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Homemade ground pork empanadas (pastelillos)

Pork Empanadas (Pastelillos)

These Puerto Rican style ground pork empanadas (pastelillos) are the type of empanadas I grew up eating. The ground pork is perfectly seasoned with sofrito, spices, and a little bit of latin style tomato sauce.
5 from 1 vote
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Servings 10

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 2 tbsp sofrito homemade seasoning blend
  • 1 tsp Goya Adobo
  • 1/8 tsp oregano
  • 1/8 tsp seasoning salt
  • 3 tbsp Goya Tomato Sauce (picante) Latin style tomato sauce, not Italian.
  • 1 cup Shredded Chihuahua Cheese can also use Monterrey jack cheese
  • 10 Empanada Discs found in freezer section in grocery store
  • vegetable oil enough to fill up the bottom of the pan 2"

Instructions
 

  • Add 1/2 tbsp olive oil to a pan to heat up
  • Add the sofrito and cook it for about 3 minutes until fragrant
  • Add your ground pork and mix it around. Also add in your adobo and seasoning salt.
  • Once your meat is almost fully cooked, add in the tomato sauce and mix well. Let it finish cooking. You should cook your ground pork until a meat thermometer reads 160 F. Let ground pork cool slightly before you assemble your empanadas.
  • Shred your cheese if it is not already shredded.
  • Lay out a thawed empanada disc on a cutting board. Using a small rolling pin, roll out the disc slightly, paying attention to the hard edges. 
  • Add 1-2 tbsp of meat into the bottom center of one of the discs. Top with a little cheese, and fold over the empanada disc. Pinch the sides closed and then use a fork to press down and seal the edges. Flip it over and seal the edges from the other side. Repeat with the rest.
  • Add oil to a large pan on Medium heat. Fry until golden brown on both sides.

Notes

my sofrito is linked above, or you can search for it using the search bar.