Beef Empanadas Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

mmmargey

YES! I had no time to google it so I tested 1, it worked and then I baked my whole batch. Much faster than frying in smaller batches and just as crispy and toasty. Just brush egg wash (1 beaten egg+ a few drops of water) to get more golden colour (if cooking from frozen brush them once they've defrosted a bit in the oven).

angel

Could we bake them?

Belle's Mom

Recipe says yield is 40 empanadas. Directions = 16.

Sasha

Another commenter advised 20 minutes at 400, which worked perfectly for me!

Monaka

Step 3's instruction, "Add the tomato paste and toast," sent me searching for toast in the ingredients list, lol!

Charlie

I make 100 at a time (small, like for two bites) and freeze them on a cookie sheet. When frozen, I put them in a ziplock bag and keep them for up to 3 months in the freezer. I bake them frozen until they are nice and gold (I use an egg wash).

Barb

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

begreen

The yield is 40 empanadas. 2 logs cut in half = 4. Each of the 4 are cut into 10 = 40.

Joy Pinto-Kamath

A friend and I get together and make these by the dozen so we can keep them in the freezer for after school snacks. We deep-fry, cool, freeze, thaw in the fridge, and heat in the skillet.For larger batches (more than 6), they go into the oven, straight from the freezer.See my reply below for reheating directions.

Julian

I would freeze before frying -- that oil won't do well in the freezer.

Sasha

I improvised and subbed in tempeh for the original beef, along with a few other substitutions, and it was delicious. I think very firm tofu would work too.That said, the dough is so versatile! I made another batch with curried cauliflower and chickpeas as a filling, and that was very tasty as well.

Stephanie

This might exactly the right amount of filling for the empanadas, and they turned out so great I was thoroughly impressed. Followed the recipe exactly except for rolled the dough out and made circles with a biscuit cutter instead (then refrigerated the disks, then took them out again and rolled them thinner just before stuffing them)

The PFG

Followed this to the letter--except subbed fish sauce for the oyster sauce and coconut aminos for the soy sauce. Baked a quarter of these after brushing with egg wash. They came out with a calzone-esque consistency. Not what I wanted, but the filling is outstanding!I froze the remaining (uncooked) empanadas on lined baking sheets overnight. The second time around, I pan-fried in cast iron with a smattering of olive oil, flipped, and finished in a 400F oven. These were flaky, crusty PERFECTION!

herbie

Yes Susan, they can be made ahead of time, frozen and then fried. Flavor remains!

Chalin

I was out of oyster sauce so used gochujang and it was delicious!

Deb Martin

Kudos to anyone who makes the dough and cuts it out. Me? I use Goya frozen empanada discs. Be sure to buy the puff pastry one, which is from Argentina. The other one is more doughy but also works. I freeze them before baking and then take them out a couple at a time for a snack or meal. They bake up great in the toaster oven.

SweetSue

Great recipe, served with a curried ketchup

Paul

Delicious with a great flaky dough. Very labor intensive and I messed up quite a few trying to roll out individual circles. Next time I’m rolling the dough flat in pieces and using a round cookie cutter.

MelH

Step 3: Tomato paste and TOAST???

PHBrowne

Vinegar sauce? Columbian friends of ours serve theirs with a bright vinegar sauce, kissed by a tiny bit of tomatoes and fresh herbs.You dip the empanadas in the sauce or break them in half and pour a bit inside. Completely sparks the flavor.Since this is my only experience with empanadas, I was looking for a good companion sauce.

Elizabeth

Can they be air fried?

Lynn

Maybe someone else mentioned this already, but I use my tortilla press instead of rolling the dough. So much easier.

Charlie

For those of you that have access to a Latin or Argentine grocery store like we do in Miami, they sell empanada dough ready to use. The best brand is La Salteña, the blue kind which is for baking. I used to bring it all the way from Argentina, in the small size for co*cktail parties. Now I can find it here and it is excellent.

june

Plan to make these substituting tofu for beef and keeping everything else the same.Sounds so good!

Katie P

Anyone have any luck making these gluten free?

Linnea

Aug 14/22 Baked instead of fried. Pastry a little dry, but the empanada was tasty.

Miss Foodie

Great recipe but a lot of work. Be prepared. I baked these to cut back on fried foods and they baked quite well as others suggested. I made them in batches and froze the extra for lovely appetizers with friends. They were flaky after thawing and baking. I omitted the raisins as my family is not a fan of them. Definitely worth making…thinking of making chimichurri to go with it next time.

Miss Foodie

Great recipe, but reduce the salt. Soy sauce and fish sauce are very salty. Brushed egg wash and baked 20-25 minutes as previous suggestions for a lighter and still flaky pastry. Family loved it. Freezes well.

MSWIS

This are time consuming and worth every minute. Delicious.

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Beef Empanadas Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Which dough is best for empanadas? ›

As mentioned above many people will use their favorite pre-made pie dough to make empanadas. This is because the ingredients for most dough recipes are very similar. Most pie doughs use flour, butter, salt, water, and sometimes egg; an ingredient list almost identical to those needed for this recipe!

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.

Why are my empanadas falling apart? ›

Always cool your filling before assembling your empanada. The steam from a hot or warm filling may cause your pastry to become soggy and it may cause this to fall apart.

How do you keep 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.

Is empanada dough the same as pie 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.

Why do my empanadas open when I fry them? ›

The best filling and the best dough won't do you any good if your empanadas won't stay closed when floating in fry oil, and won't matter much if your dough is oil-logged and soggy after frying. To prevent these culinary disasters, you need to seal your empanadas well and fry them at the right temperature.

What are traditional empanadas made of? ›

Empanadas have their origin in the Spanish action Empanar connoting “wrap in bread.” Traditional empanadas hence are simply beef stuffing wrapped in pastry dough. Beef empanadas are small palm-sized meat pockets. They resemble the Arabian Samosas and Italian calzones.

What oil do you use for empanadas? ›

Oil that is too cool will make your fried empanadas greasy and sad. I normally use canola oil for fried empanadas because it's flavorless and has a high smoke point. Lard tastes better, but you end up frying very close to lard's smoke point, which is tricky; when oil gets too hot it will taste acrid.

Can you make empanadas with pizza dough? ›

And while we love traditional empanadas, fussy pastry dough is a lot to tackle on a busy weeknight. Here, we use our favorite dough hack, ready-made pizza dough, for a quick-ready-to-roll crust. It's crisp and tender and works perfectly to enclose the grass-fed ground beef, bell pepper, and golden raisin filling.

Why put vinegar in empanada dough? ›

Adding a little vinegar to your dough will result in a tender, pliable, and flaky crust because it slightly inhibits gluten development, leading to a crust that is flakier and easier to work with. The great thing about vinegar is that you really only need a little bit of it to help your pie/empanada dough.

How long can beef empanadas sit out? ›

The Two-Hour Rule. Cooked food can only stay in the temperature danger zone for so long before it becomes unsafe to eat. Havern explains: "The maximum amount of time perishable foods can [spend] in the danger zone is two hours. At two hours, the food must be consumed, stored correctly, or thrown away.

How do you keep empanada dough from cracking? ›

Handle the dough as little as possible. The more I handled each empanada, the quicker they seemed to dry out and start to crack. Do not overfill your empanadas. Trying to close your dough over a too-large mound of filling is just asking for it.

Can I make empanadas the day before? ›

Whether making them tonight, or preparing for a future fiesta, empanadas can be made ahead of time. Baked empanadas can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Simply reheat them in the microwave or toaster oven when you are ready to eat. To freeze, lay the unbaked empanadas on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

What kind of dough are empanadas made of? ›

Similar to an American turnover but far more versatile, an empanada is a fried or baked pastry shaped like a crescent moon. Once the bread has been made with flour dough or corn flour dough, it's then stuffed with myriad fillings depending on the occasion and your taste.

Is Goya empanada dough puff pastry? ›

GOYA® Empanada Dough-Puff Pastry for Baking are versatile and convenient puff pastry discs, ideal for creating sweet or savory recipes with a gourmet touch.

Is empanada dough the same as dumpling dough? ›

Dough: Empanadas are typically made with a wheat-based dough that is rolled out and folded over the filling. The dough is often enriched with ingredients like eggs or lard to give it a tender texture. Dumplings, in contrast, can be made with a variety of dough types depending on the cuisine.

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