[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":406},["ShallowReactive",2],{"recipe:salvadoran-empanadas-de-platano":3,"recipe:country:el-salvador":181},{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"pronunciation":7,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"emoji":10,"summary":11,"intro":12,"story":13,"whyThis":14,"tips":19,"substitutions":26,"variations":39,"serveWith":49,"storage":51,"faq":52,"equipment":68,"baseServings":73,"prepMinutes":74,"cookMinutes":75,"restMinutes":75,"difficulty":76,"course":77,"diet":80,"mainIngredients":82,"ingredients":87,"instructions":128,"nutrition":156,"images":162,"keywords":172,"publishedAt":179,"updatedAt":179,"authorSlug":180},"salvadoran-empanadas-de-platano","Empanadas de Plátano (Plantain Parcels with Milk Custard)","Empanadas de plátano","em-pah-NAH-dahs deh PLAH-tah-noh","el-salvador","Nationwide","🍌","Very ripe plantain mashed into a dough, wrapped around thick cinnamon milk custard, fried until the shell darkens, then rolled in sugar while still too hot to hold.","These are not pastry empanadas. The dough is boiled ripe plantain mashed smooth, dark and sweet, patted around a spoonful of leche poleada — a thick cornstarch-set milk custard scented with cinnamon — then deep-fried until the outside turns almost mahogany and forms a thin crisp shell over a soft, almost molten interior. Rolled in sugar straight out of the oil, they taste like caramelised banana with a warm vanilla-cinnamon centre. Salvadorans eat them for breakfast with coffee, or from a street cart in the afternoon, and they are always eaten hot.","Plantain-dough empanadas run down the Pacific side of Central America and into Colombia and Venezuela, but the Salvadoran version is defined by its filling. Leche poleada is a national sweet in its own right — milk thickened with cornstarch and egg yolk, flavoured with cinnamon, sometimes with a strip of lime zest, and eaten warm from a cup or set firm enough to slice. Spooning it into a plantain shell and frying the result is the kind of dessert logic that shows up wherever there is a lot of ripe fruit and a lot of milk.\n\nThe alternative filling, and in some households the older one, is sweetened refried beans. That sounds strange to visitors and is entirely normal in El Salvador, where the boundary between sweet and savoury bean preparations is much softer than in Europe: the beans are cooked down with panela until they are dark and jammy, which puts them closer to a red bean paste than to anything on a dinner plate. Street vendors usually sell both and expect to be asked which is which.\n\nTiming the plantain is the whole craft. The fruit has to be genuinely overripe — skin blackened, flesh yielding to a fingertip — because that is when the starch has converted to sugar and the mashed dough will be sweet and pliable enough to seal. A yellow plantain with green shoulders makes a dough that is starchy, bland and cracks apart in the pan. Salvadoran cooks buy plantains days ahead specifically to let them go past the point most people would consider edible, and the empanadas are the standard destination for a bunch that has turned all at once.",[15,16,17,18],"Sets the custard firm with cornstarch and yolk so it survives being wrapped and fried instead of running out.","Uses genuinely blackened plantains and explains what happens if you rush that — the single most common failure.","Adds a small amount of flour or cornstarch to bind the mash, which is what stops the dough splitting in hot oil.","Chills both dough and filling before shaping, making these possible for a cook who has never sealed anything before.",[20,21,22,23,24,25],"The plantains must be black, not yellow. If yours are still firm, leave them somewhere warm for two or three days — there is no shortcut.","Cook the custard until a spoon drawn across the pan base leaves a track that holds for a second before closing. Underset custard escapes into the fryer.","Chill the custard flat on a plate and the dough separately for at least 30 minutes. Cold filling is far easier to wrap.","Shape on a square of oiled parchment or cling film rather than in your hand — plantain dough is sticky and tears if you fight it.","Fry at a moderate 170°C. Hotter and the sugary plantain blackens before the inside warms through; cooler and the shell drinks oil.","Roll in sugar the moment they come out. Once the surface cools the sugar will not stick and simply falls off the plate.",[27,31,35],{"original":28,"swap":29,"note":30},"Leche poleada custard","Sweet refried beans cooked down with panela until jammy","The traditional alternative filling in El Salvador, not a compromise. Cook the beans until they hold their shape on a spoon.",{"original":32,"swap":33,"note":34},"Ripe plantain","Very ripe regular bananas mixed with a little more flour","A workable emergency version, but bananas are wetter and sweeter, so the dough needs more binding and the result is softer.",{"original":36,"swap":37,"note":38},"Cornstarch in the custard","Rice flour, or an extra egg yolk","Rice flour sets slightly less cleanly. Extra yolk gives a richer custard that needs more careful cooking to avoid scrambling.",[40,43,46],{"name":41,"description":42},"Empanadas de frijol","Filled with dark sweetened bean paste instead of custard. Sold side by side with the milk version at every street cart and just as traditional.",{"name":44,"description":45},"Rellenos de plátano","The same dough shaped into flatter, larger discs and filled more generously, sometimes baked rather than fried for a lighter result.",{"name":47,"description":48},"Plátanos en gloria","A related dish where whole ripe plantains are baked with cream, cheese and cinnamon rather than fried, and eaten with a spoon.",[50],"Strong black coffee — the Salvadoran breakfast pairing — or a glass of cold milk in the afternoon.","Best eaten within an hour of frying, when the shell is still crisp and the custard is warm. Fried empanadas keep 2 days refrigerated and can be revived in a 180°C oven for 8 minutes, though the sugar coating dissolves and the shell never returns to its original crispness. Uncooked shaped empanadas freeze well on a tray for up to a month and can be fried from frozen at a slightly lower temperature. The custard alone keeps 3 days chilled under cling film pressed to its surface.",[53,56,59,62,65],{"question":54,"answer":55},"How ripe do the plantains need to be?","Fully black-skinned and soft enough that your thumb sinks in with light pressure. At that stage the starch has converted to sugar, which is what makes the dough sweet, sticky and pliable. Yellow plantains produce a starchy dough that tastes bland and cracks open in the fryer. Buy them three or four days before you plan to cook.",{"question":57,"answer":58},"Why did my empanadas burst open in the oil?","Usually the seal, occasionally the filling. The dough must close completely with no thin patches, so shape them on oiled parchment and pinch the edges firmly. A custard that is too loose will also force its way out as it heats and expands, so make sure the filling is properly set and thoroughly chilled before you wrap it.",{"question":60,"answer":61},"Can I bake these instead of frying?","You can, at 200°C for about 20 minutes with the tops brushed in melted butter, and the result is lighter and less messy. It is not the same dish, though — baking gives a drier, cakier shell without the thin crisp crust and caramelised edges that frying produces. Roll them in cinnamon sugar as soon as they leave the oven.",{"question":63,"answer":64},"What is leche poleada?","A Salvadoran milk pudding thickened with cornstarch and egg yolk and flavoured with cinnamon, somewhere between a pastry cream and a loose blancmange. It is eaten warm on its own from a cup as well as used as a filling. Made slightly firmer than usual, it becomes the custard centre for these empanadas.",{"question":66,"answer":67},"Can I make the dough ahead?","Yes. Boiled and mashed plantain dough keeps a day in the fridge, tightly covered, and is actually easier to handle cold. Let it sit out for ten minutes before shaping so it becomes workable again. If it feels wet after chilling, knead in another tablespoon of flour or cornstarch.",[69,70,71,72],"Saucepan for the custard","Potato masher or fork","Deep pan or fryer with a thermometer","Slotted spoon",4,35,30,"medium",[78,79],"dessert","snack",[81],"vegetarian",[83,84,85,86],"plantain","milk","cornstarch","cinnamon",[88,92,97,101,106,109,113,117,119,122,126],{"ref":83,"qty":73,"unit":89,"name":90,"group":91},"piece","very ripe plantains, skins fully black","For the dough",{"ref":93,"qty":94,"unit":95,"name":96,"group":91},"flour",3,"tbsp","plain flour, plus more if needed",{"qty":98,"unit":99,"name":100,"group":91},1,"pinch","salt",{"ref":84,"qty":102,"unit":103,"name":104,"group":105},500,"ml","whole milk","For the custard",{"ref":85,"qty":107,"unit":108,"name":85,"group":105},45,"g",{"ref":110,"qty":111,"unit":89,"name":112,"group":105},"eggs",2,"egg yolks",{"ref":114,"qty":115,"unit":108,"name":116,"group":105},"brown-sugar",90,"sugar",{"ref":86,"qty":98,"unit":89,"name":118,"group":105},"cinnamon stick",{"qty":98,"unit":89,"name":120,"optional":121,"group":105},"strip of lime zest",true,{"qty":123,"unit":103,"name":124,"noScale":121,"group":125},800,"neutral oil, for frying","To fry and finish",{"qty":73,"unit":95,"name":127,"group":125},"sugar mixed with 1 tsp ground cinnamon, for rolling",[129,133,137,141,144,148,153],{"title":130,"text":131,"tip":132},"Make the custard first","Warm 400 ml of the milk with the cinnamon stick and lime zest until steaming, then fish out the aromatics. Whisk the cornstarch, sugar and yolks into the remaining cold milk, pour in the hot milk, return everything to the pan and cook over medium heat, whisking, until it thickens.","It is ready when a spoon dragged across the pan base leaves a track that holds for a second before closing over.",{"title":134,"text":135,"timerSeconds":136},"Chill the custard flat","Spread the custard on a plate, press cling film directly onto its surface to stop a skin forming, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until firm and cold enough to scoop into neat spoonfuls.",1800,{"title":138,"text":139,"timerSeconds":140},"Boil and mash the plantains","Peel {qty:plantain} of blackened plantains, cut them into chunks and boil in unsalted water for 12–15 minutes until a fork goes through with no resistance. Drain very well, then mash while hot until completely smooth with no lumps.",840,{"title":142,"text":143},"Bind the dough","Work the flour and salt into the warm mash until you have a soft, sticky dough that just holds together when squeezed. Add another spoonful of flour if it will not hold a shape, then cool it to room temperature.",{"title":145,"text":146,"tip":147},"Shape the parcels","On a square of oiled parchment, flatten a golf-ball of dough into a 10 cm disc. Place a heaped teaspoon of cold custard in the centre, lift the parchment to fold the dough over, and press the edges firmly closed into a sealed half-moon.","Check the seam by rolling it gently between your palms — any thin patch will open in the oil.",{"title":149,"text":150,"timerSeconds":151,"tip":152},"Fry until deep gold","Heat the oil to 170°C and fry the empanadas in small batches for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until the surface is deep amber and blistered and they float high in the oil. Lift out onto paper.",210,"Do not crowd the pan. Plantain dough is fragile and knocking two together while frying splits them.",{"title":154,"text":155},"Roll in sugar and eat hot","While they are still hot enough to steam, roll each empanada in the cinnamon sugar until coated, then let them sit for two minutes so the custard stops being molten. Serve immediately with coffee.",{"calories":157,"protein":158,"carbs":159,"fat":160,"fiber":94,"sugar":161,"estimated":121},430,7,68,15,36,[163,166,168,170],{"src":164,"alt":165},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsalvadoran-empanadas-de-platano\u002Fhero.jpg","Fried plantain empanadas rolled in cinnamon sugar, one broken open to show thick milk custard inside",{"src":167,"alt":165},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsalvadoran-empanadas-de-platano\u002Fhero-16x9.jpg",{"src":169,"alt":165},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsalvadoran-empanadas-de-platano\u002Fhero-4x3.jpg",{"src":171,"alt":165},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsalvadoran-empanadas-de-platano\u002Fhero-1x1.jpg",[173,174,175,176,177,178],"empanadas de platano","plantain dessert","leche poleada","salvadoran sweets","fried plantain","milk custard","2026-08-20","dishroute-kitchen",{"items":182,"total":187,"page":98,"limit":404,"hasMore":405},[183,212,237,244,272,293,318,340,362,384],{"slug":184,"title":185,"nativeName":186,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":73,"prepMinutes":187,"cookMinutes":160,"difficulty":188,"course":189,"diet":192,"mainIngredients":196,"images":201,"keywords":205,"publishedAt":179,"updatedAt":179,"authorSlug":180},"salvadoran-casamiento","Casamiento (Salvadoran Rice Married with Red Beans)","Casamiento",10,"easy",[190,191],"breakfast","side",[81,193,194,195],"vegan","gluten-free","dairy-free",[197,198,199,200],"rice","black-beans","onion","bell-pepper",[202],{"src":203,"alt":204},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsalvadoran-casamiento\u002Fhero.jpg","Plate of Salvadoran casamiento, red beans fried into stained rice, with plantain, fried egg and crema",[206,207,208,209,210,211],"casamiento","rice and beans","salvadoran breakfast","red silk beans","gallo pinto","leftover rice",{"slug":213,"title":214,"nativeName":215,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":216,"prepMinutes":217,"cookMinutes":218,"restMinutes":219,"difficulty":188,"course":220,"diet":221,"mainIngredients":222,"images":226,"keywords":230,"publishedAt":179,"updatedAt":179,"authorSlug":180},"salvadoran-curtido","Curtido (Salvadoran Lightly Fermented Cabbage Slaw)","Curtido",8,20,5,1440,[191],[81,193,194,195],[223,224,199,225],"cabbage","carrot","vinegar",[227],{"src":228,"alt":229},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsalvadoran-curtido\u002Fhero.jpg","Jar of Salvadoran curtido, shredded cabbage carrot and onion in cloudy vinegar brine with oregano",[231,232,233,234,235,236],"curtido","cabbage slaw","salvadoran pickle","fermented cabbage","pupusa topping","vinegar brine",{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":73,"prepMinutes":74,"cookMinutes":75,"restMinutes":75,"difficulty":76,"course":238,"diet":239,"mainIngredients":240,"images":241,"keywords":243,"publishedAt":179,"updatedAt":179,"authorSlug":180},[78,79],[81],[83,84,85,86],[242],{"src":164,"alt":165},[173,174,175,176,177,178],{"slug":245,"title":246,"nativeName":247,"countrySlug":8,"region":248,"baseServings":249,"prepMinutes":250,"cookMinutes":251,"restMinutes":252,"difficulty":253,"course":254,"diet":256,"mainIngredients":257,"images":261,"keywords":265,"publishedAt":179,"updatedAt":179,"authorSlug":180},"salvadoran-gallo-en-chicha","Gallo en Chicha (Rooster Stewed in Fermented Corn Wine)","Gallo en chicha","Western highlands",6,40,120,720,"hard",[255],"main",[195],[258,259,114,260],"chicken","corn","sesame-seeds",[262],{"src":263,"alt":264},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsalvadoran-gallo-en-chicha\u002Fhero.jpg","Dark glossy stew of rooster pieces with prunes in fermented corn sauce, served in a shallow bowl with rice",[266,267,268,269,270,271],"gallo en chicha","salvadoran festival food","fermented corn","chicha","sweet and sour stew","panela",{"slug":273,"title":274,"nativeName":275,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":249,"prepMinutes":217,"cookMinutes":160,"restMinutes":251,"difficulty":188,"course":276,"diet":278,"mainIngredients":279,"images":282,"keywords":286,"publishedAt":179,"updatedAt":179,"authorSlug":180},"salvadoran-horchata-de-morro","Horchata de Morro (Toasted Morro Seed Drink)","Horchata de morro",[277],"drink",[81,193,194,195],[260,280,197,281,86],"cocoa","peanuts",[283],{"src":284,"alt":285},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsalvadoran-horchata-de-morro\u002Fhero.jpg","Tall glass of Salvadoran horchata de morro, opaque nutty brown drink over ice with a cinnamon stick",[287,288,289,290,291,292],"horchata de morro","salvadoran drink","morro seeds","toasted seed drink","cacao","agua fresca",{"slug":294,"title":295,"nativeName":296,"countrySlug":8,"region":297,"baseServings":73,"prepMinutes":75,"cookMinutes":74,"difficulty":76,"course":298,"diet":300,"mainIngredients":302,"images":308,"keywords":312,"publishedAt":179,"updatedAt":179,"authorSlug":180},"salvadoran-mariscada","Mariscada Salvadoreña (Creamy Pacific Seafood Stew)","Mariscada salvadoreña","La Libertad and the Pacific coast",[255,299],"soup",[301,194],"pescatarian",[303,304,305,306,307],"shrimp","clams","white-fish","crab","heavy-cream",[309],{"src":310,"alt":311},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsalvadoran-mariscada\u002Fhero.jpg","Wide bowl of Salvadoran mariscada with shrimp, clams, crab and white fish in creamy orange achiote broth",[313,314,303,304,315,316,317],"mariscada","salvadoran seafood stew","achiote","pacific coast","creamy stew",{"slug":319,"title":320,"nativeName":321,"countrySlug":8,"region":322,"baseServings":73,"prepMinutes":75,"cookMinutes":323,"difficulty":76,"course":324,"diet":326,"mainIngredients":327,"images":329,"keywords":333,"publishedAt":179,"updatedAt":179,"authorSlug":180},"salvadoran-panes-con-pollo","Panes con Pollo (Salvadoran Braised Chicken Sandwiches)","Panes con pollo","San Salvador",55,[255,325],"street-food",[195],[258,328,260,315],"tomato",[330],{"src":331,"alt":332},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsalvadoran-panes-con-pollo\u002Fhero.jpg","Split Salvadoran roll filled with shredded chicken in red relajo sauce, watercress, radish and cucumber slices",[334,335,336,337,338,339],"panes con pollo","salvadoran sandwich","relajo","braised chicken","central american","pan con pavo",{"slug":341,"title":342,"nativeName":343,"countrySlug":8,"region":344,"baseServings":73,"prepMinutes":74,"cookMinutes":75,"restMinutes":187,"difficulty":76,"course":345,"diet":346,"mainIngredients":347,"images":351,"keywords":355,"publishedAt":179,"updatedAt":179,"authorSlug":180},"salvadoran-pupusas","Pupusas (Salvadoran Stuffed Corn Cakes)","Pupusas de queso con frijol","Central Valley",[325,255],[81,194],[348,349,350,198],"masa-harina","mozzarella","queso-fresco",[352],{"src":353,"alt":354},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsalvadoran-pupusas\u002Fhero.jpg","Stack of griddled Salvadoran pupusas with melted cheese escaping the seam, curtido and tomato salsa alongside",[356,357,358,359,231,360,361],"pupusas","salvadoran","masa","street food","stuffed corn cakes","national dish",{"slug":363,"title":364,"nativeName":365,"countrySlug":8,"region":366,"baseServings":249,"prepMinutes":250,"cookMinutes":367,"difficulty":253,"course":368,"diet":369,"mainIngredients":370,"images":373,"keywords":377,"publishedAt":179,"updatedAt":179,"authorSlug":180},"salvadoran-sopa-de-pata","Sopa de Pata (Salvadoran Cow Foot and Tripe Soup)","Sopa de pata","San Miguel and the east",240,[299,255],[194,195],[371,372,259,223],"tripe","cassava",[374],{"src":375,"alt":376},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsalvadoran-sopa-de-pata\u002Fhero.jpg","Deep bowl of Salvadoran sopa de pata with cow foot, tripe, corn rounds, cassava and cabbage in clear broth",[378,379,380,381,382,383],"sopa de pata","cow foot soup","tripe soup","salvadoran soup","green banana","gelatinous broth",{"slug":385,"title":386,"nativeName":387,"countrySlug":8,"region":388,"baseServings":73,"prepMinutes":389,"cookMinutes":390,"difficulty":76,"course":391,"diet":392,"mainIngredients":393,"images":395,"keywords":399,"publishedAt":179,"updatedAt":179,"authorSlug":180},"salvadoran-yuca-con-chicharron","Yuca con Chicharrón (Cassava with Fried Pork)","Yuca con chicharrón","Nationwide, especially town fairs",25,75,[255,325],[194,195],[372,394,328,223],"pork-belly",[396],{"src":397,"alt":398},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsalvadoran-yuca-con-chicharron\u002Fhero.jpg","Boiled cassava chunks topped with crackling fried pork and curtido on a banana leaf, tomato salsa poured over",[400,372,401,402,231,403],"yuca con chicharron","fried pork","salvadoran street food","banana leaf",24,false,1787360074878]