I love empanadas and today I decided to try something new: tuna empanadas. While in Latin America we are used to eating beef and chicken empanadas tuna empanadas are a staple in Spanish cuisine. I gave my empanadas a twist by adding some chipotle peppers which gave them lost of flavor and just enough kick.
To make this recipe easier I bought frozen empanada discs. In this recipe, I baked my empanadas. So if you buy empanada dough, look for the one that is for baking and not the one that is meant to be fried. Baking them makes these the perfect healthy dinner or on-the-go snack.
Good Tuna Makes Great Empanadas
Using a firm, premium quality tuna is important for this recipe as you don’t want the empanada filling to be soggy and it will also taste better! I have always said that great ingredients make great recipes and that is why I used Ocean Naturals tuna . Ocean Naturals Skipjack tuna is “Good, Good for You, Good for the Planet” and as I compared it to the brand of tuna I usually bought I proved that all three of these claims held true for me.
Not only was Ocean Natural tuna’s texture firm (the other brand’s looked more like a paste) but the taste was also better right off the can. But what I really like the most was that I was able to find out what species of tuna was in the can, where it had been caught and if it had been caught using a responsible fishing method just by visiting the Ocean Natural’s website and writing the code you can find in each can. You can learn more about how Ocean Natural’s measured up to my regular brand of tuna and where my tuna came from by looking at my Google+ album HERE.
I always try to use ingredients that are healthy and that are good and knowing exactly where the food is coming and what a can of tuna contains gives me peace of mind because I don’t have to wonder about what I am feeding my family. I also learned a lot about tuna. Now I know that not all tuna is the same and that there are species of tuna that are threatened and I was happy to know that the tuna I am eating when I eat Ocean Natural’s is not a threatened species. I had never really given canned tuna much thought but I can tell you I will never look at tuna the same after this. Seriously!
Chipotle Tuna Empanadas
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 1 medium onions finely sliced
- 1 large red pepper finely chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 to matoes coarsely chopped seeds removed
- 2 6 onz cans of Ocean Naturals Skipjack Tuna drained
- ½ cup good quality black olives sliced
- 2 hardboiled eggs chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce from can
- 1 package of frozen empanada disks for baking
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
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Remove frozen empanada discs from freezer and let thaw.
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Heat oil in a sauce pan on medium heat. Add onions and pepper, sauté until soft and tender.
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Add the chopped tomatoes, paprika and a pinch of salt and pepper.
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Remove from heat and let cool.
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Mix together the tuna and olives and combine with vegetable mixture. Add hard boiled egg.
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Preheat your oven to 425°F.
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Place empanada discs on waxed paper. Put two tablespoons of filling in the center of each empanada.
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Using a brush moisten the edges of the empanada discs.
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Fold the empanada discs and bring the edges together sealing them by pressing down on them with a fork.
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Glaze the tops with beaten egg
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Bake on an oiled baking sheet until golden, about 10-12 minutes.
You can visit the Ocean Naturals Facebook page and participate on their Tuna Tuesdays Facebook giveaway for a chance to win FREE product.
You can learn more about where your tuna came from by visiting the Ocean Natural’s website HERE and entering the code on the can.
Paula studied architecture and now makes a living as a freelance writer,traveler and amateur photographer.She started her writing & publishing career as the editor of Bebé y Mamá, the first parenting magazine in Guatemala.She is the founder of www.GrowingUpBilingual.com and www.365thingsswfl.com and writes articles in Spanish and English for both magazines and the web on travel,food and bicultural and bilingual parenting .
When she is not on a plane or road trip she likes to create recipes inspired in the flavors of her native Guatemala.
This looks so good! Thanks for participating in this campaign! I want to try and make these! #client
You should give these a try, they are so easy!
Looks great and yummi!
Que rrrrrrriiiiiiccccooooo! Can’t wait to get home and make Sweetie a batch! BB2U
You are gonna win him over with these for sure. 😉
Those right there are picture perfect empanadas! Nice job, Paula!
Thanks Sean, love yours and have never tried to make them with puff pastry.
Me encanta preparar empanadas y poco lo hago! Voy a guardar esta receta para hacer unas para los holidays.
A mi me encanta que son tan faciles de guardar asi que puedes hacer muchas y luego solo calentarlas.
No soy amante de lo picante pero creo que esto seria bueno para mi esposo.
Me encantan las empanadas de carne. Nunca he probado rellena de tuna. Se ven deliciosas
Estas empanadas se ven muy ricas y faciles de hacer gracias por compartir!
Qué tortura la mía ver estas deliciosas empanadas a estas horas de la noche!!!
Se ven buenísimas, Paula. Apunto la receta ya.
A mi siempre me pasa despues de leer posts de comida en la noche que me muero del hambre y tengo que prepararme algo.
No me habia imaginado las empanadas con tuna, debe saber espectacular, seguro que intento hacerlas, se ven riquisimas, las fotos quiero decirte que están espectaculares, gracias
I am definitely making empanadas this week! Me inspiraste. Nunca he hecho empanadas yo pero con estos discos se ve facil. Gracias!
Se ven deliciosas, ya me anoto la receta las tengo que probar. Gracias!!
Me muero por probarlas.
Abrazos,
Vero
Que buenísima combinación Yummy!
¡FELIZ DÍA!ॐ
http://mamaholistica.com
These look delicious and I love that you baked them. You did a fantastic job!! #client
Thanks Sara, loved working with Ocean Naturals, their tuna is superb!
Que ricas se ven! Me apetece comerlas!
Yum!.. We love tuna empanadas! but I have never tried that tuna brand.. I’m curious now!