Tuna Empanada Recipe: Easy Galician Savory Pie Classic 2026

This tuna empanada is a Galician classic that turns a simple sofrito of sweet onion and pepper into something deeply savory. Canned tuna, crushed tomato and chopped hard-boiled egg get folded in, and the whole thing is wrapped in a soft olive-oil dough. The result is a juicy, golden pie that is just as good warm from the oven as it is cold the next day.

The dough is where this recipe earns its keep. A portion of the olive oil used to cook the sofrito gets saved and worked straight into the flour, which gives the crust its tender crumb and a lovely toasted color. It is a small trick, but it makes a real difference.

It is also a very forgiving recipe. You can skip the pepper, lean harder on the onion, or leave out the hard-boiled egg entirely if that is not your thing. Because it is eaten with your hands and tastes great at room temperature, it is an easy choice for a casual dinner or a table full of guests.

Ingredients for Tuna Empanada

This makes 12 generous servings.

• 400 g onion
• Half a small red pepper
• 3 eggs
• 300 ml mild olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 100 g crushed tomato
• 400 g canned tuna, drained
• Salt
• 500 g wheat flour
• 100 ml oil from the filling
• 200 ml water
• Salt
• 1 beaten egg, for brushing

How to Make Tuna Empanada Step by Step

1. Chop the Onion and Pepper

Start by peeling the onion and cutting it into small pieces. Wash and chop the half red pepper too, then set both aside. Keeping the pieces small helps them melt down into a soft, sweet sofrito rather than staying chunky.

2. Boil, Peel and Chop the Eggs

Put the 3 eggs in a saucepan with cold water and count 10 minutes from the moment the water comes to a boil. When the time is up, lift the eggs out and let them cool slightly before peeling. Chop them and set aside to add to the empanada later.

3. Make the Sofrito

In a wide skillet, heat 300 ml of mild olive oil. Add the chopped onion and pepper along with 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika. Cook the sofrito over medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until everything is soft and sweet.

4. Drain the Sofrito and Save Some Oil

Once the 30 minutes are up, take the skillet off the heat. Reserve 100 ml of the oil from the filling and let it cool down to room temperature, since you will use it in the empanada dough.

5. Finish the Filling

Add 100 g of crushed tomato to the skillet with the sofrito, along with the chopped hard-boiled egg and 400 g of drained canned tuna. Season with salt, mix everything together well and set aside.

6. Mix and Knead the Dough

While the filling cools a little, make the dough. Put 500 g of wheat flour in a bowl, make a well in the middle like a volcano and add the 100 ml of reserved oil, 200 ml of water and a pinch of salt. Work and knead these ingredients until you have a smooth dough.

7. Rest the Dough and Preheat the Oven

Let the dough rest for 15 minutes in the fridge. Turn the oven on to 200 °C with top and bottom heat so it preheats while you assemble the empanada.

8. Divide and Roll the Base

Divide the dough into two equal parts and roll one of them out to the same shape and size as the baking tray you will use. In this case, that means a 31 x 31 cm square tray.

9. Line the Tray and Add the Filling

Cover the tray with parchment paper and lay the empanada base on top of it. Drain the filling and spread it evenly across the whole base.

10. Cover with the Top Layer

Next, roll out the other piece of dough and place it over the base, making sure it covers everything properly. Cut away the dough that hangs over the sides so the top and bottom layers match. Keep the trimmings to decorate the top of the empanada.

11. Seal the Edges

Make the crimped edge by folding the borders inward and sealing them, either with a fork or by twisting the dough together with your fingers. This keeps the empanada from opening in the oven and letting the filling escape.

12. Decorate and Brush the Top

With the reserved dough trimmings, roll a few strips and decorate the surface of the empanada with a lattice pattern however you like. Then poke a hole in the center to act as a chimney so the empanada does not puff up in the oven. Finally, beat 1 egg, add a little water and brush the surface with this mixture.

13. Bake the Empanada

Bake the empanada at 200 °C with both top and bottom heat for 40 minutes. It is ready when the surface turns golden and it slides easily around the tray when you move it. At that point, take it out of the oven and let it cool a little before serving.

14. Serve the Tuna Empanada

As soon as it has cooled slightly, you can cut it and serve. You can also enjoy it cold.

Tips for the Best Tuna Empanada

Save the Sofrito Oil for the Dough

That reserved 100 ml of olive oil is the secret to a spectacular dough with a beautiful golden tone, which is why the sofrito calls for such a generous amount of oil. Let it cool to room temperature before kneading it into the flour so it blends evenly.

Adapt the Filling to Your Taste

One of the best things about this empanada is how versatile it is, so feel free to customize the filling. You can add pepper as here, or increase the onion and leave the pepper out. The hard-boiled eggs are not always part of this recipe, so simply omit them if you prefer the empanada without them.

Serve It Warm or Cold

This is a great bite for a special dinner or a show-stopping appetizer for your next get-together with friends, since the tuna empanada can be eaten warm or cold and is eaten with your hands. That makes it a very convenient option when you have guests.

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If you're anything like me, your kitchen rotation probably includes a little bit of everything — cozy comfort plates, tried-and-true dishes from around the globe, and sweets that make a crowd happy.

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After years of cooking, testing, and tweaking in my own kitchen, I've come to believe the greatest dishes are built on three things: simplicity, techniques you can trust, and flavor that really pops.

Every recipe gathered here is one I genuinely cook over and over — whether it's a fast solo meal or a spread I'm putting together for the people I love.

On the sweet side, the rich, silky Orange Chocolate Mousse Recipe is a favorite of mine when I want something that feels fancy yet comes together without fuss. Another dessert I adore is the caramelized Trdelnik Slavic Pastry Recipe, modeled after the celebrated Central European chimney cake. If baking is your thing, knowing how to make syrup for better dessert texture pays off, and my Inverted Sugar Recipe walks through exactly how I do it at home.

When something light and unfussy sounds right, I tend to go with the timeless Italian Caprese Salad Recipe or a flawlessly cooked Simple Poached Egg Recipe. And for cozier, heartier fare, I'm quick to suggest the filling Meatball Sandwich Recipe, the velvety Russian Stroganoff Beef Recipe, and the fast weeknight winner One Pot Pasta Recipe.

Sharing dishes from across the globe is another joy of mine — among them the genuine Sorropotún de Bonito Fish Stew Recipe, golden Chilean Pumpkin Sopaipillas Recipe, and the traditional Spanish Cochifrito Segovian Fried Pig Recipe.

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