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Japanese Curry Empanadas (Air Fryer Recipe)

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If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you’ll have seen these come together in my WHIWMADC series. So here it is: Japanese curry empanadas, made completely from scratch, right down to the dough, and finished in the air fryer for a crisp, golden shell without deep frying.

This one sits right in my sweet spot – a classic Spanish format (empanadas) with a Japanese curveball (Japanese Curry filling). The result is somehow exactly what it sounds like it should be: a warm, savoury, slightly sweet curry filling wrapped in flaky, buttery pastry.

What Is WHIWMADC?

WHIWMADC stands for What Happens If We Make A Dish Combining – a series where I draw three cards and design a recipe that brings them together in a way that actually makes sense to eat.

The Cards Drawn for This Recipe

Japanese
Spanish
Using an Airfryer

Why This Recipe Works

  • The dough is genuinely from scratch – no shortcuts, no store-bought pastry — but it comes together in under 15 minutes of hands-on time.
  • The curry filling is deliberately thick. This is the one non-negotiable step: a too-wet filling will blow out your seal in the air fryer. Cook it down until it holds its shape on a spoon.
  • Air frying instead of deep frying means you get a crisp, golden empanada without a pot of hot oil – easier clean-up and a lighter bite.

Ingredients

For the dough:

-350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

100g cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 large egg

100ml ice-cold water

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tsp fine salt

1 tsp caster sugar

For the curry filling:

1 tbsp neutral oil

400g boneless chicken thighs, diced small

1 brown onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

1 potato, finely diced

1 S&B Japanese curry cube (e.g. Golden Curry) 92g, chopped

200ml water

1 tsp soy sauce

To finish:

1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

Black and White sesame seeds

Method

1. Make the dough

Whisk the flour, salt, and sugar together. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, water, and vinegar, then pour into the flour mixture. Mix with a fork, then bring together into a rough dough – don’t overwork it. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

2. Build the curry filling

While the dough chills, heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion, carrot, and potato until softened and starting to turn golden, about 7 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Pour in the water and soy sauce, cover, and simmer until the vegetables and chicken are tender, around 10 minutes.

3. Thicken – the most important step

Remove from heat and stir in the chopped curry cube until fully dissolved. Return to low heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring often, until the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon with no liquid pooling. This takes about 8 minutes and is what stops your empanadas from leaking or splitting in the air fryer.
Spread the filling on a tray and refrigerate until completely cool – at least 30 minutes.

4. Assemble

Roll the chilled dough to about 3mm thick and cut into 12–14cm rounds. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of cold filling into the centre of each. Brush the edge with egg wash, fold into a half-moon, and press firmly to seal. Crimp with a fork or pleat by hand for the classic edge.
Rest the sealed empanadas in the fridge for 15 minutes before frying – this helps the seal hold.

5. Air fry

Preheat the air fryer to 180°C (356°F). Brush both sides of each empanada with egg wash and lightly spray the basket with oil. Air fry in a single layer, not touching, for about 14 minutes, flipping halfway, until deep golden and crisp.
Let rest for a couple of minutes before serving – the filling is very hot straight out of the air fryer.

Troubleshooting

My empanadas split or leaked in the air fryer.

This almost always means the filling wasn’t thick enough or wasn’t fully cooled before assembling. Warm or wet filling creates steam inside the pastry, which pushes the seams apart. Cook the filling down further and make sure it’s cold before filling.

The dough was tough, not flaky.

The dough was likely overworked, or the butter got too warm while mixing. Handle it as little as possible and keep everything cold – pop the dough back in the fridge for 10 minutes if it starts to feel soft or sticky while rolling.

The pastry didn’t brown evenly.

Usually a crowded air fryer basket. Cook in batches with space between each empanada, and make sure both sides get a coat of egg wash.

The seal came apart during cooking.

Press the edges firmly and crimp well – a fork works, but a tight hand-pleat gives a more reliable seal than crimping alone.

Variations

Beef curry empanadas

swap the chicken thigh for diced beef chuck or mince; you’ll need a slightly longer simmer time to tenderise.

Vegetarian

swap the chicken for extra potato, pumpkin, or firm tofu, and use a vegetable-based curry roux.

Spicy

use a hot Japanese curry roux block, or stir in a spoon of chilli oil or shichimi togarashi when thickening the filling.

Cheese-curry empanadas

add a small cube of mozzarella or cheddar to the centre of the filling before sealing, for a melty pull.

Curry katsu empanadas

fold a piece of crumbed, cooked chicken katsu into the filling for extra texture alongside the curry sauce.

Tips for Success

Don’t skip cooling the filling.

Warm filling steams the dough from the inside and makes it impossible to seal properly.

Work in batches.

Crowding the air fryer basket stops the pastry from crisping evenly on all sides.

Freezer-friendly.

Freeze the uncooked, sealed empanadas on a tray until solid, then bag them up. Air fry straight from frozen at 170°C, adding a few extra minutes to the cook time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different protein?

Yes – this filling works well with diced pork, any mince or firm tofu if you want a vegetarian version (use a vegetable stock cube instead of chicken-based Golden Curry blocks, if avoiding meat entirely).

Can I bake these instead of air frying?

Yes. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for about 20–25 minutes, until deep golden, flipping halfway.

What curry cube should I use?

Any Japanese curry roux block works – S&B Golden Curry is what I used, but any you can get your hands on works just fine. Medium heat is a safe default; go mild if you’re serving kids.

Storage

Fridge: Cooked empanadas keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 4–5 minutes to bring back the crisp – microwaving will make the pastry soft.

Freezer (uncooked): Freeze sealed, unfried empanadas on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Keeps for up to 2 months. Air fry straight from frozen at 170°C, adding a few extra minutes to the cook time.

Freezer (cooked): Also freezes well once cooked – cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before bagging. Reheat from frozen in the air fryer at 170°C for about 10 minutes

Japanese Curry Empanadas (Air Fryer Recipe)

Crispy empanadas stuffed with a rich Japanese curry chicken filling, made in the air fryer. A fusion recipe you'll make on repeat.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Chilling Time 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 10
Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese, Spanish
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the dough:
  • 350 g plain flour plus extra for dusting
  • 100 g cold unsalted butter cubed
  • 1 large egg
  • 100 ml ice-cold water
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
For the curry filling:
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 400 g boneless chicken thighs diced small
  • 1 brown onion finely diced
  • 1 carrot finely diced
  • 1 potato finely diced
  • 1 S&B Japanese curry cube e.g. Golden Curry 92g, chopped
  • 200 ml water
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
To finish:
  • 1 egg beaten, for egg wash
  • Black and White sesame seeds

Method
 

Make the dough
  1. Whisk the flour, salt, and sugar together. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, water, and vinegar, then pour into the flour mixture. Mix with a fork, then bring together into a rough dough — don't overwork it. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Build the curry filling
  1. While the dough chills, heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion, carrot, and potato until softened and starting to turn golden, about 7 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Pour in the water and soy sauce, cover, and simmer until the vegetables and chicken are tender, around 10 minutes.
Thicken — the most important step
  1. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped curry cube until fully dissolved. Return to low heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring often, until the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon with no liquid pooling. This takes about 8 minutes and is what stops your empanadas from leaking or splitting in the air fryer.
  2. Spread the filling on a tray and refrigerate until completely cool — at least 30 minutes.
Assemble
  1. Roll the chilled dough to about 3mm thick and cut into 12–14cm rounds. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of cold filling into the centre of each. Brush the edge with egg wash, fold into a half-moon, and press firmly to seal. Crimp with a fork or pleat by hand for the classic edge.
  2. Rest the sealed empanadas in the fridge for 15 minutes before frying — this helps the seal hold.
Air fry
  1. Preheat the air fryer to 180°C (356°F). Brush both sides of each empanada with egg wash and sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds. Air fry in a single layer, not touching, for about 14 minutes, flipping halfway, until deep golden and crisp.
  2. Let rest for a couple of minutes before serving - the filling is very hot straight out of the air fryer.
  3. Serve with Japanese Mayo if desired.

Notes

Loved this one? Catch the full step-by-step in the WHIWMADC episode on Instagram, and let me know in the comments if you want more Japanese-Spanish fusion recipes like this.

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Mon Mack Food is my little space to share my passion for food. It is also a place to document the recipes I’ve created while cooking for friends and family! While it is now just a hobby, my absolute dream is to build this project into something I can one day call my job 🙂

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