Empanadas are a great way to use up those holiday dinner leftovers. And even better, it’s easy, portable, and quick. I mean who wants to do more cooking and cleanup the days after a big holiday dinner?

Below is a video tutorial on making my traditional Empandadas. Even though the ingredients inside are different, the method, time, and temperature is the same. I also wanted to give credit to one of my readers and friend, Gary, for giving me the inspiration for this recipe. He shared with me his recipe for turkey dinner burritos and minced meat empanadas and it inspired me to step outside the box.

Air Fryer Holiday Leftover Empanadas

Recipe by Lana Horruitiner-Perez 

• Goya 5 inch Empanada Discos (You can find these in the frozen Hispanic/Latin food section.)
• 1 large Egg
• 1/8 tsp Sugar for each Empanada

Filling :

• Leftover Turkey chopped, approx. 1 Tbl for each Empanada
• Leftover Gravy (if you didn’t make gravy, you can use the gravy in a jar)
• Leftover Stuffing
• Cranberry Sauce (optional for condiment)

Alternative Empanada Filling Options:

• Leftover Ham with Cheese
• Leftover Turkey with Gravy and Mashed Potatoes
• Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Place one Empanada round in between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll and turn until you have gone once around and the disc is now about 6 inches in diameter. (Be careful not to roll it too thin.)

The dough on the right has been flattened just 1/2 inch all around. Notice that it is only slightly bigger then the original.

(Keep a wet paper towel over the dough to keep it form drying out. If it gets too warm, place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes.)

Chop up Turkey into small dices. You want approximately 1 Tbl for each Empanada you are making. Place in a small bowl and mix with Gravy. (If your gravy is gelatinized, you can heat the mixture up in the microwave just a little bit.)

**It’s important to add Gravy to the Turkey or else it will be dry. You can use chicken broth if you don’t have gravy, but you do not want it to be too wet, either.**

Add 1 Tbl of the Turkey mixture just above the middle of the Empanada dough. Make sure you have space from the edge.

Then add 1/2 to 1 Tbl Stuffing on top of the Turkey mixture. Try to pack it down just a bit.

Once you have added the filling, fold the bottom edge up to meet the top. Lightly press along the edges with your finger to keep dough together. Use a fork and starting from the first edge, press down crimping the edges. Overlap the fork marks and go all the way around until you reach the other side.

In a small bowl, crack on Egg and whisk well. Brush a thin layer of the egg wash onto the Empanadas. Sprinkle each with 1/8 tsp of Sugar.

Instructions for Omni/Omni Plus

Spray the air frying basket with PAM. Place the assembled Empanadas on the Air Fryer basket and set aside.

With the baking rack in the middle position, press the “AIR FRY” button. Set the temperature to 380 degrees F and the time to 7 mins. Once the oven has done preheating, add the Empanadas to the oven.

Instructions for Vortex Plus

Press the “AIRFRY” mode on the Vortex Plus. Set the temperature to 380 degrees and the time to 7 mins. (You can do 2 trays at once, just increase the time by 1 min and rotate the trays half way through the cooking cycle.) Once the Vortex displays “ADD FOOD”, place the tray in the middle position and close the door.

Once the Empanadas are done cooking, take the tray out and allow the Empanadas to cool for a few minutes.

For a quick cranberry sauce, add a slice of jellied Cranberry Sauce to a bowl and microwave for 10 seconds. Mix with a fork and serve with the Empanadas.

Buen Provecho!