Air Fryer Recipe
Chorizo and Sweet Potato Empanadas
Chorizo and sweet potato empanadas are a flavorful and easy-to-make dish, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 250g chorizo, removed from its casing
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 sheet of puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten (for glaze)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- A splash of olive oil
Method
- Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add chopped onion and garlic, sauté until soft and translucent.
- Add chorizo, cook until it starts to brown and release oils.
- Stir in diced sweet potatoes and smoked paprika, cook until potatoes are tender.
- Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and let cool.
- Preheat air fryer to 180°C (350°F).
- Roll out puff pastry, cut into 10cm diameter circles.
- Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each pastry circle.
- Fold pastry over to create a half-moon shape, seal edges with a fork.
- Brush tops with beaten egg.
- Place empanadas in air fryer basket, air fry for 15 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
Why this works in an air fryer
Chorizo renders paprika-rich fat, coating the sweet potato so the filling stays moist while the puff pastry needs dry, fast convection to lift its layers. Cooling the filling prevents steam and melted butter in the pastry from collapsing the seal, giving crisp edges rather than a greasy leak.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5–6 litre basket holding 4–6 empanadas with space between them; in a single-drawer air fryer cook in batches on the crisper plate, while dual-zone models may brown unevenly, so swap drawers or rotate the empanadas after 8 minutes and expect 1–3 minutes extra if both zones are full.
Common pitfalls
- Pastry splitting at the crimp with orange oil leaking out? The filling was too hot or overfilled; cool it until barely warm and use a level tablespoon, then press the fork seal firmly without stretching the pastry.
- Pale, soft bottoms after 15 minutes? The empanadas are sitting in rendered fat or too close together; use the raised crisper plate, leave gaps for airflow and add 2–4 minutes, turning once if the base is still doughy.
- Dark tops but raw-looking pastry at the seam? The pastry circles are too thick or the air fryer runs hot; roll to about 3mm, reduce to 170°C and cook a few minutes longer so heat reaches the folded edge.
- Filling tastes flat or greasy? Chorizo varies in salt and fat; drain off excess oil after browning and season only after the sweet potato is tender, adding a small squeeze of lemon or sherry vinegar if it needs lift.
Variations & substitutions
- Use shortcrust pastry instead of puff for a sturdier, less flaky empanada; it usually needs 2–3 minutes longer because it browns more slowly in the air fryer.
- Swap sweet potato for butternut squash cut into small dice; it releases more moisture, so cook the filling until the pan looks dry before cooling.
- Use cooking chorizo for a softer, juicier filling or cured chorizo for a firmer bite; cured pieces brown faster, so add them after the sweet potato has started to soften.
- Add grated mature Cheddar or Manchego to the cooled filling; keep the quantity modest so melted cheese does not force open the crimped seam.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooked empanadas chilled for up to 3 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 170°C for 5–7 minutes until the pastry is crisp and the centre is hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
