empanada

American

[em-puh-nah-duh, em-pah-nah-thah] / ˌɛm pəˈnɑ də, ˌɛm pɑˈnɑ ðɑ /

noun

Latin-American Cooking.

a turnover or mold of pastry filled with chopped or ground meat, vegetables, fruit, etc., and usually baked or fried.

Etymology

Origin of empanada

First recorded in 1920–25; from Latin American Spanish, equivalent to em- em- ¹ + pan “bread” + -ada, feminine of -ado -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For breakfast they ate fruits and fried empanadas stuffed with salty cheese and covered in crystal sugar.

From Literature

She has witnessed immigration agents detaining street vendors selling tamales, chicharrónes and empanadas.

From BBC

The rest of the menu is just as impressive, featuring Argentine empanadas with a variety of fillings, provoleta — a gooey roasted cheese — pastas, prosciutto served with melon, and multiple potato sides.

From Salon

We brunched on the restaurant’s chorizo omelet, braised beef empanadas and a towering lemon berry French toast.

From Los Angeles Times

Martínez said she enjoyed trying Argentine specialties including empanadas and yerba mate and also came away with a deep fascination for Wilson’s phalaropes.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023