Chocolate empanadas

Why this dinner works

Most weeknight one-pot dinners ask you to choose between two evils: a five-ingredient bowl that tastes like the inside of a saucepan, or a recipe so layered it eats your entire evening. Chocolate empanadas sits comfortably in the middle. It draws on Uruguayan traditions where building flavor in stages — aromatics, then spice, then the slow swell of liquid into starch — is just how dinner gets made on a regular Tuesday.

The whole thing comes together in about 69 minutes in a single sheet pan, which means dinner from idea to table is shorter than most podcast episodes. We've leaned on the everyday 10 ingredients listed below, but in the notes after the recipe you'll find the small swaps and shortcuts that make this dish forgiving when your fridge is half-empty.

Method

1. Step 1. For the filling place the can in a large pot and cover completely with water. Boil for two and a half hours, occassionally adding water. Let cool before opening. For further tips, please check here.
2. Step 2. 2
3. Step 3. For the dough combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter in small pieces and rub into crumbs with your fingers Add the egg and work into a dough. You may have to add milk, a tablespoon at a time if it still is to dry. Wrap and chill for at least half an hour or overnight.
4. Step 4. 3
5. Step 5. Line a baking sheeet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
6. Step 6. 4
7. Step 7. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, it should be thin. Cut out circles of 12cm either with a cookie cutter or with a smaller plate/dish. Put two to three teaspoons of the dulce de leche in the middle of each circle. Brush the edges with milk, I do this with my pinkie. Fold each circle in half so that you have a half moon and press down the edges with a fork. You can also turn the edges about half a centimeter inwards every centimeter or so to create a pattern.
8. Step 8. 5
9. Step 9. Place the prepared empanadas on the baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Bake for about 20-25min.
10. Step 10. 6
11. Step 11. Towards the end of the baking time, melt the remaining butter and mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Once you take the empanadas out, immediately brush with the butter and sprinkle with the sugar mix. Empanadas can be enjoyed either still warm or cold. If eating warm, be careful not to burn yourself with hot filling!

Cook's notes

One pan, fewer dishes. Use the widest, heaviest sheet pan you own with a tight-fitting lid. The wider base means faster browning at the start; the lid traps the gentle steam that finishes the dish without scorching the bottom.

Salt as you go. Season the aromatics, season the protein, season the liquid before it reduces. By the time you taste at the end, the only adjustment is usually acid — a squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, a final crack of pepper.

Make it ahead. Like most one-pot dinners with uruguayan roots, the leftovers are arguably better the next day. Cool quickly, refrigerate within two hours, and reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen things back up.

Pairings & serving

This one feels best in a 4-bowl spread with a sharp green salad and something cold to drink. If you want to stretch it for unexpected company, double the liquid and a single starchy ingredient — rice, pasta, potatoes, depending on the recipe — and the whole pan grows without much extra work.

Watch it cooked

If you're a visual learner, there's a free walkthrough of this dish on YouTube.

Original recipe inspiration: source.