Free empanada platter calculator. Enter servings to find the empanadas and sauce grams you need for an empanada platter at a party or gathering.
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Enter the number of servings. This empanada platter calculator multiplies servings by 3 empanadas and by 40 grams of sauce per serving, so 20 servings give 60 empanadas and 800 grams of sauce. For an empanada platter for 10 servings, that is 30 empanadas and 400 grams of sauce, and for an empanada platter for 50 servings it is 150 empanadas and 2000 grams of sauce. The 3 empanada figure is the appetizer and main-course rule in the empanada guides, and the 40 gram sauce figure is a generous dipping portion per guest, so the sections below explain the portion rules, the Argentine styles, and the shopping list.
The formula is shown on the page: empanadas = servings × 3, and sauce grams = servings × 40. Worked example: for 20 servings, 20 × 3 = 60 empanadas and 20 × 40 = 800 grams of sauce. For 10 servings, this empanada platter calculator gives 30 empanadas and 400 grams of sauce. The guides report 2 to 3 empanadas per guest as an appetizer or snack, 3 to 4 per guest as a main course, 2 to 4 per guest for mini empanadas, and 1 to 2 per guest for a light snack, so 3 per serving is a generous party rate that covers hungry guests.
Enter servings, the number of people eating from the platter, and read the empanada count and the sauce total at once. Use the empanada count as your shopping count: buy frozen empanada discs and fillings to that count, or order that many from a caterer plus a 10 to 15 percent buffer for buffet service. Use the sauce total as your shopping weight: buy or make chimichurri, salsa, and crema to that weight, split across two or three sauces.
How many empanadas per person depends on the setting, and empanada appetizer portions change with the menu: 1 to 2 per guest for a light snack, 2 to 3 per guest as an appetizer, 1 to 2 per guest at a buffet with many dishes, 3 to 4 per guest as a main course, and 4 to 6 per guest in the generous catering table for a main course. For mini empanadas, the range is 2 to 4 per guest. The calculator rate of 3 per serving suits a platter that is the main appetizer: use about two thirds of it when empanadas are one item on a large buffet.
Empanada party quantities scale in a straight line. For an empanada platter for 50 servings, the calculator gives 150 empanadas and 2000 grams of sauce. For 100 guests, that is 300 empanadas and 4000 grams of sauce, matching the 50 guests times 3 empanadas equals 150 empanadas formula in the mini empanada guide. Convert the count to dough by counting one 5 inch disc per empanada, so 60 empanadas need 60 discs, and convert filling by the recipe rate: a beef empanada recipe makes 16 to 18 empanadas from about 1 pound of beef, so 60 empanadas need about 3.5 pounds of beef filling.
Argentine empanadas are the reference style in the guides: beef empanadas with onion, green onion, sweet paprika, and cumin, plus chopped hard-boiled egg and green olives, folded into a half-moon with a braided repulgue edge. Regional styles include Tucumanas with knife-cut beef, Salteñas with potato, Mendocinas with olive and egg, Cordobesas with raisins and sugar, and Porteñas with ground beef in mild and spicy versions. Baked empanadas at 400 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes are the easiest for a crowd, fried empanadas at 350 degrees oil for 2 to 3 minutes per side are the crispest, and air fryer empanadas at 370 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes work in small batches.
Empanada dipping sauces in the guides are chimichurri, salsa roja, salsa verde, salsa criolla, guacamole, sour cream or crema, queso fresco, and salsa golf, the Argentine pink sauce of mayonnaise and ketchup. Sides that go well with empanada platters are salads, rice and beans, and sweet plantains. Arrange empanadas on a platter in overlapping rows with the sauces in small bowls at the ends, and mark spicy empanadas with a different fold so guests can spot them.
You can make empanadas ahead of time: the filling keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and is easier to work with cold, because cold filling seals better and does not soften the dough. Freeze unbaked empanadas on a tray until solid, then bag them for up to 3 months, and bake from frozen at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Keep empanadas warm during an event with chafing dishes or warming trays, and reheat leftovers at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, or in an air fryer at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes, because the microwave makes the crust soft.
Plan on 3 to 4 per person for a main course and 1 or 2 per person as an appetizer. This calculator uses 3 per serving, so 20 servings give 60 empanadas.
Typically, 3 empanadas or 2 empanadas plus a side are enough for a meal, and 2 empanadas are enough per person as an appetizer. For buffet-style catering, order for 10 to 15 percent more than your headcount.
Yes. Empanadas can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen for later use. Make the filling up to 2 days ahead, freeze unbaked empanadas for up to 3 months, and bake from frozen at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
Use cold filling, do not overfill, keep the edges clean, wet the edge before folding, press out the air, and finish with a repulgue or a firm fork crimp. Warm filling is the number one reason empanadas leak.
Popular sides for empanada platters include salads, rice and beans, and sweet plantains. Dipping sauces that pair well are chimichurri, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.
Vegetarian empanada options are common, but the dough is often made with butter, so most empanadas are not vegan. Some restaurants offer vegan options with oil-based dough and vegetable fillings, so check before ordering.
Use chafing dishes or warming trays to keep empanadas warm, or thermally insulated containers for transport. Bake in batches so each tray arrives hot, and avoid sealing a hot tray, which softens the crust.
Beef, chicken, cheese, and vegetables are the most popular empanada fillings. Classic combinations are beef and cheese, ham and cheese, spicy chorizo and onion, and roasted vegetable with cheese.
At 3 empanadas per guest, 100 guests need 300 empanadas. At 2 per guest as an appetizer, the same crowd needs 200 empanadas, plus about 4000 grams of sauce at the calculator rate.