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Baked Empanadas with Fish and Romesco 

(Easy Tapas Recipe, makes 32 empanadas)

Written By: Byron | February 9, 2023
a black bowl is filled with baked empanadas with fish and romesco sauce filling.
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Our baked empanadas with fish and romesco are a new spin on the classic Spanish empanada recipe. By combining delicious romesco sauce and white fish you’ve got a tasty tapas recipe that’s healthy, smoky, and full-flavored. 

Homemade empanadas are pretty easy to make, although they are a labor of love, and this recipe comes together in just under an hour. It’s the perfect recipe for a lazy weekend afternoon, and this recipe yields around 30 small empanadas, plenty for a tapas serving for 6-8 people.

Pescatarian Recipe | Tapas Recipe | Easy to Make | Oven-Baked | Authentic Spanish Recipe | Mediterranean Recipe | Romesco Sauce | Fish Recipe

Serving:

Makes 32 empanadas

Ready in:

1 hour

Skill level:

Easy

Serve with:

ingedients for making baked empanadas with fish and romesco sauce are laid out on a wooden countertop.

Ingredients you’ll need 

(makes 32 small empanadas with some filling leftover)

For the Empanadas

  • 2 packs of small empanada pastry disks 4-inches/10cm in diameter
  • 10oz/300g white fish, diced into small ½ inch/1cm cubes
  • 1 small white onion, diced fine
  • 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
  • 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika

For the Romesco sauce

  • 200 g/7oz. blanched almonds
  • 200 g/7oz. roasted red peppers from a jar, drained
  • 3 tomatoes, grated and skin removed
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar plus extra to season (optional)
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika.
  • 6 tablespoons of olive oil
  • ½ a teaspoon of cayenne pepper or chili flakes optional if you want spicy.
  • Salt and pepper (for seasoning)
  • Some breadcrumbs or stale bread (for thickening the sauce)

Equipment needed

  • 1 large frying pan (12 inches/30cm)
  • 1 box grater
  • Oven and baking rack
  • A blender or food processor (for making the romesco) 
  • A small bowl and basting brush
  • A fork
  • Parchment paper/baking paper

 Watch step-by-step recipe video

If you’re looking for this recipe’s video and many other great recipe ideas, why not check out our Spanish Radish YouTube Channel? We’ve got everything from quick and easy tapas recipes, delicious main meals, and incredible Spanish dessert options too.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Easy and fun to make
  • Delicious smoky flavors
  • Excellent tapas or snack recipe
  • Inexpensive to make
  • Great for batch cooking

Best empanada pastries to use?

We use store-bought empanada pastry disks, simply for convenience. They are easy to use, taste great, and come with a paper backing which is very helpful when adding filling and crimping the edges. 

Store-bought empanada disks are easy to source at most large supermarkets (Walmart sells the GOYA empanada disks) and usually only cost a few dollars for a pack of 16 disks. For convenience, we think they’re well worth it! 

If you prefer to make your own empanada dough from scratch, check out our vegan-friendly empanada dough recipe.

Fried or baked empanadas?

We prefer baked empanadas simply because they are healthier. One baked empanada with fish and romesco filling is just 70 calories per serving. 

Baked empanadas are crispy on the outside and contrast perfectly with the delicious empanada filling.

Baked Empanadas – Cooking tips

Make sure you cook your empanadas on an oven rack lined with some parchment paper. Use the middle shelf in the oven as this will ensure your empanadas are cooked on the top and bottom evenly.

a black bowl is filled with baked empanadas with fish and romesco sauce filling.

How to make baked empanadas with fish and romesco sauce

Step 1 – Prepare the romesco sauce 

  • In a dry pan, lightly toast the blanched almonds on medium-high for 5 minutes. Stir well to stop them from burning. Allow almonds to cool before moving on to the next step.
  • Add the roasted red peppers, grated tomato, garlic, vinegar, and smoked paprika into a blender or food processor along with the toasted almonds.
  • Buzz for a few minutes or until smooth.
  • Slowly drizzle in the olive oil to achieve the desired consistency. A good texture should slowly drip from a spoon. Add some breadcrumbs if you want a thicker sauce. 
  • Season with some salt and pepper to taste. Add some spice with some crushed chili or cayenne pepper as required. 
  • Set aside for use later. 

Step 2 – Prepare the empanada mix

  • Add the olive oil and onions to a hot pan and saute until the onions are golden (3-4 minutes).
  • Remove the stem from the fresh rosemary and finely dice the leaves. 
  • Reduce heat on the onions and add the rosemary, cook until fragrant, and then remove the pan from the heat. 
  • Once the onions have cooled slightly (2-3 minutes), add the romesco sauce and diced fish pieces. Mix well and set aside for use later. 

Step 3 – Prepare empanadas

(Note: we use premade 4-inch/10cm empanada pastries for convenience)

  • Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C 
  • Crack an egg into a small bowl and add ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika. Whisk for 1-2 minutes. 
  • Take one empanada pastry disk (keep the paper on underneath) in the palm of your hand and baste the edges of the pastry with the egg. 
  • Add a teaspoon of the mixture to the center of the pastry, fold the pastry in half, and close the middle top part with your fingers. 
  • Slowly press the edges together, working from the sides up to the middle. 
  • Lay the pastry on a chopping board or flat surface and gently crimp the edges with a fork. 
  • Place the sealed empanada on a baking rack covered in parchment paper. 
  • Repeat the steps with the other empanada pastries.
  • Baste empanadas with some of the egg and paprika mixture. 

Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350°F/180°C, they should be golden once ready.

Nutrition facts

 

Serving size: 1 each

Servings: 40

Amount per serving

 

Calories

70

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5.1g

7%

Saturated Fat 0.8g

4%

Cholesterol 9mg

3%

Sodium 30mg

1%

Total Carbohydrate 4g

1%

Dietary Fiber 0.9g

3%

Total Sugars 0.8g

 

Protein 2.9g

 

Vitamin D 0mcg

2%

Calcium 16mg

1%

Iron 0mg

2%

Potassium 66mg

1%

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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a black bowl is filled with baked empanadas.

Baked Empanadas with Fish and Romesco (easy tapas recipe)

Byron
Our baked empanadas with fish and romesco are a new spin on the classic Spanish empanada recipe. By combining delicious romesco sauce and white fish you’ve got a tasty tapas recipe that’s healthy, smoky, and full-flavored.
Homemade empanadas are pretty easy to make, although they are a labor of love, and this recipe comes together in just under an hour. It’s the perfect recipe for a lazy weekend afternoon, and this recipe yields around 30 small empanadas, plenty for a tapas serving for 6-8 people.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 58 minutes
Course appertizer, party food, Snack, tapas
Cuisine American, Authentic Spanish recipe, Spain
Servings 32 empanadas
Calories 70 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 large frying pan (12 inches/30cm)
  • 1 box grater
  • Oven and baking rack
  • A blender or food processor (for making the romesco)
  • A small bowl and basting brush
  • A fork
  • Parchment paper / baking paper

Ingredients

For the Empanadas

  • 2 packs of small empanada pastry disks 4-inches/10cm in diameter
  • 10 oz/300g white fish diced into small ½ inch/1cm cubes
  • 1 small white onion diced fine
  • 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
  • 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika

For the Romesco sauce

  • 200 g/7oz. blanched almonds
  • 200 g/7oz. roasted red peppers from a jar drained
  • 3 tomatoes grated and skin removed
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar plus extra to season optional
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika.
  • 6 tablespoons of olive oil
  • ½ a teaspoon of cayenne pepper or chili flakes optional if you want spicy.
  • Salt and pepper for seasoning
  • Some breadcrumbs or stale bread for thickening the sauce

Instructions
 

Step 1 - Prepare the romesco sauce

  • In a dry pan, lightly toast the blanched almonds on medium-high for 5 minutes. Stir well to stop them from burning. Allow almonds to cool before moving on to the next step.
    200 g/7oz. blanched almonds
    toasted almonds in a large frying pan
  • Add the roasted red peppers, grated tomato, garlic, vinegar, and smoked paprika into a blender or food processor along with the toasted almonds. Buzz for a few minutes or until smooth.
    200 g/7oz. roasted red peppers from a jar, 3 tomatoes grated, 1 tbsp sherry vinegar plus extra to season, 1 tsp smoked paprika., 4 garlic cloves
    ingredients for romesco sauce sits in. a blender
  • Slowly drizzle in the olive oil to achieve the desired consistency. A good texture should slowly drip from a spoon. Add some breadcrumbs if you want a thicker sauce.
    6 tablespoons of olive oil, Some breadcrumbs or stale bread
    Blended romesco sauce in a blender
  • Season with some salt and pepper to taste. Add some spice with some crushed chili or cayenne pepper as required. Set aside for use later.
    Salt and pepper, ½ a teaspoon of cayenne pepper or chili flakes optional if you want spicy.
    some coarse sea salt sits in a glass bowl

Step 2 - Prepare the empanada mix

  • Add the olive oil and onions to a hot pan and saute until the onions are golden (3-4 minutes).
    1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1 small white onion
    diced onion in a pan
  • Remove the stem from the fresh rosemary and finely dice the leaves. Reduce heat on the onions and add the rosemary, cook until fragrant, and then remove the pan from the heat.
    1 sprig of fresh rosemary
    Chopped rosemary on a white chopping board
  • Once the onions have cooled slightly (2-3 minutes), add the romesco sauce and diced fish pieces. Mix well and set aside for use later.
    10 oz/300g white fish
    Romesco sauce and fish are added to a pan.

Step 3 - Prepare empanadas

  • (Note: we use premade 4-inch/10cm empanada pastries for convenience)
    2 packs of small empanada pastry disks 4-inches/10cm in diameter
  • Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C
    An oven dial turned up to 180C
  • Crack an egg into a small bowl and add ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika. Whisk for 1-2 minutes.
    ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1 egg
    a person cracks an egg into a small bowl
  • Take one empanada pastry disk (keep the paper on underneath) in the palm of your hand and baste the edges of the pastry with the egg.
    aperson holds an empanada disk in the open palm of their hand.
  • Add a teaspoon of the mixture to the center of the pastry, fold the pastry in half, and close the middle top part with your fingers.
    filling is added to the middle of an empanada disk.
  • Slowly press the edges together, working from the sides up to the middle.
    a person crimps the edges of an empanada with their hands.
  • Lay the pastry on a chopping board or flat surface and gently crimp the edges with a fork.
  • Place the sealed empanada on a baking rack covered in parchment paper. Repeat the steps with the other empanada pastries.
    a finished empanada is added to baking tray
  • Baste empanadas with some of the egg and paprika mixture.
    empanadas are basted with egg and paprika.
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350°F/180°C, they should be golden once ready.
    a black bowl is filled with baked empanadas.

Video

Keyword authentic Spanish cuisine, easy recipe, Empanadas, fish, Oven-baked, Romesco Sauce, Spanish tapas

Cooking Tips and FAQs

What is the best way to cook empanadas?

Cook your empanadas on the middle shelf of the oven at 350°F/180°C. Use a baking rack lined with parchment paper and bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden and crispy. 

How long does this recipe take to make?

  • Prep time: 40 minutes
  • Cook time: 15-18 minutes
  • Total time: 58 minutes

Can this recipe be made in advance?

Yes, the empanada filling can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen until needed. It is best to make the empanadas as close to consuming as possible to ensure crispy pastry.

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