Empanadas de Camaron al Chipotle (Chipotle Prawn Empanadas)
Half moon baked pastries filled with sweet prawns, smoky chipotle, sweetcorn and melting cheese, a Mexican seafood snack.
Made with Chipotle in adobo sauce (homemade) and Shortcrust pastry. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time1 hr 10
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £1.89 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
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
6 min - 2
Stir in your ready made chipotle adobo sauce (see the base recipe) and the sweetcorn. Add the prawns and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until just pink. Take off the heat, stir in the lime juice and coriander and leave to cool completely.
3 min - 3
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Roll out your ready made shortcrust pastry (see the base recipe) to 3 mm thick and cut out 8 circles about 12 cm across, re-rolling the trimmings.
- 4
Stir the cheese into the cooled filling. Put a heaped spoonful on each circle, brush the edges with beaten egg, fold over and press with a fork to seal.
- 5
Place on a lined baking tray, brush with egg, cut a small slit in each and bake for 22 to 25 minutes until golden.
23 min 20 s - 6
Rest for 5 minutes and serve with lime wedges and a little hot sauce or salsa.
Tips
- Cool the filling fully before filling the empanadas, or the warm filling softens the pastry and makes it hard to seal.
- Chop the prawns small so they cook through in the oven and the empanadas are easy to eat in the hand.
- Chipotle in adobo is smoky and hot, so start with 1 tablespoon less if you cook for children.
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. The unbaked, sealed empanadas freeze well for 1 month, baked from frozen for 30 minutes.
Questions
Can I fry these instead of baking?
Traditional empanadas are often fried, but shortcrust pastry is better baked as it can crack in hot oil. The baked version is crisp and lighter.
Can I use cooked prawns?
Yes. Chop the cooked prawns and add them to the filling at the end, warming them for 1 minute only. Overcooked prawns turn rubbery in the oven.
How hot are they?
Medium. The chipotle gives smoke and gentle heat. Reduce the adobo to 2 tablespoons for mild empanadas or add a few chopped pickled jalapenos for more.
More made with chipotle in adobo sauce (homemade)
Crema de Calabaza con Chipotle (Smoky Squash Soup)
GFEFNFSopa de Jitomate Asado con Chipotle (Roast Tomato and Chipotle Soup)
GFDFEFTostadas de Atún con Chipotle (Tuna Tostadas)
DFNFChuletas de Cerdo con Queso Chipotle y Arroz Rojo (Pork Chops with Smoky Queso)
GFEFNFDouble 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.