In this study, we introduce a novel methodological framework known as Bayesian penalized empirical likelihood, designed to tackle the computational challenges associated with empirical likelihood methods. Our approach pursues two primary objectives: firstly, preserving the inherent flexibility of empirical likelihood to accommodate a wide range of model conditions, and secondly, providing convenient access to well-established Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling schemes. To achieve the first objective, we propose a penalized approach that effectively selects model conditions by regulating Lagrange multipliers, thereby reducing the dimensionality of the problem while leveraging a comprehensive set of model conditions. For the second objective, our approach overcomes the obstacles inherent in devising sampling schemes for Bayesian applications through efficient dimensionality reduction. Our Bayesian penalized empirical likelihood framework offers a flexible and efficient approach, enhancing the adaptability and practicality of empirical likelihood methods in statistical inference. Furthermore, our study illustrates the practical advantages of utilizing sampling techniques over optimization methods, as they exhibit rapid convergence to global optima of posterior distributions, ensuring robust parameter estimation. This framework provides a valuable tool for researchers and analysts grappling with complex problems.