empanada

American  

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

noun

Latin-American Cooking.

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

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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

empanada

He wasn’t the only one who refused to trade his hot dog for an empanada.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Last time I was there, it was the new-to-me Colombian spot, a Mexican empanada spot and a birria spot that sells it on top of pizza.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2024

You know those days when you would kill for an empanada?

From New York Times ● Jul. 5, 2023

Told she has “magic hands” as a masseuse in prison, Roach opens a massage parlor in the same building as an empanada shop.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 3, 2023

When he came back he handed me a big bag with a bean and cheese burrito, two chicken tacos and an empanada.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

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