coffee filters and it works great, too!
Gina, if you wanted to freeze these how would you go about it? Would you bake them first or do you think it would be okay to assemble them and then freeze? I am thinking about doubling the recipe and freezing some for later.
I would bake then freeze
Do you think I can gluten free flour instead?
I have not tested
Can these be made in an air fryer?
Already answered….sorry
Has anyone tried coconut, or rice flour? Looking for glutenfree.
P
Can you make this dough a head of time? My family loves empanadas and the bagel recipe!
yes! Wrap tight in plastic
Do you think I could use gluten free flour instead and have the same results? My Celiac daughter would love these!
I think so, but have not tested yet
THAT SALSA? N EED RECIPCES
FOR DIP
You can use this one http://skinnytaste.wpengine.com/easy-no-cook-salsa-recipe/
I absolutely despise canned/jarred salsa. My “go to” salsa is Pico de Gallo.
2 -3 tomatoes, 1/2 large or 1 small onion, 1/2 bunch cilantro, 1 fresh jalapeno (seeds removed for less heat)… Dice all small and put in a bowl. Add the juice of 1 lime and a 1/2 tsp salt.
Mix it all up and enjoy…
This tastes much better if it sits and mingles in the fridge for a few days before eating, but it is good freshly made as well.
I can my own salsa every year and it is by far the best thing and retains a “fresh” flavor. NOTHING like store-bought salsa!!! I can about 2 dozen jars and we go through ALL of it with just two people living in the house 😉
Salsa Verde is another delicious dip for these as well. I think Gina has a recipe for homemade, but we like the Herdez brand out a jar.
http://skinnytaste.wpengine.com/salsa-verde/ 🙂
These look amazing! Has anyone tried using a GF flour in place of AP (like the blue label Bob’s GF flour)?
Can you use an air fryer with this recipe
Yes, but for some reason I had problems in the air fryer, they kept opening.
Hi there! I am very interested in trying these, but in Canada we don’t have Stonyfield or Fage Greek yogurt. Do you know what is specific to those varieties that makes them work better so I can try with the brands that we do have up here?
As long as the Greek yogurt is so thick it won’t spill if you turn it upside down, you are good!
I’ve use Kirkland organic Greek and liberate Greek in Canada and both worked great. Make sure to scoop any liquid that sometimes collects at the top of Greek yogurt
I’m in Canada and use Liberte brand 0% and it works well. I always drain any excess liquid from the container too
I was just going to ask this same question, but figured I would scroll through the comments in case! Glad that the ladies made some recommendations for brands in Canada that were successful! Can’t wait to try these!
Olympic 2% works great too.
SKYR (President’s Choice) or Iögo Proteine work, but if you have only regular yogurt, you can let it drip through a cheesecloth for a bit and it’ll thicken.
i love skyr!! Slice up grapes and mix with plain skyr and it tastes like a dessert 🙂
PC Greek Yogurt my go-to! 🙂
Also, I fried some and baked some; delic on both counts.
I made these a few weeks ago, out of my own creativity, and w a different dough recipe, that was also hand-made. I used taco meat in mine, along w red beans and rice; I personally dubbed ’em “Tac’a’nadas”. Lol! ???
Love the recipe! Any thoughts for making the empanada Gluten Free? I think my granddaughter, who has Celiacs, would love it!
Thanks! Jan
You can try with cup 4 cup!
These look amazing! I have made the bagels using the gluten-free modifications. Do you think these would work using those same modifications?
I think it will!
These look so fun to make…and eat!!
That’s great to hear how to use the pastry – I can’t get the frozen Goya empanada disks, so life will be all the better now. This recipe looks great – plus as you say we can put other concoctions in also – thanks!
Do you think I could make these in the air fryer?
yes, but make sure you seal them really well
I love empanadas! These look delicious! I think I’ve made them too soggy before so I appreciated the tip about cooking the sauce down.
Do you think this would work in the air fryer?
Do you think these would freeze well? I have never nade a dough like this?
sure
Did anyone actually try freezing them? How did they turn out when you reheated them? I just wanted to see if anyone had done it before I go ahead and make a double batch.
Can we freeze these before AF?
Not sure?
Another great recipe! I used a different brand of yogurt and had no problems with stickiness, but I never do when making the bagels either.
Would you mind sharing what kind of yogurt you tried? I’m always liking to try something new.
Can you do this in the air fryer like your other empanadas? I have the power Airfryer oven.
Yes but seal them really well, mine opened when I did.
I can’t wait to try this! 🙂