Empanadas de Atun con Salsa Roja (Tuna Empanadas)
Crisp baked half moons of tuna, potato and red salsa with a squeeze of lime, a quick and cheap Mexican snack.
Made with Salsa roja (cooked red salsa) and Shortcrust pastry. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time1 hr
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.52 a head
- Oven200°C (180°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Boil the potato cubes in salted water for 8 minutes until just tender, then drain and leave to steam dry.
8 min - 2
Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add your ready made salsa roja (see the base recipe) and simmer for 3 minutes until thick and almost paste like.
5 min - 3
Fold in the tuna, potato, lime juice and coriander, breaking the tuna into flakes. Season and cool completely.
- 4
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Roll out your ready made shortcrust pastry (see the base recipe) and cut out 8 circles about 12 cm across.
- 5
Fill each with a spoonful of the cooled mixture, brush the edges with egg, fold over and crimp with a fork. Brush with egg and cut a small slit.
- 6
Bake on a lined tray for 22 to 25 minutes until golden. Serve warm with extra salsa roja and lime wedges.
23 min 20 s
Tips
- The filling should be thick and not wet, so reduce the salsa until it clings to the potato.
- Use tuna packed in olive oil for the best flavour, and drain it well.
- For extra heat, add a finely chopped pickled jalapeno to the filling.
Storing and freezing
Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat at 180C (fan 160C) for 12 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Unbaked sealed empanadas freeze for 1 month and bake from frozen in 30 minutes.
Questions
Can I use fresh tuna?
Yes. Sear 250 g tuna steak for 1 minute each side, then flake it. It is a more luxurious filling but tinned tuna is the traditional, budget choice.
Are these hot?
Mild to medium, depending on the salsa roja you made. Add a few drops of hot sauce or chopped jalapeno for more heat.
Can I fry them?
Shortcrust pastry can crack in hot oil, so baking is best. Bake until deep golden for a crisp shell.
More made with salsa roja (cooked red salsa)
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.