Shortcut Gluten-Free Empanadas Made with Grain-Free Tortillas

These shortcut gluten-free empanadas are easily made without having to make gluten-free empanada dough. Instead, I use Mikey’s grain-free cassava flour tortillas to create delicious empanadas without any fuss. This post is sponsored by Mikey’s and contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

I could only dream of eating a delicious hand-held empanada in the past. I would stare at those doughy empanadas at food fairs and at a popular restaurant in Denver called Maria Empanada. My kids would gobble them up, but I’d have none to enjoy myself.

Instead of fussing in the kitchen creating a gluten-free empanada dough, I figured out a way to make empanadas without a secret shortcut. I’m going to show you exactly how to do that today using flexible cassava flour tortillas as the empanada “dough.”

These gluten-free empanadas only take a few minutes to assemble, a few minutes to bake, and a few seconds to eat. And they look so pretty too!

How to Make Shortcut Gluten-Free Empanadas

While there are few steps in making these wonderful empanadas, it is such an easy process that you won’t bat an eye at making them once you get the hang of it.

The first thing you’ll need is to gather your ingredients for the filling.

I use a simple vegetarian recipe for the filling, but you could use any empanada filling recipe your heart desires.

My shortcut empanada filling includes:

1/3 cup canned corn
1/2 cup canned black beans
1 chopped jalapeño pepper
1/2 mashed avocado
1/2 tsp chopped cilantro
juice of half lime
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Simply mix all these ingredients together and set aside.

Next, you’ll want to heat four grain-free Mikey’s cassava flour tortillas over low heat in a non-stick pan. The tortillas are a bit stiff out of the bag (especially since I store mine in the freezer), but a little heat makes them extremely flexible.

Place one of the tortillas onto the dough press. Let’s pause for a moment so I can explain more about how this dough press works and why you should get one.

A dough press is a nifty gadget that will help to seal the edges of the empanada together. It gives your empanada those pretty ripples along the seal. You can get a dough press for under $10 on Amazon (this is the exact one I have). If you don’t have a dough press, you can simply seal the edges together using a fork and firm pressure.

Lay each warmed tortilla on the dough press, then add the bean and corn filling and shredded cheese.

Before sealing the empanada, brush a little egg along the edges. It will work as glue to help seal the edges of the tortilla together.

Then gently fold the empanada press and apply a good amount of pressure. Voila! You have a sealed tortilla shaped like an empanada that is ready to be baked.

Picture of pressed empanada using dough press

Repeat this step until all the empanadas are complete, placing each empanada on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the top of each empanada with egg to give them a shiny appearance once baked.

brushing tops of empanadas with egg to give them shine

Bake the empanadas in a preheated 425º oven for 4-6 minutes until warmed through and only lightly browned on the edges. Do not overbake! Allow empanadas a few minutes to cool before digging in.

Here’s what the empanadas look like in the center. You can see the cheese is melted and the mixture hot. All the flavors and textures go so perfectly together.

FAQs

Here are answers to some of your most pressing questions:

Can I use other brands of tortillas? This is a great question and one I’m not sure I can fully answer because I haven’t tried it with other brands. I know the Mikey’s cassava flour tortillas work well as they are super bendy (when heated). Corn tortillas will likely break from the pressure of the dough press. Other brands of cassava flour tortillas might work. Of course, flour tortillas would work well as the gluten provides those powerful, stretchy bonds, although you and I both know that flour tortillas contain gluten.

I don’t have a dough press. Can I still make these? Yes, absolutely. Follow all the instructions as noted above and then fold the tortilla over onto itself. Use your fork to apply gentle pressure around the edges in order to seal the two sides together. Don’t forget to brush the edges of the tortilla with the egg to aid in sealing those empanadas tightly.

Does this work with other fillings? Yes, you can try this process with any empanada filling you desire.

My tortillas break in the dough press. What should I do? Again, consider the brand of tortillas you’re using. You need a tortilla that is stretchy and flexible and won’t break under pressure. Also be sure to heat the tortilla in a pan to create more flexibility before folding it in half. Another reason a tortilla might break is if you overstuff it. Add just enough filling that you can still easily fold the empanada in half without issue.

How do I store leftover empanadas? I doubt you’ll have any leftover, but if you do, simply store them in a sealed container in your fridge and reheat it in your microwave for about 45 seconds until the tortilla is warm and bendy again.

Shortcut Gluten-Free Empanadas Made with Grain-Free Tortillas

How to Make Shortcut Gluten-Free Empanadas

FAQs