Celebrate National Empanada Day with these 6 frozen appetizers from grocery store

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A baked or fried empanada is the perfect way to enjoy a hearty snack or a meal on the go.

Today, we celebrate the empanada, a traditional hand pie that’s baked or fried and filled with meat, cheese, veggies or fruits, on April 8 for National Empanada Day. We found six varieties of empanadas when we tasted and ranked 95 frozen appetizers from grocery stores recently.

The origin of empanadas is unknown but they are thought to have originated in Persia, although a cookbook published in 1520 mentions empanadas filled with seafood in the recipes for Catalan, Italian, French and Arabian food. They made their way to American shores when the Spanish introduced them to the Aztec and Mayan cultures.

The empanada name comes from empanar, which means “embreaded.”

If you want to celebrate National Empanada Day — or are just looking for something different to snack on for movie night or during the game — check out our empanadas rankings below.

Chicken & Vegetables Empanadas, Mas Panadas

No. 6 Chicken & Vegetables Empanadas, Mas Panadas

Where we bought it: Whole Foods

Price: $7.99

Nutrition per serving:

Calories 150 | Fat 3.5g | Cholesterol 30mg | Sodium 105mg | Carbs 20g | Protein 9g

First ingredient: Unbleached wheat flour

Box says: Real food for life in the fast lane. The perfect snack on the go.

Our thoughts: The homemade crust is filled with shredded chicken and a nice measure of Mexican spice. Flavorful, but dry.

Veggie Empanadas, Mas Panadas

No. 5 Veggie Empanadas, Mas Panadas

Where we bought it: Whole Foods

Price: $6.99

Nutrition per serving:

Calories 180 | Fat 5g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 160mg | Carbs 29g | Protein 4g

First ingredient: Unbleached wheat flour

Box says: Real food for life in the fast lane. The perfect snack on the go.

Our thoughts: Same homemade crust packed full of veggies, making it more reminiscent of an egg roll. Lots of corn and carrots.

Empanadas – Black Bean & Cheddar, Brazi Bites

No. 4 Empanadas – Black Bean & Cheddar, Brazi Bites

Where we bought it: Whole Foods

Price: $5.99

Nutrition per serving:

Calories 210 | Fat 9g | Cholesterol 40mg | Sodium 370mg | Carbs 22g | Protein 7g

First ingredient: Tapioca flour

Box says: In South America, empanadas are a hand-held favorite. Flaky outside, savory fillings inside. Our Brazi Bites empanadas use the perfect blend of only the finest ingredients with absolutely nothing artificial. And because our dough is made with tapioca flour, they are naturally gluten-free. Perfect for appetizers, parties, or light meals!

Our thoughts: The nicely-textured outer shell can be a bit overwhelming. It is filled with plenty of beans, just not enough cheese.

Buy it on Amazon $5.99

Florentine spinach/mushroom Empanadas, Mas Panadas

No. 3 Florentine spinach/mushroom Empanadas, Mas Panadas

Where we bought it: Whole Foods

Price: $6.99

Nutrition per serving:

Calories 210 | Fat 7g | Cholesterol less than 5mg | Sodium 250mg | Carbs 29g | Protein 7g

First ingredient: Unbleached wheat flour

Box says: Real food for life in the fast lane. The perfect snack on the go.

Our thoughts: There is plenty of spinach in these doughy pockets, but you don’t get many mushrooms.

Empanadas – Chicken & Cheese, Brazi Bites

No. 2 Empanadas – Chicken & Cheese, Brazi Bites

Where we bought it: Whole Foods

Price: $5.99

Nutrition per serving:

Calories 230 | Fat 11g | Cholesterol 55mg | Sodium 430mg | Carbs 22g | Protein 11g

First ingredient: Tapioca flour

Box says: In South America, empanadas are a hand-held favorite. Flaky outside, savory fillings inside. Our Brazi Bites empanadas use the perfect blend of only the finest ingredients with absolutely nothing artificial. And as always our dough is made with tapioca flour, a delicious alternative to wheat. Perfect snacking and entertaining.

Our thoughts: The crust was crispy outside, but remained pasty on the inside. Shredded mixture was dry and a little on the salty side.

Beef & Vegetables Empanadas, Mas Panadas

No. 1 Beef & Vegetables Empanadas, Mas Panadas

Where we bought it: Whole Foods

Price: $7.99

Nutrition per serving:

Calories 140 | Fat 6g | Cholesterol 15mg | Sodium 50mg | Carbs 15g | Protein 6g

First ingredient: Unbleached wheat flour

Box says: Real food for life in the fast lane. The perfect snack on the go.

Our thoughts: These empanadas are more traditional than the others we tried. Packed full of meat and potatoes, they are a great bite in a crispy shell.

More food rankings:

What’s the best frozen appetizers from store brands at Walmart, Target, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Whole Foods? Taste test results

Land O’Lakes hot chocolate the clear winner among 61 cocoa packets we drank, so we ranked 12 flavors

Ranking 35 chicken noodle soups from grocery stores that are perfect for winter, cold/flu season

Hot chocolate, anyone? We tasted and ranked 61 cocoa mixes from grocery stores

Attention cheese lovers: Ranking 24 grocery store frozen appetizers full of cheesy goodness

Sliders, tacos, pretzel hotdogs and more: Ranking 15 beef appetizers from grocery store freezers

Best TGI Fridays frozen appetizers: We devoured and ranked 8 restaurant apps sold at grocery stores

Wings for the Super Bowl, anyone? Ranking 26 chicken appetizers from grocery stores

Skip long wait for pizza delivery on Super Bowl Sunday; We ate 130 frozen pizzas to determine the best

Best food for Super Bowl: We ate 95 frozen appetizers from grocery stores and ranked them all

Searching for the perfect frozen pizza? See winners in 12 categories, including supreme, sausage, pepperoni, cheese

The best and worst foods we ate during grocery store showdown taste tests 2020