Breakfast Empanadas with Egg and Potato

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 12 empanadas, about 6 servings
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes, including 30 minutes chilling time

Quick Ingredients

• Dough: 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 cup cold unsalted butter, 1 large egg, 1/2 cup ice water, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Filling: 10 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 6 ounces breakfast sausage, 1/2 cup diced onion, 1/2 cup diced bell pepper, 2 garlic cloves, 6 large eggs, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack, 2 tablespoons cilantro or green onion
• Seasoning: 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Do This

• 1. Make the dough by cutting cold butter into flour, salt, and sugar, then mixing in egg, ice water, and vinegar; chill for 30 minutes.
• 2. Boil diced potatoes for 7 to 8 minutes, until just tender; drain well.
• 3. Brown sausage, then cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, spices, and potatoes in the same skillet.
• 4. Add beaten eggs and milk; scramble gently until softly set, then fold in cheese and herbs. Cool filling for 15 minutes.
• 5. Roll dough to 1/8 inch thick and cut into twelve 6-inch rounds.
• 6. Fill each round with about 3 tablespoons filling, fold, seal, crimp, brush with egg wash, and cut small vents.
• 7. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 22 to 25 minutes, until deeply golden and flaky.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Portable and satisfying: Eggs, potatoes, cheese, and savory sausage are tucked into a flaky pastry you can hold in one hand.
• Comforting but special: These feel like a cozy weekend breakfast, yet they are practical enough for meal prep.
• Flexible filling: Keep them vegetarian, add sausage, swap cheeses, or use your favorite breakfast seasonings.
• Freezer-friendly: Make a batch now and bake from frozen for easy breakfasts later.

Grocery List

• Produce: Yukon Gold potatoes, yellow onion, bell pepper, garlic, cilantro or green onions, optional jalapeño, optional salsa or avocado for serving
• Dairy: Unsalted butter, large eggs, whole milk, shredded sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, optional sour cream or crema for serving
• Meat: Breakfast sausage, pork or turkey, optional for a vegetarian version
• Pantry: All-purpose flour, kosher salt, granulated sugar, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, black pepper

Full Ingredients

For the Flaky Empanada Dough

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 large egg, cold
• 1/2 cup ice water
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

For the Egg, Potato, Cheese, and Sausage Filling

• 10 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, about 2 medium potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 ounces breakfast sausage, pork or turkey, casing removed if needed
• 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup finely diced bell pepper, red, orange, or green
• 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely diced, optional
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the potato cooking water
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, about 4 ounces
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or thinly sliced green onions

For Assembly

• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• All-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface

Optional Serving Ideas

• Warm salsa, pico de gallo, or hot sauce
• Sour cream, crema, or Greek yogurt
• Sliced avocado
• Extra chopped cilantro or green onions

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the flaky empanada dough

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Add the cold cubed butter. Using your fingertips, a pastry cutter, or two forks, work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks crumbly with some pea-size pieces of butter still visible. Those little butter pieces help create flaky layers.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together 1 cold large egg, 1/2 cup ice water, and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Drizzle this mixture over the flour and butter. Stir gently with a fork until the dough begins to clump together. If there are dry patches, press them in with your hands rather than adding more liquid right away. The dough should hold together when squeezed but should not feel wet.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press it into a thick disk or rectangle. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Chilling keeps the butter cold and makes the dough easier to roll.

Step 2: Cook the potatoes until tender

Place the diced potatoes in a small saucepan and cover them with cold water by about 1 inch. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork but not falling apart.

Drain the potatoes well and spread them on a plate or small sheet pan for a few minutes so excess steam can escape. Drier potatoes make a better filling and help prevent soggy empanadas.

Step 3: Build the savory breakfast filling

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the breakfast sausage and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles with a spoon, until browned and cooked through. If the sausage releases more than about 1 tablespoon of fat, carefully spoon off the excess.

Add the diced onion, diced bell pepper, and optional jalapeño. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables soften. Add the minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant.

Add the drained potatoes to the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring gently, until the potatoes pick up some color and are coated in the seasonings.

Step 4: Soft-scramble the eggs and finish the filling

In a medium bowl, whisk together 6 large eggs and 2 tablespoons whole milk until fully blended. Reduce the skillet heat to medium-low. Pour the eggs into the sausage and potato mixture and stir gently with a spatula. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the eggs are softly set and still a little glossy. They will finish cooking in the oven, so avoid overcooking them at this stage.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Fold in 1 cup shredded cheese and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or green onions. The cheese should melt slightly into the warm filling. Transfer the filling to a shallow bowl or plate and let it cool for 15 minutes before assembling. Warm filling can melt the dough and make sealing difficult.

Step 5: Roll and cut the dough rounds

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the chilled dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Use a 6-inch round cutter, small plate, or bowl as a guide to cut out circles. Gather scraps, stack them gently, reroll, and cut again until you have 12 rounds. If the dough becomes soft or sticky, place the rounds on a parchment-lined sheet pan and chill for 10 minutes before filling.

Step 6: Fill, fold, and crimp the empanadas

In a small bowl, beat 1 large egg with 1 tablespoon water to make the egg wash. Place one dough round on your work surface. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of cooled filling onto one half of the round, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Do not overfill; a neatly sealed empanada will bake up much better than an overstuffed one.

Lightly brush the edge of the dough with egg wash or a little water. Fold the empty half of the dough over the filling to form a half-moon. Press the edges firmly to seal, then crimp with the tines of a fork or fold the edge over itself in small pleats. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Step 7: Chill, egg wash, and vent

Place the assembled empanadas in the refrigerator or freezer for 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating. This quick chill helps the pastry hold its shape and bake up flakier.

Brush the tops lightly with egg wash. Use a sharp knife to cut 2 small slits in the top of each empanada so steam can escape during baking. For the best browning, make sure the egg wash is spread in a thin, even layer and does not pool around the edges.

Step 8: Bake until golden and serve warm

Bake the empanadas at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 22 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the pastry is puffed, deeply golden, and crisp at the edges. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving; the filling will be very hot right out of the oven.

Serve warm with salsa, crema, hot sauce, sliced avocado, or extra herbs. These are hearty enough on their own but also lovely with a simple fruit salad or a crisp green salad for brunch.

Pro Tips

• Keep the dough cold: Cold butter is the secret to flaky pastry. If the dough feels greasy or stretchy at any point, chill it for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Cool the filling before assembling: Hot filling softens the dough, makes sealing harder, and can lead to leaks.
• Do not overcook the eggs: Pull them from the heat while they are softly set and slightly glossy. They will continue cooking in the oven.
• Seal firmly: Press out any large air pockets before crimping, and make sure the edges are clean so the empanadas stay closed.
• Use store-bought dough if needed: To save time, use twelve 6-inch frozen empanada discs. Thaw according to package directions before filling.

Variations

• Vegetarian egg and potato empanadas: Omit the sausage and add 1 extra tablespoon olive oil when cooking the vegetables. You can also add 1/2 cup black beans or sautéed mushrooms.
• Spicy breakfast empanadas: Use hot breakfast sausage, pepper Jack cheese, and the optional jalapeño. Serve with hot sauce or spicy salsa.
• Ham and cheese version: Replace the sausage with 3/4 cup finely diced cooked ham and use Swiss, cheddar, or Monterey Jack cheese.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Refrigerate baked empanadas: Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven or toaster oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until hot and crisp. The microwave works in a pinch, but the pastry will be softer.

Freeze unbaked empanadas: Assemble and crimp the empanadas, but do not brush with egg wash. Freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet until solid, about 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. To bake from frozen, brush with egg wash, cut vents if you have not already, and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 28 to 32 minutes.

Make the filling ahead: The filling can be cooked and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance. Let it cool completely before storing, and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Use it cold or just slightly cool when filling the dough.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate nutrition per serving, based on 2 empanadas per serving and using pork breakfast sausage and cheddar cheese: 640 calories, 39 grams fat, 20 grams saturated fat, 44 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 4 grams sugar, 25 grams protein, and 890 milligrams sodium. Nutrition will vary based on sausage, cheese, dough thickness, and serving sauces.