Empanadas are quite a famous Spanish dish, and people worldwide consider it to be a delicacy. We can eat empanadas by themselves, but many people like to pair them with some complimentary side dishes to make them more filling.
Empanadas are doughs, filled with different toppings, and the toppings are made of cheese or meat. Empanadas are quite delicious if you like the filling and the toppings.
In this article, we will be viewing some of the best dishes that go well with Empanadas.
What To Serve With Empanadas?
With Empanadas, you have multiple options, and you can’t go wrong with them. You can eat this delicious dish with any rice, fries, salad, and more. The dish also goes very well with mashed potatoes and coleslaw salad.
1. Rice
Empanadas go well with all types of rice, and this can be risotto or different rice recipes. You can also add some veggies to the mix.
There are rice mixes in the market too. These contain various ingredients, such as mushrooms, that make the dish quite tasty.
You can also add the seasoning of your choice. And if you prefer a spicy taste, you can add a pinch of chili to your rice.
Spicy rice will provide the best taste, and this goes very well with your Empanadas.
2. Salsa
Salsa sauce is very popular in the world. It is Mexican cuisine, just like Empanadas, and the combination is quite tasty. You can choose any salsa, from mild to very hot ones.
Green salsa is also another great option to have with your empanadas. You may find green salsa under the name salsa verde.
This one has a green hue due to the Mexican green tomatoes that you can use to make the sauce.
3. Corn Salad
Corn Salad is another popular Mexican dish that is quite delicious. When you consume this one next to your empanadas, you get a perfect balance of flavors. This salad is a well-known street food all around the world.
You sautee the corn in butter to make this. You can now add things like onion, garlic, and chili by your taste. After this, add some mayonnaise dressing to give the corn a creamy texture that you can dip on your empanadas later.
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4. Rice With Black Beans
Black beans are great to have with rice, and it is one of the most filling dishes that you can have and enjoy.
This recipe is very easy to make as well. It would help if you simply cooked the beans and rice in a broth made of cilantro, onions, and lime juice. In addition to that, add some chili if you want to make it spicier, and you can also season it with salt and pepper.
After this, you can add any seasoning to satisfy your needs. You can also serve the dish warm next to a few empanadas! The side dish will work with all kinds of meat meals and fish, and it provides a good overall taste.
5. Mashed Potatoes
You probably expected to be able to enjoy empanadas with mashed potatoes as this side dish compliments almost any type of food you add it to.
To provide some extra flavor, you can add some stuff like butter and even sour cream to your mashed potatoes, and you can enjoy the creamy texture of the mashed potatoes. This will complement your empanadas.
Mash potatoes are best when eaten warm. But you can also enjoy them cold if you don’t mind their creamy texture.
6. Baked Potatoes
Baked Potatoes come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. You can stuff a baked potato with many other ingredients like ham, mushrooms, veggies, and more.
You can eat baked potatoes with some seasoning and a few empanadas. It is also very easy to prepare this side dish and serve it as dinner after a long day.
7. Sweet Potatoes Fries
Sweet potatoes add a bit of sweetness to your meal. They are also satisfying to have, and the savory taste of the potatoes goes well with the taste of your empanadas.
Cooking sweet potatoes is easy as well. This satisfying meal has a savory taste that brings out your empanadas’ overall taste.
You can cook the sweet potatoes in any manner you like, and you can also bake them and make some delicious wedges out of them.
Sweet Potatoes will taste better with some aromatic herbs like rosemary and oregano.
8. Stir-Fries
Stir-fries come in a range of mixes as well as flavors. You can use multiple veggies to make them, and you can cook the fries at your home from scratch too. You need to thinly cut some veggies and then season them with the seasoning of your choice. You can also use the many available frozen mixes that you can get for cheap in the store.
Stir-fries with empanadas are a great meal that you can have any time of the day. Since the fries are made up of veggies, they go nicely with cheese and meat empanadas.
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9. Potato Salad
We can treat potato salad as a complete meal in its own right, but this dish will taste even better with empanadas.
There are many recipes for Potato Salad, but we recommend the Mexican one. This recipe consists of beans, potatoes, corn, onions, and even tomatoes. You can also add creamy sauce to provide more texture to the dish.
The best thing about Potato Salad is that it is tasty, both cold and warm, and this is something that a lot of people like about this dish.
10. Coleslaw Salad
Coleslaw Salad is best for any meal with meat or fish, and it is also quite a nice choice as a side dish. This Mexican coleslaw recipe doesn’t come with any mayonnaise, but it is delicious. The one with the mayonnaise is something you should give a try!
The ingredients in a coleslaw salad include shredded cabbage, onion, carrots, olive oil, and a dressing based on vinegar and seasoning.
It is easy to prepare this meal at home, and the hardest part is probably cutting the vegetables. You can eat it with plenty of dishes or enjoy it plain during summer.
11. Guacamole
Guacamole is great with empanadas, and it also works well with chips. You can make your guacamole or find the different dips in the store.
A jar of guacamole and empanadas is all you need for a filling and nutritious meal. You can eat this any time of the day too.
Guacamole doesn’t get spoiled, so if you are making guacamole at home, we recommend you make plenty of it.
12. Cheese Sauce
Melted cheese sauce compliment the taste of the empanadas. While you don’t have to dip your empanadas in cheese sauce if you don’t like its taste, you can still use the sauce as a topping.
This delicious topping and fresh and warm empanadas is a very impressive dish. And if you don’t have any cheese sauce with you, you can also sprinkle some cheese over the empanadas.
13. Vegetable Salad
Empanadas can be a very filling meal by themselves. But if you have non-veg empanadas, you will find vegetable salad a perfect side dish.
You can use vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, onions or peppers, and even carrots. This salad combination will provide a rich taste to your empanadas.
Add any dressing you like to your veggie salad and combine it with your empanadas to get a great overall dish.
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14. Sauteed Mushrooms
Sauteed mushrooms are a great option for empanadas. The mushrooms are pretty easy to make, and you can also get sliced mushrooms if you want. Sautee your mushrooms in butter or olive oil, and you can then add salt, pepper, and garlic (according to your taste).
Now, add some onions when your mushrooms are half done, and this will give it a sweet taste that will add a contrasting flavor to your empanadas. We recommend you service your empanadas warm with sauteed mushrooms.
15. Grilled Veggies
Have some leftover grilled veggies from a BBQ? You can reuse the grilled veggies and eat them with your empanadas!
But even if you don’t have grilled veggies lying around, you can still make them. You have to slice some veggies and add them to a grill, and you now need to add some olive oil and season it to your liking.
Grilled Veggies have a warm taste, so if you have the time. It is great to prepare this dish fresh.
16. Cucumbers And Chickpeas Salad
If you are looking for a fresh and fast side dish for your empanadas, cucumbers, and chickpeas are the way to go.
You can use canned chickpeas as you won’t have to boil them. You can add these to your salad with o hassle. Use any cucumber you like. Just Slice them thin enough and serve them with your chickpeas.
You can add other ingredients like onions and garlic, as these will enhance the taste of cucumbers and add more flavor to your dish.
You can make any dressing of your choice and consume it with a side dish in terms of dressing.
17. Tzatziki
Tzatziki is a greek cuisine that goes well with empanadas. You can prepare this dish at home,, but you can always buy them at a supermarket if you are too lazy.
To make this dish at your home, you need some cucumbers that you need to shred and add ingredients such as yogurt, olive oil, and garlic.
You can also add a small squeeze of lemon juice or lime juice to make the empanadas taste great. The best thing about this side dish is that you can eat it with cold and warm empanadas.
18. Asparagus
Sauteed Asparagus is delicious with empanadas. Making it is quite easy too. You need butter and pepper for this dish.
Get a frying pan ready and sautee the Asparagus with butter. You can then add the crunch to your Asparagus and enjoy it with your empanadas.
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19. French Fries
French Fries are comfort food that can be consumed with anything. You can eat them with empanadas anytime you like.
We recommend you season your french fries with salt, garlic, and whatever spice you prefer, and the seasoning helps make them taste better.
Fries can also be consumed with ketchup, so get some ketchup, some empanadas, a nice portion of fries, and maybe some cold drink, and you are good to go!
20. Cream Cheese
Cream Cheese is a delicious spread to have with empanadas. You can enjoy your empanadas with a simple cream cheese recipe flavored with herbs and different kinds of peppers.
Cream Cheese also comes in a wide range of flavors, and you can spread the cheese on your empanadas. You can also use it as a dipping sauce and enjoy it.
How To Make Empanadas?
Ingredients
For The Dough
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
- 1 tsp. of salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 cup of cold butter, cut into cubes
- 3/4 cups of water
- 1 large egg
For The Filling
- 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound of meat or veggies
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, oregano, and cumin (separate)
- Half teaspoon of paprika and salt
- Black Pepper (to your taste)
- Half a cup of chopped tomatoes and pickled jalapenos
- Some shredded cheddar
- Egg Wash for brushing, cilantro for garnish, and Sour Cream for serving
Preparation
Step 1 – Get a large bowl and whisk together some flour, salt, and baking powder. You can cut butter into the flour using your hands on a pastry cutter until they are pea-sized. You can also add some water and egg and mix until the dough forms. You can now turn the dough out on a very light surface and knead it until it is smooth.
Step 2 – Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and refrigerate it for around 1 hour. Now, preheat the oven to around 400 degrees and line two large baking sheets with some parchment paper. Prepare a large skillet over medium heat, and then add some onion. Cook it until the whole thing is soft. You can now add garlic and cook it further (a minute more). You can now add the meat or the veggies and cook it. In the case of meat, break the meat with a wooden spoon. Cook it till the meat changes its color from pink.
Step 3 – You can now reheat the pan to medium and stir some tomato paste in the beef. Now, add oregano, cumin, and paprika, and you can then season it with salt and pepper. Add some tomatoes and jalapenos until the whole thing is warm enough. Remove it from the heat and let it cool off.
Step 4 – You can now place the dough on a lightly floured surface and divide the mixture in half. Roll one half out and use a round cookie cutter. Cut the rounds and repeat the process with the remaining dough. You can ow reroll the scraps to cut out more rounds.
Step 5 – The next step is to lightly moisten the outer edge of the dough with some water and place around 2 tablespoons in the center filling. You can now top it with cheddar. After this, fold the dough in half and then use a fork to crimp the edges together. Repeat the process until all the empanadas are done.
Step 6 – Place the empanadas on a baking sheet and brush it with egg wash. Bake it until the mixture is golden and the filling is odd enough. You can garnish the cooked empanadas with cilantro and sour cream.
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Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Is An Empanada A Meal?
Yes, empanadas are a full meal stuffed with either veggie, meat, or both. So, they have a lot of nutritional value. But for vegetarian empanadas, we recommend you have a meat side dish and vice versa.
You can also eat empanadas with any of the side dishes mentioned above. Many people like to have empanadas with a side dish.
What Sauce To Serve With Empanadas?
There are tons of options you can choose. You can use salsa, guacamole, cheese sauce, ketchup, etc. Just take any sauce you like and enjoy it with the empanadas.
But still, the best sauce is probably a spicy sauce. Hot sauce with empanadas is very delicious, and so is spicy guacamole.
What To Serve With Chicken Empanadas?
Chicken Empanadas can be eaten with something light, and we recommend a fresh salad to go with all that protein. Maybe eat it with some Salsa or some guacamole for flavor enhancement, and there you have it – A perfect chicken empanadas.
We also recommend you avoid heavy dishes with the chicken empanadas. Mayo and even food with many carbs, such as potatoes, are a big NO!
Conclusion
Empanadas are quite easy to make. If you want to add a side dish to it, you can choose the one best for you from the delicious options on this list.
Mexican cuisine is quite rich in flavor, and empanadas are no different. You can enjoy them properly with any side dish you like!