Beef Empanadas Recipe

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican, Spanish

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 40

Chill Time: 1

Total Time: 2 5

Servings:

Calories: 384kcal

A seasoned ground beef filling and flaky dough are the highlights of this easy beef empanadas recipe!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together.
3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Add in the butter and use a pastry cutter or two forks, to cut it into the butter until the largest pieces are pea-sized.
½ cup unsalted butter
Pour the beaten egg and cold water into the flour mixture. Use a spatula to stir until a dough forms. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.
¾ cup cold water, 1 large egg
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour and up to 3 days.

While the dough chills, make the filling: Add the ground beef and onion to a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking the beef into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink and cooked through.
¾ pound lean ground beef, ½ yellow onion
Add the garlic, jalapeno, tomato paste, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the jalapeno is softened and everything is fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir in the frozen peas. Set aside to cool completely.
4 cloves garlic, 1 jalapeño pepper, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ cup frozen peas

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough in half. Roll the first half out to ¼-inch thick. Use a large 4½-inch cookie cutter to cut the dough into circles. Repeat with the second half of the dough, rerolling the scraps as needed.
If any of the dough circles have shrunk, reroll them a bit. Top each circle with 2 tablespoons of the filling. Use water to moisten the edges of the dough. Fold one half over the other to make a half-moon shape. Use a fork to seal the edges shut. Brush with the remaining beaten egg.
1 large egg
Place the empanadas on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

As a shortcut, you can use store-bought pie crust or empanada discs for the empanada dough.
2 tablespoons of filling is the perfect amount for this size of dough. Don’t overfill or the ground beef might fall out of the empanadas as they bake.
The egg wash gives them a nice color, helps hold the dough together, and leaves you with a crispier finish. So don’t skip it!
Be sure to make small slits in the dough to allow steam to release while baking (otherwise you’ll end up with messy, exploding empanadas).

Storage: Store beef empanadas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.