empanada

noun

em·​pa·​na·​da ˌem-pə-ˈnä-də 

: a turnover with a sweet or savory filling

Examples of empanada in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Just last month, her stepmother offered to pay for her plane ticket so Ellianna could return to Charlotte for her birthday this month with a promise to make a batch of her favorite empanadas. —Charlotte Observer, 10 Feb. 2026

Where Empanadas Meet Barbecue Picking a favorite brisket empanada is akin to picking a favorite child (maybe harder). —Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026

The pastry is different from most other empanada shells, and not just because of the color. —Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026

The couple were enjoying Little Havana’s urban life, which included regular morning walks for cafecito and an empanada. —Sherrilyn Cabrera, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish, from Spanish, feminine of empanado, past participle of empanar to bread, from em- (from Latin in-) + pan bread, from Latin panis — more at food

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for empanada

• arthropoda
• intifada
• theravada
• armada
• entrada
• espada
• hamada
• jornada
• kannada
• posada
• quebrada
• ramada