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Empanadas from Miami Nice
Miami Nice / Official

Where to Find Excellent Empanadas Across the Portland Area

From empanadas filled with braised beef or melty cheese to vegan versions with soy picadillo

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Empanadas from Miami Nice
| Miami Nice / Official

Empanadas, or sweet-or-savory filled pastries wrapped in a baked or fried dough, are the ultimate comfort food: easily portable, empanadas make great couch tv watching or outdoor picnic meals. Luckily, Portland is home to a number of restaurants specializing in cuisines from countries throughout Latin America and the Philippines, which each have their own version of the hand pie. Some come wrapped in corn flour doughs, while others stick to wheat; some hit a fryer, while others end up in an oven. This map focuses on savory empanadas, filled with everything from braised beef to melty cheese; for more Latin American fare, check out our broader restaurant map.

A number of Portland restaurants have resumed dine-in service. The level of service offered is indicated on each map point. However, this should not be taken as endorsement for dining in, as there are still safety concerns: for updated information on coronavirus cases in your area, please visit the Oregon Health Authority’s COVID update page. Studies indicate that there is a lower exposure risk when outdoors, but the level of risk involved with patio dining is contingent on restaurants following strict social distancing and other safety guidelines.

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Antojitos House

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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.

Abuela Chona

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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.

St. Barbra Pinoy Bakery

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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.

A grand dame of Peruvian food in the Pearl, Andina is still open for takeout and delivery, which includes its menu of empanadas. Flaky and light, Andina’s empanadas come filled with everything from slow-cooked beef with raisins and olives to spinach, cheese, and mushroom. But the restaurant’s version filled with local ground lamb, gently seasoned with cumin and cilantro, is the standout.

Casa Zoraya

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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.

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Empanada de aji de gallina! #peruvian #brunch #food

A post shared by Shannon Johnson (@thefoodiephotgrapher) on

El Pilón

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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.

Located in the historic Smith’s Block Building, Lechon specializes in South American cuisine in the heart of downtown Portland. The piquillo pepper empanada is a melty cheese lover’s dream, filled with gooey queso, onions, parsley, and of course, piquillo peppers. The slightly spicy filling is baked in a chewy wheat dough crust. Lechon is available through takeout or dine-in; the outdoor seating provides a great view of the waterfront.

Miami Nice

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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. 

Alecocina

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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.

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Empanadas , Beef , onion and cheese, chicken, spinach,

A post shared by Alecocina (@alecocinapdx) on

Que Bacano! Sabor Colombiano Bakery

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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.

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Antojitos House

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.

Abuela Chona

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.

St. Barbra Pinoy Bakery

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.

Andina

A grand dame of Peruvian food in the Pearl, Andina is still open for takeout and delivery, which includes its menu of empanadas. Flaky and light, Andina’s empanadas come filled with everything from slow-cooked beef with raisins and olives to spinach, cheese, and mushroom. But the restaurant’s version filled with local ground lamb, gently seasoned with cumin and cilantro, is the standout.

Casa Zoraya

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.

View this post on Instagram

Empanada de aji de gallina! #peruvian #brunch #food

A post shared by Shannon Johnson (@thefoodiephotgrapher) on

El Pilón

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.

Lechon

Located in the historic Smith’s Block Building, Lechon specializes in South American cuisine in the heart of downtown Portland. The piquillo pepper empanada is a melty cheese lover’s dream, filled with gooey queso, onions, parsley, and of course, piquillo peppers. The slightly spicy filling is baked in a chewy wheat dough crust. Lechon is available through takeout or dine-in; the outdoor seating provides a great view of the waterfront.

Miami Nice

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. 

Alecocina

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.

View this post on Instagram

Empanadas , Beef , onion and cheese, chicken, spinach,

A post shared by Alecocina (@alecocinapdx) on

Que Bacano! Sabor Colombiano Bakery

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.

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