Discover these delicious cheese empanadas, a perfect vegetarian treat from Costa Rica. Easy to make and so satisfying!

About These Cheese Empanadas

These cheese empanadas are half-moon-shaped fried appetizers made from a corn-based dough. They are then filled with white cheese and fried up until hot, and the cheese inside is all melty. This is a Costa Rican-style recipe.

A bit about the cheese. Costa Rican white cheese is literally only found in Costa Rica (as far as I know!) It’s salty, a bit watery, and served in cut squares about 5 centimeters in thickness. It’s homemade from fresh whole milk, and a lot of Americans call it “squeaky cheese” because it makes a little squeaking sound in your mouth when you eat it. It’s one of those things you either love or hate. I happen to love it.

For this recipe, I substitute mozzarella cheese for the squeaky cheese– I love mozzarella and the flavor is pretty close to that of the Costa Rican white cheese. Obviously, the texture is not at all the same, but the flavor is! You can also use queso fresco, found at most grocery stores in the Hispanic section.

We usually don’t eat empanadas for a main meal (except occasionally a breakfast on the go). Instead, we eat them as a snack at coffee time or as a snack on a road trip. There are countless empanada stands along the roads in Costa Rica, making this the perfect Costa Rican street food. So much so that I often find myself craving an empanada when I get in the car to go somewhere in Costa Rica. (Like La Fortuna– my favorite place!)

Related post: Gluten Free Foods in Costa Rica

Cheese Empanada Recipe

Ingredients:

(Printable recipe below)

• 1½ cups cold water
• 2 cups Maseca tortilla corn flour, preferably amarillo (also called masa harina)
• 16 oz mozzarella cheese cut into 8 slices
• 3–4 cups vegetable oil for frying
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon or salt
• Salsa Lizano, for garnish

RELATED POST: Salsa Lizano – Everything You Need To Know

Kitchen Tools:

• Tortilla press with plastic bag inserts
• Pan for frying (I use a small cast-iron skillet)
• Paper towels

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, mix the water, masa, and bouillon into a corn dough. I use my hand for this, but you can also use a plastic spatula.

Divide the empanada dough into 8-10 small dough balls.

Using your tortilla press, place plastic inserts on each side and the dough ball in the middle.

Press the dough ball into a circle.

On half of the circle, place the cheese. Fold the dough over the other half to make a half-moon shape.

In medium-high oil, fry the empanadas for about 10 minutes, until the empanada is golden brown.

Note- If your oil is on too high heat, the empanada will burn on the outside, but the dough will be raw on the inside. So it’s better to fry for a longer amount of time at a lower temperature.

Drain excess oil and serve.

Substitutions

Sometimes I make these with a big slice of queso fresco or queso panela as found in Hispanic grocery stores. So good.

Variations

You can make all kinds of Costa Rican empanadas with different fillings: shredded beef, potato, bean, bean and cheese, and fish. Yum! 

Empanadas are popular throughout Latin America, so you can pretty much find a local variation from any country. Many other countries make empanadas from flour dough and then bake them like these empanadas mendocinas from Argentina.

There are also tons of Costa Rican dessert empanadas- they aren’t fried but instead baked and filled with different kinds of fruit. I love Pineapple Empanadas and Chiverre Empanadas.

Costa Rican Empanadas – Serving Suggestions

Serve hot with good company. We generally eat fresh empanadas alongside a cup of hot coffee, aguadulce, or chamomile tea.

Sometimes we make empanadas arregladas, topped with cabbage and salsas.

We always serve empanadas with Salsa Lizano. Duh!

RELATED RECIPES:

• Costa Rican Arroz con Pollo Recipe
• Costa Rican Black Bean Dip Recipe
• Traditional Costa Rican Gallo Pinto Recipe
• Costa Rican Tres Leches Recipe

Printable Recipe

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