Street FoodMedium

Prawn Empanadas

Name: Prawn Empanadas
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 500 ml Oil for frying; 1 White onion; 2 Serrano chilli; 1 bunch Fresh coriander; 400 g Gambas crudas peladas; 500 g Cornflour (maseca); 2 Tomatoes; 1 tsp Salt

3.0(1 rating)

50 min (30 prep + 20 cook) Medium 6 servings Costas del Pacífico

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 24 Mar 2026 · Updated: 22 Jun 2026

Corn-dough empanadas filled with prawns, fried until golden.

About this recipe

Empanadas de camarón are a Mexican coastal snack: corn-dough parcels filled with prawns, tomato, onion and chilli, fried until golden and crispy. They are popular during Lent and along the Pacific coast.

History & Origin

Prawn empanadas have deep roots in coastal Mexican cookery, especially in the states of Sinaloa, Nayarit, Guerrero and Oaxaca. Their origin dates to the colonial era, when the Spanish tradition of empanadas merged with the pre-Hispanic corn dough and the abundant seafood of Mexico's coastlines. These empanadas are particularly important during Lent and Holy Week, when Catholic tradition forbids red meat and seafood dishes take centre stage. In Mexico's coastal markets, prawn empanadas are fried to order in front of the customer and served on paper with salsa and pickled onion. In Sinaloa they are made with ground dried prawns mixed into the dough, whilst in Guerrero they are filled with fresh sautéed prawns. Each region has its own variant, but all share the contrast between crispy dough and juicy prawn filling. They are a perfect example of how Mexican cookery has adapted outside influences to its own ingredients and techniques.

Estimated cost

£17.54

Total cost

£2.92

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

320

Calories

18g

Protein

28g

Carbohydrates

16g

Fat

Fibre

480mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Chop the prawns into small pieces. Sauté with onion, tomato, serrano chilli and salt until they are cocidos. Add chopped coriander.
2
Prepare the dough mixing the cornflour with warm water and salt until you get a dough soft that not pegue.
💡 La dough should estar damp pero manejable. Add water little by little.
3
Toma a ball of dough of the size of a lime, flatten it between dos plastic formando a disc of some 12 cm.
4
Place a generous tablespoon of filling on one half of the disc, fold over and seal by pressing the edges with a fork.
💡 Make sure to seal them well so they do not open while frying.
5
Heat the oil a 180°C and fry the empanadas 3-4 minutes on each side until golden and crispy.
6
Drain on papel absorbente and serve with green sauce, cream and lettuce.
💡 You can hornearlas a 200°C for 20 minutes como alternativa more ligera.

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Edmond Bojalil

Founder, Recetas Mexas

Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 1000+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for home kitchens worldwide. Based in Madrid since 2018.