Breakfast Empanadas

Filled with sausage, potatoes, eggs, and melty cheese, these breakfast empanadas will be your new favorite on-the-go breakfast!

Course Appetizers

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword Breakfast Empanadas, Empanadas

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings empanadas

Calories 129kcal

Author Michele Feuerborn

Equipment

1 Non-stick skillet - A large non-stick skillet will be handy for cooking the breakfast sausage and scrambled eggs.
1 Baking Sheet - You'll need a baking sheet to place the empanadas for baking in the oven. Line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy clean-up.
1 Fork - A fork will be used to seal the empanada discs together and create those classic crimped edges.
1 whisk from Amazon.com (affiliate link) - You'll need a whisk to mix the scrambled eggs and the egg wash for brushing over the empanadas before baking.
1 mixing bowl - You'll need a large bowl or mixing bowl for when you remove the sausage and potatoes from the skillet while you cook the eggs.
1 Spatula - (Or Wooden Spoon) For cooking sausage and eggs
1 Brush - A pastry brush or a basting brush will come in handy for applying the egg wash to the empanadas.
1 Air Fryer - Optional equipment: If you prefer to use an air fryer, you can use it to cook the empanadas instead of baking them in the oven.

Ingredients

Empanadas

8 ounces ground breakfast sausage crumbled
½ recipe Leftover Texas Style Breakfast Potatoes
6 large eggs scrambled
Salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
20 each empanada discs thawed (I used Goya brand frozen empanada discs)

Egg Wash

1 large egg
1 tbsp water

Topping Suggestions

Instructions

Filling Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (see notes)
Crumble the sausage and cook it in a large non-stick skillet as directed on the package. Remove casings if needed
Add leftover breakfast potatoes to the skillet and cook until heated through. Give this mixture a taste and season to your tastes. Remove from the skillet, being sure to leave any oil in the skillet, and set aside. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
In the same non-stick skillet scramble the eggs in the sausage fat. Add a tablespoon of unsalted butter if the skillet is too dry. Taste and season to your liking. Remove the cooked eggs to a bowl for assembling the empanadas.

Assembly

Working with one empanada disc at a time, roll the disc out slightly with a rolling pin as directed on the package, then add 1 tablespoon each of the sausage mixture, scrambled eggs, and shredded cheese to the middle of the disc.
Fold dough over the filling and seal by pressing the top and bottom edges of the disc together with a fork.. Be sure no filling comes in contact with the very edge so you can have a tight seal. Place empanadas on a parchment covered baking sheet and continue to fill each disc in the same manner.
Whisk 1 egg with 1 tbsp water and brush empanadas with the egg wash. Be careful to brush lightly and not drip a lot on the parchment paper. Be sure to cover the top side of the empanada, including the edge, with a light coating of egg wash.

Baking

Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Ovens will vary, so add or reduce time as needed and take them out of the oven when browned to your liking.

Notes

If I don’t have leftover Texas Style Breakfast Potatoes, I make a whole batch of the recipe and purchase 16 ounces of sausage. I cook the entire 16 ounces of sausage, mix it with the potatoes and then freeze half of it to have on hand to make these breakfast empanadas again another day.
If using a convection oven, preheat to 375 degrees F and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Ovens will vary, so add or reduce time as needed and take them out of the oven when browned to your liking.
Air fryer instructions: Place assembled empanadas in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Repeat with remaining empanadas until all are cooked.

Nutrition