5+ Best Empanadas In Medellin - Crispy, Delicious & Rich Fillings
Finding the best empanadas in Medellin is a difficult task, as these delicious, greasy snacks are available on virtually every corner.
However, we’ve done our best to identify vendors and shops that serve empanadas of exceptional quality or that stand out in some way.
Through our research, we’ve found that when you order empanadas at restaurants, they’re always freshly fried, which offers a hot, crispy snack.
On the other hand, street food vendors and empanada shops often make theirs in large quantities, meaning you may end up with a lukewarm, less-crispy empanada.
But regardless of how many times we’ve tried these South American snacks, one thing remains true: they’re always satisfying.
So, let’s dive into what we think are some of the most exciting and best empanadas you can find in Medellin.
The best Empanadas in Medellín are:
1. Empanadas (2,100 COP) – Empanadas Boomerang
Arguably the best empanadas in Medellin are found at Empanadas Boomerang.
This cozy spot specializes in a select variety of fried Colombian snacks, including their incredibly popular empanadas (2100 COP) and their delicious Pastel de Pollo (3300 COP).
What sets their empanadas apart is the generous filling of well-seasoned shredded beef and the fact that they are not too greasy.
We were lucky enough to receive empanadas that were still warm, as some reviews mention that they can sometimes be served lukewarm.
Be sure to try their Pastel de Pollo as well.
Like empanadas, these pastries are filled with a flavorful filling and have a crispy, non-greasy exterior.
Both empanadas and pastries are served with a variety of sauces, the most notable being ají picante.
Adding just a teaspoon of this spicy sauce takes the flavor of both dishes to a whole new level.
For something different, try the Cheese Sticks (2,000 COP), which come with a sweet sauce that perfectly complements the cheese.
2. Empanada Carne (2,400 COP) – Empanadas El Machetico
One of my favorite empanadas in Medellin can be found at Empanadas El Machetico, a popular empanada specialist with several branches throughout the city.
My favorite spot is the one in El Poblado, conveniently located near the nightlife area, perfect for a satisfying post-party snack.
While they offer a variety of typical fried Colombian delicacies, the empanadas are undoubtedly the main attraction.
The filling is well-seasoned, with plenty of tender shredded meat, and the exterior is crispy, slightly greasy, but utterly satisfying.
The empanadas are served with a mildly spicy chili pepper, which you can enhance with the complimentary lime wedges for an extra touch of freshness and acidity.
The El Poblado branch does not have a seating area, so it’s best to enjoy these large, flavorful empanadas either standing at the counter or as you get your food to go.
3. Empanada (2,200 COP) – Empanadas Las Calidosas
Perhaps the biggest surprise when trying the best empanadas in Medellin is Empanadas Las Calidosas. Despite being recommended by several platforms, it didn’t have the highest ratings.
However, upon visiting the shop near Parque Belén, we immediately noticed its popularity.
Like many other empanada shops, the menu is limited, with the main dishes being the Empanada (2200 COP), the Pastel de Pollo (3200 COP), and the Papa Carne (2100 COP).
While all are delicious, we’ll focus on the empanada for this article.
The empanada may be the smallest of all those listed here, but it’s packed with flavorful shredded meat, and the dough-to-meat ratio is perfect.
The empanadas were served at the ideal temperature—still warm, but not so hot that you have to wait to try them.
And here’s the best part: the ají (spicy dipping sauce) was really spicy.
As a fan of spicy food, this was the cherry on top.
While there are other sauces to go with fried snacks, the chili sauce stands out.
Is it as good as the legendary empanadas mentioned above? We think it’s definitely in the top three.
4. Empanadas (1,800 – 2,600 COP) – Empanadas La Catedral
This small empanada joint, with two locations in the city, serves up some of the most popular empanadas in Medellín.
The concept is simple: there are four types of empanadas available: traditional (1,800 COP), shredded (2,600 COP), chicken (2,300 COP), and soda (2,000 COP).
These empanadas are made in large batches, so you’ll have them in your hands within a minute.
What makes Empanadas La Catedral stand out is the size of their empanadas: they’re huge, and that’s a big part of what makes this place so popular.
You can choose from a variety of sauces, and a great pairing is to order the large empanadas with guacamole and hot pepper.
While most customers order their empanadas to go, there’s also the option to eat them in front of the store, though seating is limited.
Of the available options, my favorite is the desmechada, which is filled with lots of tender meat, though all the fillings are surprisingly satisfying.
The only downside is that since empanadas are made in large batches, you might end up with one that’s lukewarm rather than piping hot.
5. Empanada de Carne (2,400 COP) – Empanadas Krokantes
If you’re tired of the usual empanada fillings, a visit to Empanadas Krokantes may be just what you need.
This popular empanada specialist, with several branches in Medellin, offers interesting filling options, such as the traditional relleno paisa, a Hawaiian relleno, and a spicy desmechada relleno.
For this comparison, we chose the classic Empanada de Carne to make a fair comparison with the other empanadas listed in this article.
One of the highlights here is the wide variety of sauces available, more so than most other empanada shops we’ve tried.
The spicy mayo, in particular, pairs perfectly with the empanadas.
The empanadas are generously filled and offer great flavor.
The only drawback we found was that the crispy dough had hard parts where the empanada was folded.
Other than that, Empanadas Krokantes is a great place to try different types of empanadas.
Looking for more food inspiration?
Have a look at our most extensive food article with all sorts of restaurant recommendations in Medellín. From there, you can also navigate to specific