Antojitos House serves Honduran and Venezuelan food at the end of a strip mall in Hillsboro. The crunchy, thin, fried corn crust adds great texture to the beef empanada, which comes stuffed with ground beef, green and red peppers, potatoes, and garlic. The restaurant’s spicy sauce adds a great kick to the empanada, as well. Antojitos House offers dine-in and takeout.

Located in the BG food cartel in Beaverton, this food cart slings out Argentinian empanadas using the owners’ grandmother’s recipes. The namesake empanada, wrapped in a light puff pastry, balances the richness of the beef with sweet onions, peppers, eggs, potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes. If the weather is nice, grab a couple of empanadas and enjoy on one of the many picnic tables available. Abuela Chona is available for takeout and delivery.

This small, vibrant Filipino bakery in downtown Portland is known for its fresh and local breads and pastries; however, the bakery’s empanadas are a must-order. The empanada’s beef filling is complemented well by the sweetness of carrots and raisins, and the slightly sweet, buttery crust. Available for takeout or delivery.

This cheery North Portland Peruvian restaurant serves a pale blonde empanada dusted in powdered sugar, filled with a knockout aji de gallina: shredded chicken, nuts, egg, and cheese tossed in a gently spiced, bright yellow aji amarillo sauce. Casa Zoraya is open for dine-in and takeout.

Established by a Colombian architect and his wife, this downtown food cart is primarily known for its arepas — still, the cart’s cheese empanadas are stunning; no order is complete without them. The cheese empanada is filled with stringy mozzarella cheese and is brightened by a bit of brown sugar to give it a mildly sweeter taste. The crispy-fried corn crust wrap highlights and subdues the sweetness of the filling. El Pilon is available for takeout or for delivery through various apps.

Pop-up-turned-restaurant Miami Nice is now located next to Olé Olé, in a colorful restaurant space adorned with painted flamingos. This vegan restaurant’s empanadas did not disappoint. The “O.G.” empanada, wrapped in a golden-fried crust dotted with bubbles, comes filled with a soy picadillo. The picadillo’s salty Spanish olives paired well with the crispiness of the pastry. It is available for takeout, but outdoor seating is available. 

This Argentinian food cart is located in the open-air Portland Mercado, serving a number of filled empanadas, stuffed with vegetables, shredded chicken, and herbs. Still, the restaurant’s beef empanada is the move: Wrapped in a baked wheat crust, the filling’s briny olives are perked up with red bell peppers and onions, all tossed with seared ground beef, eggs and onion. The empanada is available for takeout, but outdoor seating at the Mercado is available.

Owned by Columbian expats Andres Felipe Perez and Karen Castaneda, this food cart next door to Alecocina serves traditional Columbian cuisine like patacones and almojabanas. Filled with ample shredded beef, the star of the cart’s empanada is the crispy, golden-fried corn crust. The mildly spicy tomato onion salsa that comes on the side adds a welcome tang to the beef filling, as well. Que Bacano offers takeout, and the Portland Mercado offers outdoor seating for those who want to stay.