Tuna Empanada Gallega with Sweet Onions and Peppers

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 12 hearty squares
• Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes (includes rising)
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours

Quick Ingredients

• Dough: 500 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour; 7 g (2 1/4 tsp) instant yeast; 8 g (1 1/2 tsp) fine sea salt; 2 tsp sugar; 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika; 120 ml (1/2 cup) extra-virgin olive oil; 200 ml (scant 1 cup) warm water
• Filling: 60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil; 3 medium onions (about 750 g), thinly sliced; 1 large red bell pepper + 1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika; 1/4 tsp hot paprika or red pepper flakes (optional); 250 g (1 cup) crushed tomatoes/passata; 60 ml (1/4 cup) dry white wine or water; 1 bay leaf; 400 g drained tuna in olive oil; 80 g (1/2 cup) pitted green olives, sliced; 2 tbsp chopped parsley; salt & black pepper
• Finish: 1 egg (for wash); flaky salt

Do This

• 1. Slowly cook onions in 60 ml oil 10–12 minutes; add peppers, garlic, paprika; soften.
• 2. Stir in tomato, wine, bay; simmer until jammy and most liquid evaporates; cool.
• 3. Mix dough: flour, yeast, salt, sugar, paprika; add warm water and 120 ml oil; knead 5–7 minutes; rise 60–75 minutes.
• 4. Flake tuna; mix with cooled sofrito, olives, parsley; season.
• 5. Heat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan). Line a 30 × 40 cm sheet pan.
• 6. Roll dough into two sheets; fill, top, seal, and vent; brush with egg wash.
• 7. Bake 38–45 minutes until deep golden; cool 15 minutes; slice and serve.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Authentic Galician-style olive-oil dough: tender, flaky, and deeply flavorful.
• A luscious sofrito of onions, peppers, and tomato keeps the tuna filling juicy.
• Bakes as one big pie—perfect for feeding a crowd or easy make-ahead lunches.
• Tastes great warm, room temperature, or chilled—ideal for picnics and potlucks.

Grocery List

• Produce: 3 medium onions, 1 large red bell pepper, 1 small green bell pepper, garlic, fresh parsley, 1 bay leaf
• Dairy/Eggs: 1 large egg (for egg wash)
• Pantry: All-purpose flour, extra-virgin olive oil, instant yeast, fine sea salt, sugar, sweet smoked paprika, hot paprika or red pepper flakes (optional), crushed tomatoes or passata, dry white wine, canned tuna in olive oil, pitted green olives, black pepper

Full Ingredients

Olive-Oil Dough

• 500 g (about 4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 7 g (2 1/4 tsp) instant yeast
• 8 g (1 1/2 tsp) fine sea salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón dulce)
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• 200 ml (scant 1 cup) warm water, about 40–45°C/105–115°F

Tuna & Vegetable Filling

• 60 ml (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 medium onions (about 750 g), halved and thinly sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón dulce)
• 1/4 tsp hot smoked paprika or red pepper flakes (optional)
• 250 g (1 cup) crushed tomatoes or passata (or 2 medium ripe tomatoes, grated)
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) dry white wine or water
• 1 bay leaf
• 400 g drained tuna in olive oil (from about 4 small cans), flaked
• 80 g (1/2 cup) pitted green olives, sliced
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To Finish

• 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tsp water (egg wash)
• Pinch of flaky sea salt

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make a slow, sweet sofrito

Set a large wide skillet over medium heat and warm 60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil. Add the sliced onions and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and lightly golden at the edges, 10–12 minutes. Add the red and green peppers and cook until softened, 6–8 minutes more. Stir in the garlic, sweet paprika, and optional hot paprika; cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add the crushed tomatoes, white wine, bay leaf, and a few grinds of black pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thick and jammy with very little liquid pooling, 10–12 minutes. Adjust salt to taste, remove the bay leaf, and let cool to lukewarm. This cooling step prevents a soggy crust.

Step 2: Mix and knead the olive-oil dough

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, instant yeast, salt, sugar, and sweet paprika. Make a well and pour in the warm water and 120 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil. Stir with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and supple, 5–7 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky; add a teaspoon of water or flour if needed. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until slightly puffy (not doubled), 60–75 minutes.

Step 3: Finish the tuna filling

While the dough rises, flake the drained tuna in a large bowl. Fold in the cooled sofrito, sliced olives, and chopped parsley. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper. The filling should be savory and moist but not wet; if it seems loose, let it sit 5 minutes or return to the pan to cook off excess moisture.

Step 4: Prep the pan and preheat the oven

Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan). Line a 30 × 40 cm (12 × 16 inch) rimmed sheet pan with parchment. Lightly oil the parchment to help crisp the base.

Step 5: Roll the dough and assemble

Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it 60/40. Roll the larger piece to roughly 32 × 42 cm (about 1/8 inch thick) and lay it on the prepared pan, letting it rise a little up the sides. Spread the filling evenly over the base, leaving a 1.5 cm border all around. Roll the smaller dough piece to fit the top, then place it over the filling. Fold and crimp the edges together to seal. Cut 3–4 short slits on top for steam to escape. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle a small pinch of flaky salt.

Step 6: Bake until deep golden

Bake on the lower-middle rack for 38–45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway, until the empanada is an even deep golden brown and the bottom is crisp. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 5–10 minutes.

Step 7: Rest, slice, and serve

Let the empanada rest on the pan for 15–20 minutes to set the juices. Transfer to a board, then cut into 12 squares. Serve warm or at room temperature with a simple salad.

Pro Tips

• Cool the sofrito completely before assembling—warm filling can steam the crust and make it soggy.
• Roll the dough to about 3 mm (1/8 inch); too thick becomes bready, too thin can tear.
• Vent generously with slits to release steam and keep the bottom crisp.
• For extra color and aroma, add 1–2 tbsp of the flavorful oil from the sofrito to the dough or brush a little over the top before baking.
• To ensure a crisp base, bake on a preheated metal sheet or pizza steel if you have one.

Variations

• Bonito & Piquillo: Use Spanish bonito del norte and tuck in strips of roasted piquillo peppers; add 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs to the filling for a classic touch.
• Vegetarian: Swap tuna for 350 g sautéed mushrooms and 1 cup cooked chickpeas; keep the sofrito and olives.
• Sardine & Raisin: Replace tuna with good-quality sardines and add 2 tbsp golden raisins and 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts for a sweet-savory Galician vibe.

Storage & Make-Ahead

The baked empanada keeps covered at cool room temperature for 24 hours, or refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat slices at 180°C/350°F for 10–15 minutes. Freeze tightly wrapped slices for up to 2 months; reheat from frozen at 180°C/350°F for 18–22 minutes. Make-ahead: the dough can rise slowly in the refrigerator for 12–18 hours (bring to room temp 45 minutes before rolling). The sofrito filling can be made 2–3 days ahead and stored chilled.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate per 1 of 12 servings: 400 kcal; 14 g protein; 18 g fat; 43 g carbohydrates; 3 g fiber; 780 mg sodium. Values will vary with brands and exact ingredients.