08/17/2026
🥟 Adirondack Fun with Food: Lidia’s Empanadas
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Remember that little teaser from our Thursday Night Food Truck Corral visit at The Shirt Factory? Well, the empanadas made it home, survived long enough for the weekend, and it was finally time to find out what was hiding inside those golden little pockets.
I grabbed one of each from Lidia’s Empanadas: Chicken & Cheese, Beef & Potato, Elote and Cuban. And because science is important, I cut them all open for a proper inspection before digging in. 😏
First thing they all have going for them is that shell. Crisp and golden outside, tender inside, and substantial enough to hold a generous amount of filling without becoming heavy. Then each one heads in a completely different direction.
🐔 Chicken & Cheese
Lots of chicken with a nice creamy flavor from the cheese and just enough spice to keep things interesting without overpowering everything else. Comfort-food territory with a little attitude.
🥩 Beef & Potato
This one is hearty. Chunks of potato mixed with nicely seasoned beef make a combination that just works. Nothing complicated or fussy about it. Beef, potato, seasoning and that crispy empanada shell are a perfect match.
🌽 Elote
This might be the wildcard of the bunch. Sweet, juicy corn with all those familiar flavors of Mexican street corn dip, except somebody had the excellent idea of wrapping the whole thing in delicious dough and frying it. Sweet, creamy, savory and ridiculously snackable.
🐷 Cuban
And this one is truly unique. Pork, ham and cheese bring together that traditional Cuban sandwich combination of flavors, only tucked inside an empanada. Rich, savory and completely different from the other three.
🌿 And then there’s THE SAUCE…
When I first tried it, I thought we were dealing with an ají verde-style sauce. Turns out it is officially Lidia’s Green Sauce, made with cilantro, garlic, jalapeños, vinegar, mayonnaise, cheese and salt.
The label says:
“IT GOES ON EVERYTHING.”
I see no reason to argue. 😂
My preferred method was to eat the first couple bites of each empanada without sauce, because I wanted to taste what was actually going on inside. Then the remaining half got a nice drizzle of Green Sauce.
That sauce brings exactly the right amount of kick, spice, tang and heat, while the mayo and cheese give it a creamy finish. It complements the empanadas instead of burying their individual flavors, which is exactly what a good sauce ought to do.
Four empanadas. Four completely different personalities. One dangerously versatile green sauce.
Lidia’s Empanadas was absolutely worth bringing home from the Corral.
And apparently I now need to determine just how literal she was being when she wrote “IT GOES ON EVERYTHING.” 🌿😂
Adirondack Fun with Food approved. 🥟🔥
