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Air Fryer Lasagna Empanadas

A handheld Latin treat, with an Italian twist

Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine Italian, Mexican
Keyword Air Fryer, Empanadas
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 12 Empanadas

Ingredients

  • 1 pack store-bought empanada shells
  • 2 lasagna noodles cooked al dente
  • 1 16 oz homemade pasta sauce or store-bought
  • 8 oz ricotta cheese
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella or pre-shredded
  • 8 oz ground beef optional
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic minced
  • 1 small yellow onion chopped
  • dried basil and oregano to taste

Instructions

Sauce

  1. Prepare sauce as you would when making lasagna. Use store-bought sauce or follow my recipe below.

  2. If you are using ground beef, saute your onion and garlic in olive oil for about about five minutes. Add ground beef, season with salt and pepper, cook until brown, and then add to the sauce.

Pasta

  1. Cook one or two noodles according to package directions. Slice into 1/4-inch strips and set aside.

Filling

  1. Add 1 Tbsp. of sauce, then add two to three strips of the lasagna noodles. Add one small tsp. of ricotta cheese and top that with another scoop of sauce, followed by a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella.

  2. Fold the empanada shell over, pressing down around the edges to seal closed.

Cook

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 360°F. Brush empanadas with olive oil and sprinkle with basil and oregano. When heated, place empanadas in air fryer and cook for five minutes on each side until light golden brown.

  2. Let cool for a few minutes and serve with extra sauce for dipping.

Recipe Notes

Sauce Recipe: 

Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add three or four mashed cloves of garlic and cook until garlic is brown. Remove garlic from oil and add a Tbsp. of fresh chopped basil. Add 16 oz. of crushed tomatoes and 16 oz. of diced tomatoes to the pan (be careful, as the oil will pop). Stir and let simmer for 15 minutes so the oil can incorporate into the tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, dried oregano, and basil to taste. Then mix with any cooked meat to simmer.