Empanadas are Latin-American-style turnovers that come with all sorts of stuffings from meat to vegetable ones. They are easy to make and yummy to taste. So naturally, if you like having a quick bite on the go, making empanadas might be exactly what you need.
However, since not everyone has enough spare time for actually making them, most of us prefer buying frozen empanadas and then cooking them at home. This is indeed a faster way, but in this case, you might want to know how to cook empanadas from frozen.
So, How to Cook Frozen Empanadas? Reheat the oven maximum to 400-410°F (204.4°C), place frozen empanadas on the baking sheets, brush them with egg wash but do not touch crimped edges. Cook frozen empanadas till they get light brown during 35-40 minutes in the oven.
So today we will share a few tips with you on how to cook frozen empanadas in the oven, and how to cook frozen empanadas in an air fryer in case you have one. And also, you will learn how long they can last when frozen or if you store them simply refrigerated. Finally, you will find out how long their shelf life is, and how to properly store these convenient and tasty turnovers.
Frozen Empanadas. How to Cook Them Properly?
Frozen empanadas are not just tasty, they are also seper easy to cook. Well, basically, like any other type of frozen food. And what is even better is that you don’t have to previously thaw them before you toss these Latin-American cuisine yummies into your oven or wherever you are going to heat them up!
As for the method of cooking your frozen empanadas, there are several alternative ways in general:
- you can cook them in the oven
- you can heat them up in a microwave
- your empanadas can be reheated in the air fryer
From all these methods, the oven is the optimal one since it gives both quick and good-quality results. Oven-baked frozen empanadas will come out of it hot, tasty, and flavorus.
So now let us explain in detail what steps you should take in order to reheat your frozen empanadas easily whenever you are hungry.
How to Cook Frozen Empanadas In An Air Fryer?
If you decide to make use of your air fryer, you need to start with its basket first. Prepare it for the upcoming cooking event by spraying it with a non-stick spray. It will allow you to make sure that your empanadas will not get stuck to the basket while being defrosted and cooked.
Now, you can add as many empanadas as you want (and as will fit in a single layer in the air fryer’s basket). USually, the number will be somewhere between two and six depending on how hungry you are, and how big your air fryer is.
How long is it necessary to cook frozen empanadas in the airfryer, you may wonder? Well, to have them properly and thoroughly cooked and heated all the way through, you need to air fry your empanadas for eight minutes at the temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
And in case you have any remaining empanadas that need to go to the air fryer next, repeat the whole cooking procedure we have just described from the very beginning for the second turn of your yummies.
How to Cook Frozen Empanadas In a Microwave
What if you don’t have an air fryer, and using your oven is not an option due to the lack of time? Well, in this case feel free to toss your empanadas right into the microwave!
Of course, you should not expect to cook many of them this way since a regular microwave will only accept around three or four pieces, depending on their size, but this is more than enough for having a quick meal during the busy day!
So how to reheat frozen empanadas in a microwave properly? First of all, take a microwave-safe plate or dish and layer your yummies side by side on it in a single layer.
Do not pile them on top of each other since like this, they will not be heated thoroughly and you will end up with some empanadas being half-cold!
Now you can reheat them on a low-medium setting for thirty seconds at a time.
After each thirty seconds interval, check on your empanadas and make sure they are not soggy or gummy.
How to Cook Frozen Empanadas In the Conventional Oven
Oven is the best place for reheating frozen empanadas! They come out of it being hot, flavorus, and perfectly crispy! To bake them properly, you need to preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit first.
Then, take a baking sheet, cover it with parchment paper, and place your empanadas on it. We recommend you brush their tops with egg wash, avoiding the crimped edges. Like this, your empanadas will not get dried.
Now you can bake your empanadas for thirty to forty minutes until they are golden brown. And remember to rotate the sheet halfway through!
Reheating Frozen Empanadas In a Toaster Oven
It can be an ideal alternative to a conventional oven with the only downside about it. See, since toaster ovens are not too big, you will not be able to reheat many empanadas at a time. But if you just need a few of them for yourself, that’s perfectly fine!
- Line your empanadas up side by side on the toaster oven rack. Do not attempt to layer them!
- Preheat the toaster oven to the temperature of 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Put the pastries into the oven and heat for nearly ten minutes.
Of course, if your empanadas are big, you might need more time on reheating them. Also, for getting better results, try to warm them through for eight minutes, and then cover the pastries with aluminum foil and keep on heating for the last two minutes. Like this, foil will allow you to make empanadas heated all the way through.
And if you see that empanadas are still not properly warmed, return them to the toaster oven for extra two minutes.
But keep an eye on them! If heated for too long, they can burn or simply become too dry!
How to Cook Them In a Deep Fryer Or a Skillet?
When using a skillet or a deep fryer, you need to be careful to not burn your pastries. But except for this nuance, the cooking process is very simple.
- When using a deep fryer or a skillet, always reheat your empanadas straight from frozen. No thawing is needed.
- Preheat the sufficient amount of oil to completely cover the pastries.
- Fry your empanadas at the temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- As soon as they become golden, remove them.
- Let your empanadas sit on kitchen paper for a couple of minutes to cool down and allow the excess oil to drain off.
Done! Now you can serve them and enjoy the delicious meal!
With that in mind , you will always have perfectly cooked empanadas even if they are just from the freezer.
Frozen And Freshly Made Empanadas Shelf Life
As you definitely understand, frozen empanadas are more long lasting than their freshly made “relatives”. And even though fresh goodies are tastier, most people prefer either preserving them by freezing or buying already frozen ones to spend less time on making them.
But how long will exactly frozen empanadas last? And how much time can freshly made ones remain edible after you bake them?
| Fridge | Freezer | |
|---|---|---|
| Home baked | up to 7 days | - |
| Frozen | up to 3 days | 2-3 months |
It is not recommended to place home baked empanadas into the freezer since the yummies’ quality may degrade. However, if you have unbaked ones that you would like to preserve for later, feel free to freeze them! Such empanadas will feel perfectly well in the freezer!
How to Freeze Unbaked Empanadas
If you have made your own handmade empanadas, but they are still not cooked, and you would like to save them for later, the best option is to freeze them to extend their shelf life.
To do this correctly, follow a few simple steps:
- Lay unbaked empanadas beside each other on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Make sure they do not touch each other to avoid them sticking together when frozen!
- Freeze them like this for nearly two hours until they are solid.
- Then put them in a freezer bag.
In case you have quite many baked empanadas left that, you are sure, you will not finish in time, you can freeze them, too. However, this is not recommended since they will lose some of their flaky and tender texture. But if you’re ok with that, freeze them this way:
- Wrap them individually with a freezer-safe plastic film
- Place them into the freezer as they are or collect them all in a single freezer bag (of course, each empanada must be wrapped!)
Like this, you can significantly extend their shelf life.
So, this was our quick guide on how to reheat frozen empanadas with a few extra tips and suggestions for you on how to cook these delicious pastries correctly. Make use of our tips, and you will surely have the best empanadas you ever tasted!
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