Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe | The Modern Proper (2024)

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May 7, 2024

Tender, flaky empanada dough surrounding a mixture of warmly-spiced ground beef and veggies, our beef empanada recipe is the best ever.

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Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe | The Modern Proper (1)

An Easy Homemade Beef Empanada Recipe

Empanadas are crescent-shaped, savory pastries made of dough and filled with a variety of ingredients. Empanada fillings can include anything from ground or shredded beef, chicken, pork, cheese, or vegetables, seasoned vibrantly, then baked to perfection. Our favorite beef empanada recipe is most closely related to Chilean empanadas, because they are baked and use ground beef instead of shredded. They feature a buttery, easy homemade empanada dough, wrapped around hearty beef filling, these easy beer empanadas are pure hand-held perfection. For more fun party food recipes, try our Pigs In A Blanket or our Sausage Rolls, and if you prefer chicken, be sure to try our Chicken Empanadas.

Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe | The Modern Proper (2)

Empanada Ingredients

  • Ground beef
  • Potatoes.
  • Vegetables! Onion, celery, peas, and carrots.
  • Garlic
  • Spices! Cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, cloves — yum.
  • Beef stock. Just a little, to keep the ground beef empanada filling from drying out.

Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe | The Modern Proper (5)

Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe | The Modern Proper (6)

How To Make Empanada Dough

The internet claims that you can use store-bought pizza dough as a stand-in for homemade empanada dough. We’re usually all for shortcuts, but in this case we’re firmly in favor of making your own empanada dough. Homemade empanada crust is really just a simple pastry dough, like pie crust, and you can make it a few hours or even a few days ahead of time. To make empanada dough, you’ll need:

  • Flour
  • Ice water
  • Salt
  • Chilled butter
  • Egg

Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe | The Modern Proper (7)

Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe | The Modern Proper (8)

Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe | The Modern Proper (9)

Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe | The Modern Proper (10)

How To Make Beef Empanadas

  1. Make the empanada dough. We like to use a food processor to mix up the dough. Shape the dough into a ball, tightly cover in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

  2. Prepare the empanada filling. Boil the potatoes until tender, brown the beef in a large skillet along with the onions, celery and carrots. Add the potatoes and ground beef mixture to the pan and cook until browned and tender.

  3. Season the filling. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and beef broth. Then add the peas and cook, stirring until everything is well incorporated and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Season with salt and pepper.

  4. Roll out the dough. Divide it into 10 equal parts. Use your favorite rolling pin to roll each piece out into a circle of dough that’s roughly 7” wide.

  5. Fill the empanadas: Add about one-third of a cup of the ground beef filling onto one side of each of the rounds of dough. Brush with egg wash along the exposed edges (this is your “glue”) and fold the dough over.

  6. Seal the empanadas! Use a fork to firmly press the edges of the dough together to seal the beef filling inside of the empanada. Repeat this process with remaining dough and filling and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet.

  7. Bake the empanadas! Brush those beautiful pouches of beefy goodness with egg and bake them until they're golden brown.

Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe | The Modern Proper (11)

Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe | The Modern Proper (12)

How to Store Homemade Empanadas + Tips

  • To freeze your beef empanadas: freeze them right before you’d bake them. Once you’re done filling and sealing the empanadas, lay them on a baking sheet like you’re about to bake them, but instead of putting the sheet in your oven, pop it in your freezer. Freeze overnight, then transfer to an airtight, zipper-top freezer bag and store for up to three months. When you’re ready to eat the empanadas, just lay the frozen empanada directly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes at 400°F.

  • To make empanadas ahead of time: cover the tray of unbaked empanadas and refrigerate for up to two days. When you’re ready to eat, bake them at 400° for 40 minutes. They’ll emerge perfectly golden and steaming from the oven just as if you had baked them the same day.

  • Leftover empanadas will keep, stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe | The Modern Proper (13)

More Ground Beef Recipes To Love

  • Crispy Ground Beef Taco

  • Gingery Ground Beef (Soboro Donburi)

  • Picadillo

  • Sloppy Joes

  • Crispy Ground Beef Taco Ground beef tacos are as quick and easy as can be. Plus, they’re easy for each person at the table to customize to their own tastes and so they’re always, always a crowd-favorite.
  • Gingery Ground Beef (Soboro Donburi) Five ingredients, a few minutes and a hot skillet, and you’ll be digging into a delicious soboro donburi, a gingery ground beef that reminds us that the best Japanese recipes are often the simplest.
  • Picadillo Ground beef, studded with potatoes and spiced generously with cumin, cinnamon and garlic—what’s not to love? Our picadillo recipe makes for a homey weeknight dinner that everyone will gobble up!
  • Sloppy Joes These saucy, beefy homemade sloppy Joes are the best kind of messy comfort food, so gather your fam around the table, grab a big stack of napkins and let’s get sloppy!

The Best Beef Empanada Recipe, Hands Down

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Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe | The Modern Proper (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to fry or bake empanadas? ›

Both cooking methods produce delicious empanadas. If you want a healthier merienda, bake them in the oven. If you're working with less time, frying them is the way to go. Try both and ask your loved ones to vote on their favorite.

What are 3 types of empanadas? ›

Some popular empanada styles are: Argentine empanadas with beef, cheese, or chicken. Chilean empanadas with beef, cheese, or seafood. Mexican empanadas with spicy beef, potato, or pumpkin.

What is the difference between Spanish empanadas and Mexican empanadas? ›

When the Spanish hit the New World in the 16th century they shared their empanada recipe with the Aztecs and Maya. The Spanish recipe was made with bread dough, the Mexican recipe with corn masa dough. This is where Mexican empanada history takes over. Each region in Mexico has their own version of the empanada.

How to keep empanadas from getting soggy? ›

As you fold your empanadas they may become warm in the heat of your kitchen, so be sure they are cold before baking or frying. Chilling both the filling and the dough will keep the liquid inside where it belongs and keep the edge sealed, preventing bursting and that dreaded soggy bottom.

How do you keep fried empanadas crispy? ›

The best way to keep fried foods crispy? Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. If you're frying multiple batches, throw the whole setup into a low oven to keep everything warm as you keep frying and adding to the rack.

What is the best substitute for empanada dough? ›

What Can You Substitute for Empanada Dough? If you're looking for a shortcut, store-bought pie dough can be used to make empanadas. You may need to roll the dough out slightly thinner—it will produce a flakier result than typical empanada dough and is better for baking than frying.

Is empanada dough the same as pastry dough? ›

While pie dough is designed to be flaky, empanada dough is meant to be more tender. Pastry for empanadas has a higher flour-to-fat ratio, making it sturdy and perfect for wrapping around meaty fillings. Some recipes use lard or an additional egg as the fat source, but our recipe keeps it simple and easy with butter.

Is empanada dough the same as tortilla dough? ›

If you know how to make homemade flour tortillas, you know how to make empanada dough for frying. There's not a lot of difference — chief one being that you use ice water with empanada dough, and hot water for tortillas. Another difference is the flour.

What do you seal empanadas with? ›

Brush with egg wash along the exposed edges (this is your “glue”) and fold the dough over. Seal the empanadas! Use a fork to firmly press the edges of the dough together to seal the beef filling inside of the empanada.

What to eat with beef empanadas? ›

What To Serve With Empanadas: 21 Best Amazing Side Dishes🍴
  • Produce. • 1 Charro beans. • 1 Plantains, Fried.
  • Canned Goods. • 1 Refried beans.
  • Condiments. • 1 Avocado aioli. ...
  • Pasta & Grains. • 1 Black beans & rice. ...
  • Nuts & Seeds. • 1 Parmesan corn on a cob, Smoky.
  • Dairy. • 1 Qdoba queso.
  • Frozen. • 1 Arroz con pollo.
  • Deli. • 1 Arugula salad.

What is the fancy name for empanadas? ›

The Many Names of Empanadas

For instance, Americans call them meat pies, and Jamaicans call them beef patties. At the same time, Indians call them samosas, and people in Latin America or Spain call them pastelillos or pastelitos.

What nationality makes the best empanadas? ›

Argentina has become world-famous for their empanadas which are widely available in Buenos Aires and across the country as fast-food options and restaurant staples. As with many recipes, that of empanadas was shared through generations and carried to many other nations.

What country puts raisins in their empanadas? ›

The typical Chilean empanada, the baked version (“empanada de horno”), was stuffed with ground beef, olives, raisins, onions and hard-cooked egg, a mix that was seasoned with paprika and cumin.

What are the most popular empanadas? ›

12 Empanadas Varieties Ranked From the Best To the Worst
  • Pastry. Argentinian Empanadas (Empanadas Argentinas) ...
  • Savory Pastry. Empanadas Tucumanas. ...
  • Pastry. Empanada Cordobesa. ...
  • Savory Pie. Empanada Gallega. ...
  • Savory Pastry. Empanadas chilenas. ...
  • Savory Pastry. Empanada de cordero. ...
  • Savory Pastry. Empanadas de Santa Rita. ...
  • Savory Pastry.
Aug 16, 2024

Is it better to fry or bake? ›

Because ovens heat air, and air has no calories, baking in an oven does not add additional calories or fat to the foods you cook. This is why baking is a smarter option when working on controlling calorie, cholesterol or fat intake, as you are left only with the calories and fat from the foods in the pan.

Can I bake goya empanadas instead of frying? ›

Empanadas Argentinas are always baked instead of fried, so your family can enjoy them regularly, too. Make them in no time with authentic, pre-prepared GOYA® Empanada Dough-Puff Pastry for Baking.

How long do you fry empanadas? ›

Working in batches, fry 1 to 2 empanadas at a time in hot oil until browned, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Why is baking better than deep frying? ›

deep frying food is generally more tastier than the baked one but the truth is that baked food cuts down the calorie consumption and that's equally tastier and maintain healthy weight & diet . it also results in minimum loss of vitamin C.

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