I’m preparing for a family dinner tonight and thought this would serve as a delicious way to get the evening started!  “Tapas” means Happiness in Spanish haha, not really but you get the idea. I picked my Tia Chita’s brain for some ideas before I got to work on this, after all she is the Queen of Empanada in my world. 

These savory bites mean so much more than something delicious to nibble on, they bring memories of how I learned to cook, watching my grandmother, mom and aunts create traditional Spanish meals all my life. 

Although these are far from “traditional”, they are a product of my love for my family and what I’ve learned along the way.  Enjoy! 

Wild Mushroom Shrimp Empanadas 

Prep: 30 minutes 

Bake: 15 minutes 

Makes: ~27 Empanadas 

Ingredients: 

• 1 Tbsp olive oil 

• 1.5 pounds shrimp, peeled, deveined and finely chopped  

• ½ cup minced onion

• ½ each, Red & Green bell pepper, minced 

• 3.5 ounces mushrooms (I used shitake, oyster and cremini) 

• 1 Tbsp Flour

• 3 ounces water

• Salt and pepper 

• 1 Egg + 1 Tbsp water 

• 27-30 empanada wrappers* 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and pepper, cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, cook for 3 more minutes or until soft. Add shrimp, season with salt & pepper. Cook until pink (about 4 minutes). Push shrimp to the side, add flour, with a wooden spoon stir in water quickly breaking up any lumps, a thick paste will start to form. 

3. Incorporate shrimp and stir well. 

4. Let cool before filling empanada wrappers. 

5. In a small bowl, beat egg and water. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay each empanada wrapper on a flat surface, fill each with a rounded tablespoon of shrimp filling. Using a pastry brush, dip in egg wash and line the outside of the wrapper and fold over into a half moon. Using two finger pinch edges to seal shut. Snip a hole in the center of the empanada with a scissor. 

6. Once all empanadas are complete brush with remaining egg wash. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy warm or at room temperature! 

*I used @Goya “Tapas para Empanadas” wrappers. 

Nutrition information (1 empanada) 

119 Calories; 15g carbs, 3.4g Fat; 6g Protein; 370mg Sodium; 1g Fiber