Venezuelan turnovers
A weeknight-friendly Venezuela side built around ground beef, capers and tomato sauce — roughly 95 minutes start to finish, and rated involved to make. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 13 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At involved difficulty across 13 steps, it's worth setting aside proper time for.
What you'll need
Shopping list (5)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: contains meat, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: none of the major allergens we track from the ingredients listed.
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Season meat with Adobo.
- In skillet, heat oil on medium high.
- Cook meat until pink is gone.
- Stir in onion, pepper, garlic, alcaparras, tomato sauce and Sazón.
- Cook, stirring often until most of the liquid has evaporated (about 20 minutes).
- Cool.
- Prepared dough should be moist and should hold together, but it should not stick to your fingers.
- Start with about ½ cup of dough and roll into a ball between palms of your hands.
- Working on a sheet of non-stick parchment paper, form the ball into a 5-inch circle about ⅛ inch thick.
- Place a generous tbsp. of filling on one half of circle and using parchment paper close dough over to form a semi-circle.
- To seal and trim edges of the empanada, press lip of inverted bowl over semi-circle shaped patty.
- Repeat for all the Empanadas.
- In large skillet on medium high, heat ½ inch of oil until hot but not smoking. Cook empanadas in batches, turning once or twice until lightly browned. Drain on paper towel. Do not over crowd skillet or let oil get too hot.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan
Watch how it's made
Hosted on YouTube — pressing play loads content from YouTube.
What to serve with Venezuelan turnovers
- Venezuelan Sancocho Beef
- Venezuelan Coconut Chicken Chicken
- Venezuelan Shredded Beef Beef
- Arepa pelua Beef
Tips & common questions
How long does Venezuelan turnovers take to make?
About 95 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 13 steps and 13 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Structured source recipe — not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Recipe data for Venezuelan turnovers via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.