Costa Rican Empanada Recipes

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Who doesn’t love a good traditional Costa Rican Empanada recipe? I adore them- and lucky for me they are easy to make. That means we make them for breakfast, snacks, appetizers and even as a main dish. Costa Rican empanadas can be sweet or savory- but they are always delicious handmade pockets of dough filled with bits of goodness.

Empanadas are supremely popular in all of Latin America. There are two main types of empanadas in Costa Rica- savory empanadas and dessert empanadas. Each has a different dough and different types of fillings, but they are both equally delicious. All empanadas in Costa Rica are generally accompanied by coffee, agua dulce, and good company. Both are served as a snack or breakfast, but only savory Costa Rican empanadas are found as street food.

The savory version is made from gluten-free corn dough, filled with beef, beans, cheese, potato, fish or anything else you can find in the kitchen. They are then fried in hot oil until golden brown and crispy. Always served with Salsa Lizano. I love to dip them in a homemade pink sauce, or salsa rosada.

Related post: What Is Salsa Lizano From Costa Rica

The sweet version – or dessert empanadas are made from a simple pastry dough with white flour, margarine and heavy whipping cream. They are filled with fruit or dulce de leche– think coconut, guava, pineapple, chiverre and more. Sweet empanadas are baked until golden brown, and also found frequently in bakeries throughout Costa Rica.

I’ve rounded up every Costa Rican empanada recipe I have ever published- and constantly update this post with the latest Costa Rican empanada recipe creation I publish. Pura Vida!

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Costa Rican Sweet Empandas

These sweet empanadas are filled with fruit, sweet preserves or dulce de leche. The homemade pastry dough is filled and baked. Best served hot and with coffee and friends!