Carmen knocked on my door one Saturday in May 2017 with a plate covered in a towel. "Made too many for Lucia's party - you want some?" These beef empanadas were still hot. Max and I ate them standing in the kitchen because we couldn't wait. The crust was flaky, the Beef Empanadas had actual flavor, completely different from the frozen ones I'd been buying.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
From making these for maybe 40 people over five years, here's what works. The dough gets flaky without being greasy when you nail the fat ratio. The Beef Empanadas has enough cumin and garlic that every bite tastes like something. Takes about an hour start to finish - half that is just dough resting while you do other stuff.
Max eats them without complaining, which matters since he usually picks apart everything on his plate. My friend Sarah makes a batch twice a month for her kids' school lunches. They're okay reheated in the oven next day - microwave turns them mushy. Even the ugly ones that didn't fold right taste fine.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients for Beef Empanadas
- How To Make Beef Empanadas Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Beef Empanadas
- Tasty Twists on Beef Empanadas
- Equipment for Beef Empanadas
- Storing Your Beef Empanadas
- Why This Recipe Works
- Top Tip
- How My Sister's Dish Became a Family Favorite
- FAQ
- Time to Make These!
- Related
- Pairing
- Beef Empanadas
Ingredients for Beef Empanadas
The Dough:
- All-purpose flour
- Cold butter
- Ice water
- Salt
- Egg
The Filling:
- Ground beef
- Yellow onion
- Garlic cloves
- Ground cumin
- Paprika
- Dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper
- Green olives
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Raisins
For Baking:
- Egg wash
Tools:
- Large bowl
- Rolling pin
- Round cutter or small plate
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Beef Empanadas Step By Step
Make the Dough:
- Mix flour and salt in a bowl
- Cut cold butter into pea-sized chunks
- Work butter into flour with your fingers
- Add ice water slowly until dough comes together
- Wrap in plastic, refrigerate 30 minutes
Cook the Filling:
- Brown ground beef in a pan, break it up small
- Remove beef, drain most of the fat
- Cook chopped onion in same pan until soft
- Add minced garlic, cook 1 minute
- Put beef back in with cumin, paprika, oregano
- Season with salt and pepper
- Let cool completely
- Mix in chopped olives, eggs, raisins
Shape Them:
- Roll dough thin on floured surface
- Cut circles with 5-inch cutter or bowl
- Put 2 tablespoons filling on one half
- Brush edges with beaten egg
- Fold over, press edges to seal
- Crimp with fork or twist the edge
Bake:
- Line baking sheet with parchment
- Arrange empanadas with space between
- Brush tops with egg wash
- Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes
- Look for golden brown color
Smart Swaps for Beef Empanadas
Dough:
- Butter → Lard (more traditional, flakier)
- All-purpose flour → Half whole wheat (denser but healthier)
- Homemade → Store-bought empanada discs (saves time)
Meat:
- Ground beef → Ground pork
- Regular → Ground turkey (drier, needs extra seasoning)
- Meat → Shredded chicken (leftover rotisserie works)
Filling Add-ins:
- Raisins → Skip them (some people hate them)
- Green olives → Black olives
- Hard-boiled eggs → Leave out (still tastes fine)
- Sweet → Spicy (add diced jalapeños)
Cooking Method:
- Baked → Fried (crispier but greasier)
- Oven → Air fryer at 375°F for 12 minutes
Tasty Twists on Beef Empanadas
Spicy Beef:
- Add diced jalapeños to filling
- Mix in chipotle powder
- Serve with hot sauce
- Top with pepper jack cheese
Cheese Lover:
- Add shredded cheddar to filling
- Mix in cream cheese (softened)
- Sprinkle queso fresco on top
- Serve with cheese sauce
Breakfast Style:
- Use scrambled eggs instead of beef
- Add cooked bacon or chorizo
- Mix in diced peppers
- Top with salsa verde
Sweet and Savory:
- Double the raisins
- Add cinnamon to filling
- Use sweet potato instead of beef
- Drizzle honey after baking
Equipment for Beef Empanadas
- Large mixing bowl
- Rolling pin (or wine bottle works)
- 5-inch round cutter (or use a small plate as template)
- Sharp knife
- Fork for crimping edges
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Storing Your Beef Empanadas
Before Baking (Best Option):
- Arrange on baking sheet, freeze until solid
- Transfer to freezer bag once frozen
- Keeps 3 months
- Bake straight from frozen (add 5 minutes)
- Don't thaw first or they get soggy
After Baking:
- Cool completely on rack
- Store in airtight container
- Fridge for 3-4 days
- Don't stack them wet or they stick
Reheating:
- Oven at 350°F for 10 minutes
- Air fryer at 325°F for 5 minutes
- Skip the microwave (makes them soggy)
Why This Recipe Works
From making beef empanadas hundreds of times, here's what's happening. The cold butter creates steam pockets when it hits the hot oven, which makes the dough flaky instead of dense. That 30-minute rest lets the gluten relax so the dough doesn't shrink back when you roll it. The egg wash isn't just for shine - it glues the edges together so they don't pop open and leak filling everywhere.
Temperature matters with the filling. Hot Beef Empanadas filling melts the butter in your dough before you even get it in the oven, which makes everything fall apart. That's why cooling it completely isn't optional - learned that the hard way after ruining eight empanadas in one batch. The raisins might seem random, but they add little bursts of sweetness that cut through the salty beef and olives. Carmen's grandmother knew what she was doing with that combo.
Top Tip
- Carmen showed me something about beef empanadas that her grandmother taught her back in the 1970s. Most people just fold the dough in half and crimp with a fork. Works fine, looks okay. But her abuela had a different method she'd fold it over, then twist the edge in a rope pattern with her fingers. Takes an extra minute per empanada, but it seals way better and looks more impressive.
- The real trick isn't just the pattern though. Before folding, she'd brush the edges with egg wash, then let it sit for exactly 30 seconds. Not longer, not shorter. Something about letting that egg get slightly tacky makes the seal actually stick instead of popping open in the oven. I skipped this step for my first twenty batches and half of them burst. Now I set a timer on my phone.
- When I make beef empanadas now, I still use her rope twist method. Takes longer but I've never had one split open since I started doing it right. Carmen says her grandmother could fold fifty empanadas in an hour with that pattern. I'm still at maybe fifteen, but I'm getting faster.
How My Sister's Dish Became a Family Favorite
My sister lived in Argentina for three years back in 2012. When she came back, she brought this beef empanadas recipe from a woman she worked with in Buenos Aires. First time she made them for us was Thanksgiving 2015 - brought two dozen to our parents' house. Gone before we even sat down for turkey. Her version is different from my neighbor's. She uses more cumin, adds a splash of red wine to the beef while it cooks, and puts hard-boiled eggs in every single one. "That's how my boss made them," she'd say whenever someone asked.
Here's the thing she folds hers differently too. Instead of the rope twist, she does a simple fork crimp but goes over it twice. First time with the tines going one direction, second time crossways. Creates this pattern that looks good and seals just as tight as any fancy method. When I'm rushed, I use her way instead of the rope twist.
FAQ
What is the secret to a good empanada?
The secret is in the dough temperature and sealing technique. Keep your butter cold and work fast so it doesn't melt before baking. Brush edges with egg wash and let it sit 30 seconds before folding - this makes them stick together properly. Cool your filling completely or the hot beef melts the dough and everything falls apart.
What to put in beef empanadas?
Traditional beef empanadas use seasoned ground beef, onions, garlic, cumin, and paprika. Many recipes add hard-boiled eggs, green olives, and raisins for texture and flavor contrast. The filling should be thick, not watery. Cool it completely before filling or the dough gets soggy and tears when you fold it.
What kind of meat do you use for empanadas?
Ground beef with about 15-20% fat works best for this beef empanadas recipe. The fat keeps the filling moist and flavorful. Super lean beef makes dry, bland filling. You can also use ground pork, shredded chicken, or ground turkey, but turkey needs extra oil added or it's too dry.
What pastry is best for empanadas?
Traditional empanada dough uses flour, cold butter or lard, salt, and ice water. It's similar to pie crust but sturdier. Lard makes it flakier than butter. Store-bought empanada discs work fine if you're short on time. Puff pastry is too delicate and falls apart when you fold and seal the edges.
Time to Make These!
Now you've got everything for beef empanadas from Carmen's dough recipe to the filling tricks I learned through all those failures. These work when you want something handheld and filling without ordering takeout.
Want more crowd-pleasers? Try our Healthy Cheesy Breadsticks Recipe for an easy side that disappears fast. Our The Best Coleslaw Recipe cuts through rich foods perfectly. Or start your morning with our Delicious French Toast Recipe that beats any diner version.
Share your empanadas! We love seeing your versions!
Rate this recipe and join our cooking community!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Beef Empanadas
Beef Empanadas
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Mix flour, butter, egg, and cold water into dough; rest in fridge 30 min.
- Brown beef, sauté onions and garlic, then season with spices.
- Cool filling, then stir in olives, hard-boiled eggs, and raisins.
- Roll dough, cut circles, fill, brush edges with egg wash, and seal.
- Brush tops with egg wash and bake at 375°F until golden brown.
Leave a Reply