Is an Empanada Vegetarian? (It Depends on the Filling & Dough)

An empanada is a filled pastry, and the answer depends on two things: what is inside and what the dough is made of. Here is how to tell a vegetarian empanada from a meat one, and a vegan one from both.

Key Takeaways

• Empanadas vary: the filling can be beef, chicken, cheese or vegetables.
• The dough may be made with lard or butter, which makes it non-vegan.
• Cheese and vegetable empanadas are vegetarian; meat fillings are not.
• A vegan empanada uses oil-based dough and a plant filling.

TL;DR: Empanadas vary: the filling can be beef, chicken, cheese or vegetables, and the dough may be made with lard or butter. A cheese or vegetable empanada is vegetarian; a vegan one uses oil-based dough and plant fillings.

The two things that decide it

1. The filling: classic fillings are beef, chicken or ham-and-cheese (not vegetarian); cheese, spinach, corn or mushroom fillings are vegetarian.
2. The dough: traditionally made with lard or butter (not vegan), though many bakeries use vegetable oil or margarine.

So even a “vegetable” empanada can be non-vegan because of the dough.

How to find a vegan empanada

• Look for “vegan” or “vegetarian” labeling (check the dough for lard/butter).
• Ask the vendor: “¿la masa lleva manteca o mantequilla?” (does the dough contain lard or butter?).
• Fillings like spinach, corn (humita), mushroom or lentil are the plant-based options.

The bottom line

• Vegetarian? Cheese or vegetable filling: skip beef/chicken.
• Vegan? Oil-based dough + plant filling.

See our Empanada dish guide for the full breakdown.

Check before you eat. The Verify Veg app scans a barcode or reads an ingredient list from a photo and flags ingredients against your diet (vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher, Jain and more). Download on the App Store - Android is coming soon.

Written by Samir Narain, founder of Verify Veg. Verify Veg helps people check packaged food against their diet by scanning barcodes and reading ingredient lists from photos.

Note: Verify Veg provides ingredient-based compatibility checks, not certification. Recipes and preparations vary by restaurant, region and cook, so always confirm with the restaurant, brand or vendor.