How to Add Empanadas to a Sydney BBQ: An Asado Guide

To add empanadas to a Sydney BBQ, bake them in the oven 15 minutes before guests arrive and bring them out with chimichurri as the first course, then move to grilled meats. If the BBQ has a hood, you can also bake empanadas directly on the grill using indirect heat at 190°C for 20 to 25 minutes.

Empanadas are the Argentinian starter to an asado. In Argentina, they arrive on a wooden board with chimichurri while the parrilla (grill) heats and the beef starts to smoke. Here is how Pedro runs the same format at a Sydney BBQ, on a Bondi balcony or a Centennial Park picnic table.

Quick answer: three ways to cook empanadas at a BBQ

1. Oven, then transfer. Easiest. Bake at 190°C fan-forced for 18 to 22 minutes, bring hot to the BBQ area. Best result.
2. Hooded BBQ, indirect heat. Preheat to 190°C, place on a tray on the side away from the burners, close hood, 20 to 25 minutes. Adds smoky flavour.
3. Cast-iron skillet on the grill. Medium-high heat, 5 minutes per side. Not authentic but works when there is no oven.

The Argentinian asado format

An asado is not just a barbecue. It's a slow, structured meal built around the parrilla. Here is the standard order of service:

1. Picada (nibbles): cheese, olives, salame, bread
2. Empanadas (first main): 2 to 3 per guest, with chimichurri
3. Chorizo and morcilla (grilled sausages): straight off the parrilla
4. Grilled meats: skirt steak (entraña), short rib (asado de tira), ribeye (bife ancho)
5. Salads and grilled vegetables: served alongside the meats
6. Dessert: Franui, alfajores, or flan with dulce de leche
7. Coffee and mate to finish

Empanadas fit in early. They keep guests fed while the meats cook, which takes 90 minutes at minimum.

Cooking method 1: oven then transfer (recommended)

The easiest and most reliable option. Bake the empanadas in the kitchen, bring them out to the BBQ area on a wooden board.

1. Preheat oven to 190°C fan-forced.
2. Place empanadas on a lined baking tray, spaced 2 to 3 cm apart. Straight from the freezer.
3. Bake 18 to 22 minutes.
4. Transfer to a wooden serving board and carry outside.
5. Serve immediately with chimichurri.

Full oven method: how to bake frozen empanadas perfectly.

Cooking method 2: hooded BBQ with indirect heat

Works on a Weber Q, Beefeater, or any gas BBQ with a lid. Adds a subtle smoky flavour that ovens can't produce.

1. Preheat the BBQ with all burners on high until the internal temperature hits 190°C.
2. Turn off the burners under one side of the grill. Leave the other side on medium.
3. Place empanadas on a lined tray on the cool side. Close the hood.
4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Do not open the hood for the first 15 minutes.
5. Check colour. Deep golden means done.

Watch: BBQs vary. If yours runs hot, drop one burner to low. If it runs cool, extend by 5 minutes.

Cooking method 3: cast-iron skillet on the grill

The camp-cooking method. Use when there is no oven and no BBQ hood.

1. Preheat a heavy cast-iron skillet on the grill over medium-high heat.
2. Add a splash of neutral oil.
3. Place 3 to 4 empanadas at a time, seam side up. Cook 5 minutes.
4. Flip. Cover with foil or a lid. Cook 4 minutes.
5. Rest 2 minutes before serving.

Result is closer to fried than baked, and the pastry base gets darker. Delicious in its own right.

Chimichurri: the essential BBQ pairing

Chimichurri is the Argentinian BBQ sauce. It goes with empanadas, grilled meats, sausages, and roasted vegetables. Make a double batch. Serve in two bowls, one for the empanada table and one on the grill side for the meats.

Recipe: how to make chimichurri from scratch. Or use Pedro's chimichurri jar, $12 for 200ml, made from the same recipe. One jar serves 8 to 10.

Sides for a Sydney asado

• Salsa criolla (chopped tomato, onion, capsicum, vinegar)
• Grilled vegetables (capsicum, eggplant, onion halves)
• Argentinian potato salad (diced potato, egg, peas, mayo)
• Provoleta (grilled provolone, oregano, olive oil)
• Green salad with lemon dressing
• Bread for the leftover chimichurri

Drinks for the grill

• Malbec: 1 bottle per 2 guests. Room temperature.
• Fernét with cola: the Argentinian long drink. Divisive, worth trying.
• Beer: Australian pilsner or Argentinian lager (Quilmes if you can find it).
• Non-alcoholic: sparkling water with lemon, mate for the long afternoon.

Timing template: BBQ for 8 people

• 10am: Bring meats to room temperature. Make chimichurri.
• 11am: Light the grill. Charcoal takes 45 minutes to hit the right heat, gas takes 15.
• 11:30am: Guests arrive. Picada and drinks.
• 11:45am: Preheat oven. Take empanadas from freezer.
• 12:00pm: Empanadas in the oven. Chorizo on the grill.
• 12:20pm: Empanadas out. Serve with chimichurri.
• 12:40pm: Chorizo off, main cuts on.
• 1:30pm: First meats ready. Salads out.
• 3:00pm: Dessert. Franui, alfajores.
• 4:00pm: Coffee and mate. Nobody leaves.

Summer beach BBQ vs winter asado

Summer (Sydney beaches, Centennial Park, backyard)

Prioritise cold sides (potato salad, green salad). Grill chorizo and empanadas together on the BBQ hood. Serve Malbec chilled to 14°C not room temp. Lighter proteins (chicken, fish) work well.

Winter (backyard grill under cover, indoor asado with skillet)

Heavier cuts (short rib, ribeye). Roasted vegetables replace salads. Serve Malbec at 18°C. Add a locro or guiso as backup for people who want warmth. Consider Habibi Yalla for its Middle Eastern warmth.

How many empanadas at a BBQ

• As a starter (before meats): 2 to 3 empanadas per adult.
• As part of the main (no big meat course): 4 per adult.
• As a bar snack (all-day BBQ): 1 to 2 per adult per round, kept warm on the hood.

For 8 guests, plan around a Chef's Box (20 empanadas) plus a 12-pack of Carnivore. For 15 to 20, a Party Box (60 empanadas) covers everything.

Common BBQ mistakes with empanadas

• Grilling empanadas directly on the flame. They burn. Use indirect heat or a tray.
• Serving them cold. Empanadas belong hot. Keep the tray on the hood between rounds.
• No chimichurri. Non-negotiable at a BBQ.
• Serving after the meats. Wrong order. Empanadas open the meal, before the parrilla is ready.
• Underestimating quantity. BBQ guests eat more, plus the wait for meats extends the empanada window.

Where Argentum fits

Every empanada is folded by Pedro in our Bondi Beach kitchen, delivered frozen, ready to bake or grill from frozen. For a Sydney BBQ, the Chef's Box (20 empanadas, $85) covers 6 to 8 people as a starter. The Party Box (60 empanadas, $319 baked / $279 frozen) covers larger BBQs of 15 to 20. Delivered across Sydney with $10 flat metro delivery or free pre-arranged Bondi pickup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you cook empanadas on a BBQ?

Yes. Best method is a hooded BBQ with indirect heat at 190°C for 20 to 25 minutes on a lined tray on the cool side of the grill. Alternative: bake in the oven and transfer to the BBQ area. Direct-flame grilling burns the pastry.

Do you eat empanadas before or after meats at an asado?

Before. Empanadas are the traditional starter at an Argentinian asado, served with chimichurri while the parrilla comes up to temperature and the meats begin cooking. They open the meal.

How many empanadas per person at a BBQ?

2 to 3 empanadas per adult as a starter before grilled meats. 4 per adult if empanadas are the main protein. Always err high, BBQ guests eat more than dinner guests.

What sauce goes with empanadas at a BBQ?

Chimichurri is essential. Make a double batch, serve in two bowls (one for empanadas, one for the meats). Argentinian salsa criolla (chopped tomato and onion) is a common addition.

Can you cook empanadas on charcoal?

Yes with indirect heat. Bank the coals to one side, place empanadas on a lined tray on the cool side, close the hood, 20 to 25 minutes. Direct heat over coals burns the pastry.

Should empanadas be baked or fried for a BBQ?

Baked is traditional and easier at a BBQ. Frying in a cast-iron skillet on the grill works if there is no oven. At Argentum's market pop-up, we serve both, though delivered frozen empanadas are optimised for baking.

What wine goes with an asado?

Malbec. One bottle per 2 guests, room temperature (18°C) for red meat asado, slightly chilled (14°C) for summer BBQs. Torrontés as a white option, especially with chicken empanadas.

Final word

Empanadas belong at the start of a BBQ. Bake in the oven, transfer hot with chimichurri, serve while the parrilla comes up. Grilled meats follow. Wine flows. Nobody leaves for hours. That is a Sydney asado done properly.

Order the Chef's Box (20 empanadas, $85) for a BBQ for 6 to 8 guests. Delivered frozen across Sydney from our Bondi kitchen. New customers get $5 off orders over $85 with code FIRST5.