umami

Ground Pork Empanadas

Ingredients

Before we get cooking, here’s everything you need. Check items off as you go — at home or in the store.

In a skillet over medium high heat add oil. Once hot, add pork and cook, breaking up into small pieces, until pork is no longer pink and reaches a temperature of 160°F. Add onions and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes.
Add tomato paste, adobo, sazón, and garlic powder. Stir until mixture is fragrant and tomato paste has darkened in color, about 2-3 minutes.
Stir in water until fully incorporated into pork mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until thicken, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in olives and cool. Preheat air fryer to 375°F.
While pork mixture is cooling, use a 4½-inch cookie cutter to cut 12 discs out of the pie crust dough, rolling out scraps to use as much of the dough as possible.
For each empanada, fill disc of pie dough with 2-3 tablespoons of pork mixture. Use fingers to lightly wet one half of the disc and fold over the dough, firmly pressing the crust edges together. Starting at one end of the half-moon, use fingers to fold and pinch the outer edge of the dough in about a ¼-inch, repeating every half inch. This will create a crimped braided edge. Repeat with remaining discs.
Spray with empanadas with cooking spray and cook in batches in preheated air fryer for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with salsa verde if desired.