Easy Baked Tetilla Cheese and Spinach Empanadillas

These baked Tetilla cheese and spinach empanadillas are a classic Spanish tapas dish. Flaky pastry envelopes a creamy filling of mild Tetilla cheese and earthy spinach, baked until golden. Easy to prepare, they’re perfect as a make-ahead dish for gatherings, parties, or relaxed evenings at home.

Course Main Course

Cuisine European, Mediterranean, Spanish

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword baked empanadillas, golden pastry, Spanish tapas, spinach filling, tetilla cheese

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Servings Servings

Calories 180

Author Spooning & Forking

Ingredients

300 g Tetilla cheese cut into small cubes
200 g Spinach fresh, washed and chopped (don't use frozen)
1 Onion small, finely chopped
2 tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
1 pack Empanadilla pastry discs (about 12 discs, 10–12cm diameter)
1 Egg beaten
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper freshly ground, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion until soft. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside to cool slightly.
Place a spoonful of spinach mixture in the centre of each pastry disc. Top with a few cubes of Tetilla. Fold the pastry over into a half-moon shape and seal the edges by pressing with a fork. Brush with beaten egg and place on a baking tray lined with parchment.

Notes

Pre-rolled empanadilla discs are available in many Spanish shops and online. If you can’t find them, shortcrust pastry works too, cut into circles with a biscuit cutter.

Spinach wilts down a lot, so don’t be alarmed by the volume. Fresh is best for flavour, but frozen spinach can be used if thawed and well-drained. Tetilla’s mild flavour ensures the filling is creamy without overwhelming the greens.

Nutrition