BrazilianMedium · Hot
Mini Feijoada Empanadas with Pickled Onion and Lime Crema
Mini hand-held empanadas stuffed with rich feijoada of black beans, pork belly and sausage, finished with tangy pickled onion and a bright lime crema.
Prep
25 min
Cook
50 min
Total
1h 15m
Method
1
Cut pork belly into 2 cm cubes, season with 1 tsp salt and set aside. Slice sausage into 1 cm rounds.
2
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add pork belly cubes and render for 8-10 minutes until golden and fat is released. Transfer pork to a plate.
3
In the same pot, add sausage rounds and brown for 4-5 minutes until caramelized. Remove and set aside with pork belly.
4
Reduce heat to medium. Add diced yellow onion to the pot and sauté 5-6 minutes until translucent and softened.
5
Stir in minced garlic, diced tomato, and diced bell pepper. Cook 4-5 minutes until vegetables soften and release their juices.
6
Add drained black beans, cumin, black pepper, and 150 ml water. Stir well to combine.
7
Return pork belly and sausage to the pot. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and beans are very tender. Remove from heat and let cool completely before filling empanadas.
8
Slice 1 yellow onion into thin half-moons. Place in a bowl, add white vinegar, lime juice from 1 lime, and a pinch of salt. Toss well and massage onions for 1 minute. Set aside to macerate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.
9
In a small bowl, combine sour cream, lime juice from 1 lime, and a pinch of salt. Whisk until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
10
In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, cold diced butter, and a pinch of salt. Rub butter into flour with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
11
Add cold water gradually, mixing with a fork until dough comes together. Knead briefly for 2-3 minutes until smooth.
12
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
13
On a floured surface, roll dough to 3 mm thickness. Cut into 10 cm rounds using a cutter or inverted bowl.
14
15
Heat sunflower oil in a wide pan over medium heat to 175°C (a cube of bread should sizzle immediately).
16
Fry empanadas in batches of 3-4 for 3-4 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
B
Nutri-Score
Good balance
A–E · lower is better · score 0
Calories
1752
per serving
High in saturated fat · 36gCalorie-dense · 1752 kcalSource of fibre · 24gLow sugar · 12g
Protein
41g
Carbs
137g
Fat
117g
Sat. fat
36g
Fiber
24g
Sugar
12g
Sodium
1336mg
Contains DairyContains GlutenNon VeganNon Vegetarian
Nutri-Score is a general nutritional-balance guide, not medical or dietary advice.
D
Environmental impact
High impact
A–E · lower is better · includes estimates
kg CO2e
2.1
per serving
DCarbonAEU all-round· carbon sets the grade
Water
0.8m³
Runoff
0.2g P
Pork Belly drives 30% of this recipe’s estimated footprint.
Carbon from Poore & Nemecek 2018; water, land & runoff from Agribalyse — modelled averages for comparing recipes, not a measurement of your groceries.
Flavor Profile
8
Umami
4
Sweet
5
Salty
3
Sour
2
Bitter
4
Spicy
Textures
CreamyCrispyRichTender
Aromas
EarthyHerbalPungentSmoky
Kitchen Equipment
Primary Tool
Dutch OvenSafety & Storage
Cooking Temperature
Fry empanadas at 175°C - use thermometer to verify oil temperature; too hot causes burning, too cool makes them greasy and undercooked.
Pork belly must reach minimum 63°C internal temperature during initial searing to eliminate parasites and bacteria before final simmering.
High Risk Population
This dish contains pork and dairy - pregnant individuals, elderly, and immunocompromised persons should ensure pork is fully cooked to safe temperatures.
Cross Contamination
Keep raw pork and sausage separate from ready-to-eat components like pickled onion and lime crema during all preparation stages.
Use separate cutting boards for raw meat and vegetables to prevent bacterial transfer.
Storage
Cool feijoada filling completely before refrigerating; do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours total (includes preparation and cooling time).
Assembled unbaked empanadas must be refrigerated and cooked within 24 hours for food safety.
Equipment Safety
Never leave hot oil unattended; have lid or fire extinguisher nearby when deep frying at 175°C.
Do not overcrowd pan when frying - cook in batches of 3-4 to maintain oil temperature and prevent dangerous splashing.
Handling
Handle pickled onion only with clean utensils during maceration to prevent microbial contamination.
Pro Tips
Technique
Your feijoada filling must be completely cold before you fill those empanadas — a warm filling turns the dough soggy and you lose that beautiful golden crunch we want.
Time Saver
Make the feijoada the day before and let it cool overnight in the fridge. The flavors meld beautifully and you will thank yourself the next day when assembly is quick.
Flavor Boost
When you fry the pork belly, let it get truly golden — that caramelization is the backbone of the whole empanada, so do not rush this step.
Substitution
If you cannot find pork belly, you can increase the sausage quantity, but make sure to render it slowly so the fat melts properly into the beans.
From the chef
Feijoada — pork belly and sausage slow-cooked with black beans, onion, garlic, tomato, and bell pepper until the whole thing is rich and thick and clinging — gets folded into hand-made empanada dough and fried until golden. The filling is the kind of thing you want in a bowl on a cold night, but wrapped in pastry it becomes something you can pass around a table and everyone eats standing up, happy. The pickled onion gives you brightness and a little bite, the lime crema smooths everything out. One bite and you get smoky, tangy, creamy, and crisp all at once — that is the whole point.
TagsBrazilianFriedHandheldPorkBlack BeansPickledCremaMiniEmpanadasLime
AllergensWheatMilkSulfites
Source: generated · June 13, 2026