Sweet and Savory Pear Air Fryer Empanadas
Dec 05, 2020, Updated Oct 01, 2021
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This post is sponsored by USA Pears.
Introduce some bold international flavors into your next party or game night with empanadas! These versatile turnovers will be a hit no matter where they’re served. Snackable, dippable, and irresistible, empanadas are a fried delight – and are even easier to make using an air fryer. We’ve teamed up with our partners at USA Pears to bring you these Sweet and Savory Pear Air Fryer Empanadas. Get ready to fry up a world of flavor that your friends and family will love!
Tasty Turnovers with USA Pears
Empanadas are enjoyed in many forms around the world, but their origins can be traced to Spain’s Galicia region. A seafood-stuffed version was even mentioned in a 1520 cookbook, Llibre del Coch. Today, empanadas are a cultural staple in Sicily, Indonesia, the Philippines, and across South America. Argentina in particular is known for its varied takes on the empanada. Each region has its own unique version of an empanada.
Empanadas are a free-form food and can be cooked up in just about any flavor imaginable. They’re a popular food truck or street market dish and are easy to eat by hand. We’ve taken the unique experience of eating handheld empanadas and brought it to our home kitchen using an air fryer. It’s both less work and less mess, but you won’t sacrifice a bit of flavor.
We’ve made both a sweet and a savory version of our Pear Air Fryer Empanadas that will satisfy any kind of craving. Both are made with top-quality USA Pears — but their fruity flavors are used in very different ways.
Making Pear Air Fryer Empanadas
With sausage, sage, and cheese, these savory empanadas combine spicy, sweet, and smoky flavors. You’ll love their complex and addicting taste. Make sure you leave some for everyone else!
Sausage and Pear Empanadas
Ingredients
- 3-4 green or red Anjou USA Pears finely diced
- 1 package pie crusts
- 2 tbsp butter
- 16 oz spicy ground sausage
- 1/2 cup onions finely diced
- 1 tbsp sage
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
- non-stick spray
Instructions
- Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned (breaking up meat with a wooden spoon). Add chopped onion and cook stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent (about 3-4 minutes). Add sage and diced pears; cook, string occasionally for 2 more minutes.
- Unroll each room temperature pie crust and using a 4.5 inch biscuit/cookie cutter cut out 4 holes in each pie crust. Moisten the outside edge of each circle with water.
- Place 1 ½ tablespoons of pear-sausage filling in the center of each circle. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.
- Fold the circles in half and press the two seams together using your fingers. Use a fork to seal the edges. Use a sharp knife to score the top of the crust three times.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Brush onto empanadas.
- Preheat the air-fryer at 325°F.
- Spray air fryer basket with nonstick spray. Add as many empanadas as will fit in a single layer. Air fry for approximately 8 minutes. Repeat with the remaining empanadas.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
As a snack, a dessert, or a fruit-filled breakfast, these sweet empanadas put the flavors of USA Pears to work. All you’ll need to make this fantastic fruit shine is a bit of lemon juice, cinnamon, and sugar.
Sweet Cinnamon and Pear Empanadas
Ingredients
- 3-4 green or red Anjou USA Pears finely diced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 pkg pie crusts (2)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- grapeseed oil
- sugar topping
Instructions
- Combine diced pears, lemon juice and cinnamon to make filling.
- Unroll each room temperature pie crust and using a 4.5 inch biscuit/cookie cutter cut out 4 holes in each pie crust. Moisten the outside edge of each circle with water.
- Place 1 ½ tablespoons of pie filling in the center of each circle. Fold the circles in half and press the two seams together using your fingers. Use a fork to seal the edges. Use a sharp knife to score the top of the crust three times.
- Lightly spray each hand pie with grapeseed oil. Sprinkle each pie with the sugar.
- Pre-heat air fryer at 350°F.
- Lightly spray your air fryer basket with grapeseed oil. Place the hand pies in a single layer in the air fryer and cook for 11 minutes or until the pie crust is nice and golden. Repeat with remaining hand pies.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Learn more about pears and find more recipes here!
To wrap our Pear Air Fryer Empanadas, we use premade pie crust cut into small circles. No need to make your own crust from scratch! Premade crusts taste just as good and take some of the work out of the empanada-making process. Remember to cut slits into your empanadas before frying to let steam escape and ensure proper cooking!
Sweet and Savory Pear Air Fryer Empanadas make a memorable treat for all kinds of occasions. Elaborate on your empanada experience in the comments below, or post a photo and tag us on Instagram @theproducemoms.
