Can You Bake Goya Frozen Beef Empanadas? A Complete Guide

Empanadas are a popular handheld snack or appetizer in Latin American cuisine. These pastry shells are stuffed with a savory filling such as beef chicken, cheese, or vegetables. Goya Foods produces both fresh and frozen empanada dough and fillings to make it easy to enjoy this finger food at home. Their frozen beef empanadas provide a quick and convenient option for a tasty treat. But can you bake Goya’s frozen empanadas instead of frying them?

An Overview of Goya’s Frozen Beef Empanadas

Goya Foods offers frozen Argentinean-style beef empanadas made with an authentic pastry dough envelope filled with a savory picadillo filling. The picadillo contains ground beef, onions, olives, raisins, and Goya’s proprietary Latin-style seasonings. These individual empanadas come frozen 12 to a box so you can bake as few or as many as you need.

Baking offers a healthier cooking method compared to frying because it doesn’t require any added oil Goya’s beef empanada box states the empanadas are “fully cooked” and can be prepared in the oven or air fryer The instructions recommend baking the frozen empanadas at 400°F for 18-20 minutes,

Can You Bake Goya’s Frozen Beef Empanadas?

Yes, Goya’s frozen beef empanadas are fully intended to be baked in the oven. The brand recommends baking as the preparation method right on the packaging. Baking frozen empanadas allows you to avoid deep frying while still achieving the same delicious result.

Baking brings out the flakiness of the dough and gently heats the filling without overcooking it. You get a tender, lightly golden crust with a moist, flavorful beef picadillo center. Oven baking also requires minimal preparation so frozen empanadas make an easy appetizer, snack, or light meal.

Tips for Baking Frozen Beef Empanadas

Follow these handy tips to bake Goya frozen beef empanadas to warm, golden perfection:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F – Allow the oven to fully preheat before baking for even heating.

• Arrange empanadas on a baking sheet – Line a sheet with parchment paper or foil and place empanadas at least 1 inch apart for airflow.

• Brush with egg wash – For browning, whisk an egg with 1 tablespoon water and gently brush tops.

• Bake 18-20 minutes – Bake frozen empanadas in the center of the oven until golden brown.

• Check after 15 minutes – Ovens vary, so check doneness a few minutes early.

• Let cool 5 minutes – Allow to cool slightly to avoid burning your mouth on the hot filling.

• Enjoy warm – Serve the empanadas warm so the filling and flaky crust are at their best.

Baking vs. Frying Empanadas

While Goya’s frozen beef empanadas are intended for baking, you can also prepare them by frying. Here’s how the two cooking methods compare:

Baking

• Healthier – No added fat or calories from frying oil
• Easy – Minimal preparation and cleanup
• Light – Allows a tender, flaky crust and moist filling
• Versatile – Can use oven or air fryer
• Authentic – Traditional preparation in Argentina

Frying

• Crunchy exterior – Deep frying makes the shell crispy
• Rich flavor – Oil infusion adds richness and savoriness
• Messy – Requires heating oil and cleanup of splatters
• Unhealthy – Adds unnecessary fat and calories

Overall, baking is the better choice for conveniently cooking frozen empanadas to a delicious state without the excess oil and fat from frying.

How to Bake Frozen Empanadas

Follow this simple step-by-step guide for baking frozen beef empanadas to warm, golden perfection:

Ingredients

• Goya Frozen Argentinean-Style Beef Empanadas, kept frozen
• Egg, 1 whole
• Water, 1 tablespoon

Equipment

• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper or aluminum foil
• Pastry brush or regular brush

Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.

2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

3. Remove desired number of frozen empanadas from the box. Keep remaining empanadas frozen until ready to bake.

4. Arrange empanadas in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 1 inch apart.

5. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water.

6. Use a pastry brush or regular brush to gently coat the top of each frozen empanada with the egg wash.

7. Bake the empanadas in the preheated 400°F oven for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.

8. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy the empanadas warm.

Repeat with any remaining frozen empanadas. Freeze unused empanadas for up to 3 months.

Tips for Freezing Baked Empanadas

Got leftovers after baking Goya’s frozen beef empanadas? Here are some storage tips:

• Allow empanadas to cool completely after baking.

• Place cooled empanadas in a single layer on a tray or plate lined with parchment or wax paper.

• Freeze empanadas uncovered until solidly frozen, about 2 hours.

• Once frozen, transfer empanadas to freezer bags or airtight containers.

• Remove as much air as possible and seal bags/containers securely.

• Label with contents and freeze for up to 3 months.

• To reheat, bake frozen empanadas at 400°F for 10-12 minutes until hot.

Freezing lets you safely store any extras to enjoy later. The pre-baked empanadas hold up well for reheating.

Make Your Own Empanadas from Scratch

Looking for a from-scratch homemade empanada recipe? Goya provides an excellent option with their Argentinean-Style Beef Empanadas recipe. This authentic preparation makes 24 empanadas using Goya products for the dough and filling.

The recipe forms the empanada dough into the traditional half-moon shape stuffed with savory beef picadillo. It includes step-by-step instructions and a handy video. For convenience, you can substitute Goya’s frozen empanada dough instead of making it from scratch.

Homemade empanadas allow you to customize the dough and filling. Bake or fry the empanadas to your liking. The recipe even provides tips on freezing any leftovers.

Goya Products for Empanadas

Goya Foods offers a variety of products perfect for empanadas whether you’re using their convenient frozen dough or making it yourself:

• Empanada Discs – Pre-cut circles for easy stuffed pastries
• Empanada Dough – Pre-made dough for baking or frying
• Plantain Leaf – Traditional wrapper for steaming empanadas
• Beef Broth – Adds flavor to picadillo fillings
• Olives – Traditional olive filling and topping
• Adobo Seasoning – All