Langostino empanada recipe
This smoked andouille sausage and langostino empanada recipe is the perfect snack for Mardi Gras festivities. The flavorful filling is wrapped in a buttery dough then baked until golden brown. This recipe can also be made with crawfish or shrimp!
I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.
You may also be interested in my pumpkin empanada recipe and my Cuban beef empanada recipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my snack recipes in one place.
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Why you should make this recipe
- Versatile – You can swap out langostinos for crawfish or shrimp. Swap out the smoked andouille for boudin, if you prefer.
- Crowd-pleaser – These little hand pies will be the hit of the party. Seafood lovers will devour these!
- Make ahead – The filling and the dough can both be made the day before, then assembled and baked the next day.
Langostino empanada recipe
Everyone loves empanadas. They are the perfect hand-held snack. They can be eaten warm, or room temperature, which makes them great for get-togethers.
This langostino empanada recipes makes great use of leftover étouffée and turns it into a delicious hand pie.
Ingredients
Don’t let the ingredient list scare you, I promise you have most of this in your kitchen already. If you’ve made the langostino étouffée, and you have leftovers, you already have the empanada filling made.
- Seafood stock – This is the backbone of the filling. You can use store-bought or make your own.
- Celery, onion, green pepper – Known as the holy trinity in Cajun cooking.
- Garlic – It gives this stew a flavor that I can’t do without and there is a lot of it.
- Parsley and scallions – Fresh herbs always perk up a dish. They give it a freshness that you don’t get from dried herbs.
- Butter + Flour – These two ingredients form the roux, which thickens the langostino étouffée filling.
- Langostino – This sweet and buttery seafood pairs perfectly with the flavors in this dish. You can find all of my langostino recipes in one spot.
- Lemon and white wine – Both of these ingredients add more flavor and the acid in the lemon juice brightens up the flavors.
- Spices – Kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper and dried thyme.
- Canned tomatoes – If you are not a fan, you can omit them, but I love the flavor that diced tomatoes give to this langostino empanada recipe.
- Smoked andouille – This smoky sausage gives the filling a really delicious flavor, please don’t skip it!
How to make langostino hand pies
As with any and all recipes, read it through before you begin. Gather all of your ingredients and measure everything ahead of time. This is your “mise-en-place“. You want to make sure you have everything you need BEFORE you begin.
- The first step is to pulse the flour with the salt.
- Then add the eggs, butter, vinegar and ice water to the bowl of the food processor and let the machine run until the dough comes together. Turn it out of the bowl, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill.
- After the dough has rested in the refrigerator, roll it out. I like to use my rolling dowel for this. If you find the dough is sticking, roll it out between sheets of parchment paper.
- Use a 3 1/2 – 4 inch round cutter to cut circles out of the dough, then place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place pieces of parchment between the layers so they don’t stick together.
- Brown the diced sausage over medium high heat.
- Fold the browned sausage into the étouffée. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use.
- Place 1 1/2 – 2 tbsp. of filling into each disk of dough, wet the edges and press closed. Use a fork to crimp the edges sealed.
- Brush with egg wash to make them shiny on top.
I like to cut 2 small slits in the top of the hand pies to let steam escape. This also helps reduce the risks of blowouts, because it gives the pressure a place to escape.
Use a small, sharp paring knife to cut two 1/2″ slits on the top of the empanada.
If the dough has gotten too warm, place the empanadas back in the fridge for 15 – 20 minutes before baking.
Bake until golden brown, rotating halfway through to ensure even baking. If you have a convection fan in your oven, use it. It will help with the browning and even baking.
Langostino empanada recipe Q&A
Seafood doesn’t have as long of a shelf life as other proteins. I’d only keep them 3 – 4 days in the fridge.
Yes! You can freeze the baked empanadas and thaw overnight in the fridge before warming in the oven.
Yes. For best results, make the dough and the filling the day before, then assemble the day of.
Absolutely. You can scale this langostino empanada recipe up or down as much as needed.
Variations and substitutions
Substitute langostinos with crawfish or shrimp. They will have a similar taste and texture.
If you can’t find andouille, swap it out for any sausage that you like. Most grocery stores carry a version of it, but if you have access to a good butcher who makes their own, that’s the best way to go. It likely won’t cost you much more than the grocery store, but the difference is like night and day.
Serving suggestions
If you’re having a Mardi Gras themed soirée, go all out and make a few of these dishes!
- Langostino Po’boys – Hands down, one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever made.
- Langostino gumbo – The subtle flavors of this gumbo are absolutely delicious.
- Cajun langostino pasta with andouille – A delicious pasta dinner with the flavors of Louisiana.
- King cake cheesecake – Colorful and delicious, a sweet treat for a Mardi Gras themed party.
- Gluten-free beignets – Try this easy recipe for gluten-free beignets & enjoy them with a cup of Café Du Monde coffee.
Helpful tools and equipment
- Plain edge round cutter set – This is the exact same set that I used for this recipe. I’ve had this set for 20 years and I use them all the time – for everything from cookies to scones, biscuits, cutting out dough, etc.
- Pastry brush – For everything from brushing on egg wash to barbecue sauce.
- 11 cup food processor – This is the updated model of the one I own. A larger bowl will allow you to make this dough in one batch.
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Langostino Empanada Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups langostino étouffée chilled *see note
- 1 cup andouille sausage diced small
For the dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour // 360g
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt Diamond Crystal
- 8 tbsp. unsalted butter diced // 4 oz.
- 1 egg + 1 yolk
- 1/3 cup ice water // 79 ml
- 1 tbsp. white vinegar
Egg wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp. cream
Instructions
- In a medium sauté pan, over medium high heat, brown the andouille sausage. Drain on paper towel and add to étouffée. Stir to combine, cover and refrigerate. (I prefer to make the filling the day before and let it chill overnight, if possible).
- Make the dough
- Make the dough: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse flour with salt a few times to mix.
- Add butter to flour mixture, pulsing 15 – 20 times until dough begins to look like coarse crumbs and butter is broken up into pea-sized pieces. *see note
- Whisk egg, egg yolk, ice water and vinegar together in a small bowl, then add to flour and butter mixture.
- Pulse to start incorporating liquids, then run machine for 15 – 30 seconds until a shaggy dough forms.
- On a floured surface, dump dough out of bowl and gather together. Use the heel of your hand to lightly knead dough a few times. (If it is too dry and crumbly, add 1 tbsp. ice water and work into dough.)
- Knead dough a few times on the counter until it comes together and looks smooth. Divide dough in half, shape into a disk and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Roll each half out to roughly 1/8” thickness (between sheets of parchment is helpful, if dough is sticking).
- Cut 14 circles out with 3 1/2 – 4" round cutter to make disks. Cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator until ready to fill.
Assemble and bake empanadas
- Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C / Gas mark 5.
- Remove dough discs from refrigerator and allow them to sit on the counter, covered, as you get ready to assemble empanadas.
- Make the egg wash by whisking egg and cream together. Set aside.
- Place 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of the empanada dough disk.
- Wet one edge with water, then fold in half. While pressing filling down, pinch closed with your fingers. Use a fork to crimp the edges together.
- Brush with egg wash, then cut 2 small slits on top. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 18 – 25 minutes, rotating halfway through, until golden brown. Cool slightly on baking sheet before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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