Medellin: Learn to make Colombian empanadas from scratch

The best part of this Medellín experience is simple: you enter a Colombian family home, roll up your sleeves, and make empanadas with the people who cook them regularly. This is not a demonstration where you sit back and watch. You prepare, shape, cook, and eat the food yourself.

I like the small group limit of nine, which gives you room to ask questions and practice. I also like the choice of fillings, including mushrooms, corn, cheese, potato with hogao, meat, chicken, and a special filling that changes monthly. The main consideration is that the meeting point is listed as Casa 201, so you should confirm the exact location and plan your own way there.

• A family-home setting: Cook alongside two sisters and get a closer look at everyday Colombian hospitality.
• Hands-on from start to finish: Prepare the filling, shape the dough, cook the empanadas, and eat what you make.
• Good choice for different diets: Vegetarian and vegan options are available with advance preference selection.
• English instruction: The hosts speak English and some Portuguese, with clear translations during the lesson.
• 150 minutes at a relaxed pace: You have time to practice instead of rushing through one sample empanada.
• A small, social group: Up to nine participants keeps the class personal and easy to follow.

Why an Empanada Class Fits Medellín

Medellín is a city where food and conversation often go together. An empanada is a modest dish, but it opens the door to useful local details: how dough is prepared, which fillings people favor, and how a familiar snack becomes part of daily life.

This class gives you that contact in a direct way. You are not just ordering a plate at a restaurant. You are handling the ingredients, learning the basic method, and sharing the finished food with local hosts. That makes the experience especially useful if you want more than a standard sightseeing stop.

The hosts are two sisters, with one described as the family’s empanada expert. They cook together and bring different strengths to the class. One leads the instruction while the other helps with the process and translation. The family setting is part of the appeal, since you get a glimpse of how cooking works in a Colombian home rather than in a formal school kitchen.

The activity is offered in English, and the hosts also speak some Portuguese. That matters because hands-on cooking depends on small instructions: how much filling to use, how to close the edge, and when the pastry is ready. Clear help can save you from producing an empanada that looks more like a folded tortilla than a sealed pocket.

Welcome Drink and a Short Story

The session begins with a local welcome drink. It is a small touch, but it sets the tone before anyone reaches for the dough. You have a moment to meet the hosts, settle in, and get comfortable in the home.

Next comes a brief history of empanadas. Do not expect a long lecture. The useful point is that you learn where this popular food fits into Colombian cooking and why there are different fillings and styles. This short introduction gives the practical work a bit of context.

I like this order. You first meet the people, then hear the basic story, and only after that start cooking. It keeps the class from feeling like a rushed recipe lesson. At the same time, anyone hoping for a full food-history talk should keep expectations in check. The history portion is specifically described as brief, with most of the 150 minutes devoted to preparation, cooking, and eating.

Choosing Meat, Vegetarian, and Vegan Fillings

The filling is one of the most useful parts of the class because you can select flavors according to your preference. Meat and chicken are available, along with a special filling that changes each month. That rotating option gives the hosts room to share something different from one session to the next.

Vegetarians have several choices: mushrooms, corn, cheese, and potato with hogao. Hogao is a traditional Colombian tomato and onion sauce, and the potato version gives you a chance to try a filling with a distinctly local character rather than simply replacing meat with plain vegetables.

Vegan participants can also take part. The information provided confirms that the experience is suitable for vegans, though you should state your needs when booking so the hosts can guide you to appropriate ingredients. The available vegetarian choices do not automatically mean every option is vegan, especially cheese, so a clear conversation before cooking is sensible.

This flexibility is valuable for families and mixed groups. One person can choose chicken, another can try mushroom and corn, and someone else can work with potato and hogao. You still share the same activity even when everyone chooses a different filling.

Making the Dough and Shaping Your Empanadas

The heart of the class is the hands-on work. You learn how the empanadas are prepared, then make them with guidance from the hosts. The exact recipe details are not specified, so you should think of this as a practical introduction rather than a printed masterclass with a formal recipe book.

You can expect to work on the basic stages: preparing or handling the components, placing the filling, folding the dough, and sealing each empanada. The shape matters. A well-sealed edge keeps the filling inside during cooking, while an overfilled empanada can split or become difficult to close.

This is where the small group helps. With no more than nine people, the hosts can give individual assistance and help you improve after the first attempt. A family of four can take part together, and a solo participant can join the group without being left on the sidelines. The class has been especially well suited to people who want to practice rather than watch a professional do everything.

Do not worry if your first empanada looks uneven. The point is to learn the feel of the dough and the right amount of filling. By the later rounds, you should have a better sense of how firmly to press the edges and how much food fits inside.

Cooking and Eating What You Make

Once the empanadas are prepared, you cook them and then sit down to enjoy them with another drink. This makes the final meal more satisfying because you know exactly what went into it, and you have had a hand in every stage.

The food is not treated as a decorative finish to the activity. It is the reward for the work. You can compare different fillings, see how your shaping affected the result, and enjoy the contrast between your early attempts and the ones you made after some practice.

There may also be enough food to take some empanadas home, depending on how many you prepare. One participant was able to bring extra empanadas along, but this should not be treated as a guaranteed takeaway for every booking. Ask the hosts if that matters to you.

The shared meal is also the most natural time to talk. Cooking gives you an easy subject, so conversation can move beyond the recipe without feeling forced. The hosts are interested in meeting people from different backgrounds, and that personal exchange is a major part of the value.

The Family Home Makes the Difference

A professional cooking studio can be polished and efficient. A family home offers something else. Here, you get a closer look at the setting where cooking is part of ordinary life, and the hosts are sharing a food they prepare with genuine personal interest.

That does not mean you should expect a private tour of the entire home or a detailed account of family life. The experience is centered on empanadas. Still, the setting changes the mood. You are welcomed into a personal space, work alongside the sisters, and see the food being taught by people connected to it through everyday cooking.

The hosts have been described as warm, encouraging, and easy to understand. That is important for beginners, who may feel self-conscious about their first attempts. Good instruction is not only about explaining the recipe. It is also about making you comfortable enough to try, fail, and try again.

The home setting does have one practical consideration. It may not have the scale or layout of a commercial cooking school. If you need a highly structured professional kitchen, formal printed materials, or a large menu of advanced techniques, this is probably not the right format. If you value contact with local people and a relaxed lesson, it is a strong fit.

Is $56 a Fair Price?

At $56 per person, this is not the cheapest way to eat empanadas in Medellín. You can buy the finished snack for far less. The price needs to be judged as a two-and-a-half-hour activity, not as a meal alone.

You are paying for a local welcome drink, the empanada background, ingredients, instruction, cooking time, another drink, and access to a small group setting. You also get the social value of being welcomed into a Colombian home. For someone who wants a food memory and a basic skill to take home, that package can make sense.

The value is strongest if you participate fully. If you dislike cooking or plan to sit back while others do the work, the price will feel high. If you enjoy making food and talking with local hosts, the lesson gives you more than a restaurant visit could.

The limit of nine people also matters. A larger class could lower the cost, but it would reduce the personal attention that helps with shaping and sealing. Families, couples, and solo participants can all make use of the format.

Timing, Meeting Point, and Booking Details

The class lasts 150 minutes, or two and a half hours. That is long enough for the welcome, introduction, preparation, cooking, and meal without turning the activity into a full-day commitment.

The meeting point is Casa 201. Since no transportation service is specified, you should plan to reach that point on your own and confirm the exact directions before the day of the class. Starting times vary, so check availability when choosing your date.

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. The reserve-now-and-pay-later option lets you hold a place without paying immediately, which is helpful when your Medellín plans are still changing.

The instruction language is English. The hosts also speak some Portuguese, but English is the language specifically provided for the activity. The maximum group size is nine participants, and you only need to bring a good attitude, a smile, and an appetite.

Who Will Enjoy This Most?

I would recommend this class to first-time visitors who want a personal introduction to Colombian food. You do not need cooking experience. The process is designed around participation, and the hosts help make the work approachable.

It is also a good choice for families. A family of four can work together while still having individual tasks, and the food gives children or teenagers something active to do. Adults should still confirm that the setting and cooking work suit younger members of their group, since no age details are provided.

Couples and solo participants should also find the format easy to join. The group is small enough for conversation, but not so small that a solo participant becomes the focus of the room.

Vegetarians and vegans have a clear reason to consider it, since separate fillings are available. Just communicate your dietary needs ahead of time. I would not choose this class if you are looking for a full restaurant meal, a long formal lecture, or a broad tour of Medellín. Its strength is narrow and clear: local people, homemade empanadas, and hands-on cooking.

Should You Book This Empanada Experience?

Book it if you want to spend part of your Medellín visit doing something social and practical. The strongest reasons are the family-home setting, patient hands-on instruction, flexible fillings, and small group size. You get to meet local hosts and eat food you helped prepare, which is a more personal memory than simply ordering an empanada from a menu.

Skip it if $56 feels too high for a cooking activity or if you would rather spend your time sightseeing than preparing food. Also check the meeting details before booking, since Casa 201 is the stated meeting point and no transport is included in the information provided.

For most visitors who like food, conversation, and a relaxed pace, this is a worthwhile two-and-a-half-hour addition to a Medellín itinerary. Bring your appetite, choose a filling, and accept that your first empanada may have a personality of its own.

FAQ

Where does the empanada class meet?

The meeting point is Casa 201 in Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia.

How long does the activity last?

The activity lasts 150 minutes, or two and a half hours.

How much does the experience cost?

The listed price is $56 per person.

What food fillings are available?

Options include meat, chicken, and a special filling that changes each month. Vegetarian options include mushrooms, corn, cheese, and potato with hogao.

Can vegans participate?

Yes. The experience is suitable for vegans. Tell the hosts your preference so they can guide you toward appropriate ingredients.

Is the class taught in English?

Yes. The instructor language is English. The hosts also speak some Portuguese.

How many people can join the class?

The group is limited to nine participants.

What is included?

The experience includes a local welcome drink, a short history of empanadas, preparation and cooking, and another drink to enjoy with the finished empanadas.

Can I cancel my booking?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later.