Costa Rican Empanadas Arregladas

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Empanadas arregladas- traditional Costa Rican empanadas topped with cabbage and chimichurri and slathered in condiments. Yum!

About This Costa Rican Empanada Arreglada Recipe

Empanadas are a hallmark of Latin American cooking, and here in Costa Rica, we have a special way of serving them! At a Costa Rican restaurant, you can order any type of savory empanada “arreglada,” which is kind of like ordering a burger with “all the fixings.”

Empanadas arregladas automatically come topped with shredded cabbage, ketchup, and mayonnaise. Something about the condiments being drizzled from thin-tipped squeeze bottles just seems to make the whole thing better!

For this recipe, I’ve provided you with the instructions for traditional Costa Rican savory empanada dough. The filling is all up to you, and there are so many fantastic possibilities! (If you need some inspiration, cheese, black beans, shredded beef, and Costa Rican-style boiled potatoes are all good places to start on the filling front!) This is a gluten-free recipe, and many of the fillings make for fabulous vegan options as well.

Costa Rican Empanadas Arregladas

Ingredients for Savory Empanada Dough:

• cooking oil for frying
• 2 cups Maseca yellow corn flour (harina de maíz)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 cups water
• 1.5 cups shredded lettuce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Kitchen Equipment

• tortilla press
• pan for frying

Instructions:

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together Maseca cornflour with the salt. Add water and combine to make your empanada corn dough. Keep mixing until there is no visible flour.

Make 8 equal-sized dough balls. Press each one into a flattened circle in your tortilla press. You can cover your tortilla press in saran wrap or a plastic bag to make sure that the empanada dough doesn’t stick.

Now, you will fill the empanadas. Place about two tablespoons worth of your desired filling in the middle of the dough circle and fold it over into a crescent-moon shape. For a savory empanada like this, black beans, cheese, shredded beef, and boiled potatoes are all wonderful filling options!

Seal each empanada shut by crimping its seam with a fork, making sure that there isn’t a hole where the oil can seep in during the frying process.

Heat the cooking oil in a pan until it registers at 365 degrees Fahrenheit. Place as many empanadas as will comfortably fit in the pan (meaning they can fry without touching) and fry for 5-7 minutes. Your empanada should be golden brown on the outside but the dough should be thoroughly cooked on the inside.

While your empanadas arregladas are frying, shred 1 and 1/2 cups worth of cabbage and set aside. Next, fill two thin-tipped squeeze bottles with ketchup and mayonnaise. If you don’t have squeeze bottles on hand, then pour the condiments into two plastic baggies and cut off the tips to make piping bags.

When the empanadas arregladas have finished cooking, remove them with tongs and drain off any excess oil. Top your empanadas with shredded cabbage and drizzle with the ketchup and mayonnaise– ready to serve!

The empanadas don’t stop here– Check out these other Pura Vida Moms empanada recipes!

• Shredded Beef Empanadas
• Cheese Empanadas
• Costa Rican Baked Pineapple Empanadas
• Costa Rican Arroz Arreglado

Substitutions

You’re welcome to swap in the same amount of shredded lettuce for the cabbage. I find that iceberg lettuce has a similar crunch.

Variations

It’s all in the filling! For these savory empanadas, it’s kind of a Choose Your Own Adventure. Check out these fillings:

• Costa Rican Black Bean Dip
• Costa Rican Shredded Beef
• Costa Rican Boiled Potato

Serving Suggestions

Once your empanadas have finished frying, top them with a bit of shredded cabbage and drizzle them with the ketchup and mayonnaise. Salsa Lizano, a favorite Costa Rican condiment, is also an awesome addition to any savory empanada–  so is a squeeze of lime juice!

If you’d like to make a meal out of this recipe, you can serve your empanadas arregladas with a helping of gallo pinto, fried green plantains, or homemade guacamole.

Empanadas are generally a breakfast food in Costa Rica. They also go with morning or afternoon coffee break. You will often find street vendors selling empanadas to workers in local businesses- they are a traditional street food.

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