In South America, Spain, Portugal, and the Philippines, an empanada is essentially a stuffed pastry. The name comes from the Spanish verb, empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. Usually the empanada is made by folding a thin circular-shaped dough patty over the stuffing, creating its typical semicircular shape. Empanadas are also known by a wide variety of regional names; see the entries for the individual countries below.

It is likely that the Latin American empanadas were originally from Galicia, Spain, where an empanada is prepared similar to a pie that is cut in pieces making it a portable and hearty meal for working people. The Galician empanada is usually prepared with cod fish or chicken. Due to the large number of Galician immigrants in Latin America the empanada gallega has also become very popular in that region. Of course the idea of an empanada is almost surely the influence of the Moors who occupied Spain for 800 years.

Argentinean empanadas are a common dish served at parties, as a starter or in festivals. Shops specialize in freshly-made empanadas for parties, with many flavors and fillings.
The filling usually consists primarily of ground beef, perhaps spiced with cumin and with onion and chopped boiled eggs. While empanadas are usually baked, they can also be fried but less healthy. They may also contain cheese, ham and cheese, chicken, tuna, humita (sweetcorn) or spinach; a fruit filling is used to create a dessert empanada.