Empanadas de Puerco

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-03-31 · Updated 2026-03-31

Flaky pastry pockets filled with spiced pork, a classic Puerto Rican snack. This Puerto Rican-inspired chicken recipe, ready in about 55 minutes, pairs pastry dough, pork shoulder, onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 240 calories and feeds 8, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet (12 oz) pastry dough
• 1 lb pork shoulder
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small tomato
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp cumin

The pan we’d use for this → Best Nonstick Cookware for 2026: Top 5 Skillet Picks + Buying Guide

Instructions

1. Step 1: Roll out dough on a floured surface. Cut into 4 equal squares.
2. Step 2: In a skillet, sauté onion, garlic, tomato, and bell pepper in 1 tbsp olive oil until softened, 5 minutes.
3. Step 3: Add pork, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and cumin. Cook until pork is browned, 6 minutes. Let cool.
4. Step 4: Place filling in dough squares, fold into triangles, and seal edges. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15-20 minutes until golden.