At Ternura, an artisan bakery in Galicia, they craft empanadas by hand. With its crisp, golden crust and savory cod and onion filling, it’s the best empanada we’ve ever tasted. Just bake for 13 minutes and serve – your guests will think it’s homemade.

Empanadas are savory pastries, a favorite in northern Galicia. Typically served as a tapa or a simple dinner, this empanada weighs over a pound and provides four large servings or eight tapa-sized portions.

We visited the bakers in A Coruña, Galicia, to witness the empanada-making process. The dough, mixed with mild paprika and Estrella Galicia beer for leavening, is rolled out and filled with a blend of bacalao cod, onions and bell peppers. The top layer of dough is added, the edges are hand-formed and then it’s baked and flash-frozen to maintain its perfect condition.

Javier and José Antonio, owners of the renowned gourmet food shop and bakery La Tienda de Lino in A Coruña, are behind these famous empanadas. They decided to open a small production bakery to offer a frozen version of their famous empanadas. They named it Ternura, meaning ‘tender,’ to reflect their artisan methods and the texture of their empanadas.

The empanada originated in Galicia, a region in northwest Spain with a rich maritime heritage. It began as a practical meal for sailors and travelers, a convenient way to carry tasty ingredients wrapped in pastry. The name “empanada” comes from the Spanish word “empanar,” meaning “to wrap in bread.” Today, empanadas are enjoyed worldwide, celebrated for their flavor and for the popularity of Spanish cuisine.

Your empanada will arrive frozen. Do not thaw before baking.