🇪🇨 Ecuadorian Cuisine

Empanadas de Viento

Wind Empanadas

Prep Time 30 min

Servings 8

Difficulty Medium

Calories 286 kcal

Puffy, balloon-like deep-fried empanadas filled with melted cheese that inflate dramatically during frying, dusted with sugar — a beloved Ecuadorian street snack.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter, cold and cubed
1 egg
3/4 cup warm water
300g mozzarella or queso fresco, cubed
Oil for deep frying
Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

1 Mix flour, salt, 1 tbsp sugar. Cut in cold butter until crumbly.
2 Add egg and warm water. Knead into a smooth, elastic dough. Rest 15 min.
3 Roll thin and cut 12cm circles. Place cheese cubes in center.
4 Fold in half, seal edges tightly by pressing with a fork. No air gaps.
5 Deep fry at 180°C (350°F). They will puff dramatically into balloons. Fry until golden.
6 Drain and dust immediately with powdered sugar. Serve hot.

Did You Know?

They are called "de viento" (of wind) because they inflate like balloons during frying — the steam inside creates an airy pocket around the melted cheese.