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Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: The beef empanadas are positively rich and oh so savory.
Texture: The crust is ridiculously buttery, flaky, and tender. The meaty filling inside with chunks of soft potatoes is pure comfort food.
Ease: Assembling is the most involved part. Luckily, every step can be done ahead of time!
Why you’ll love this recipe: It’s SO tasty, completely customizable, and freezes beautifully.
Oh am I excited to share how to make empanadas with you! What is better than savory goodness encased in pastry that you don’t even need a fork and knife to eat?
These baked beef empanadas are filled with a savory beef-and-potato filling and wrapped in my surprisingly easy homemade dough that bakes up buttery and flaky.
You could totally use chicken or veggies only. These empanadas are completely customizable! I’ve had just about every flavor permutation (I know I don’t look it, but my dad is actually from the Dominican Republic where empanadas are common fare).
Outstanding. Perfect dough, perfect filling. Loved by all! Thank you for this great recipe!
This is my favorite way to make homemade beef empanadas. There are SO many ways to make them, and practically every Latin country has its own variation.
How to Make Empanada Dough (Easy Method)
This dough recipe is very similar to a basic French choux pastry but without the eggs.
Prepare dry ingredients. Mix together flour, salt, and paprika.
Add a little melted butter mixture. Mix with your fingers to make a wet paste.
Pour in remaining butter mixture.
Mix. Work the dough until flour mixture is combined. Dough will feel greasy and may have visible streaks of butter. Don’t add more flour!
Chill the dough. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours.
Tessa’s Tips
Beef Empanada Filling:
- Feel free to omit or change anything, from the veggies to the spices. It’s meant to be customized!
- The empanada filling recipe makes a generous amount. If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge and serve in a bowl over rice, in wraps, scramble with eggs, or fill a burrito.
- I’m not a big fan of olives, but feel free to add in about 1/2 cup rinsed pitted, chopped green olives.
Not into the beef filling?
- Leftovers from other meals (like cooked meat or even mashed potatoes) make great empanada fillings.
- Check out my other recipes for Breakfast Empanadas and Vegetarian Empanadas!
How to Assemble Empanadas (Filling & Sealing Tips)
This is definitely the most time-consuming part of making empanadas, so get your friends and family involved in the process to make it fun and fast!
Separate dough.Tear off golf-ball sized pieces of chilled dough and roll into balls.
Roll dough. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the balls into 1/4-inch thick, 5-inch diameter circles.
Fill the dough. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center of each dough circle. Be sure not to overfill, which can cause tears in the dough and it bursting open as they bake.
Add toppings. Sprinkle lightly with cheese and scallions to each circle, if using.
Seal the filling. To prevent leaks, brush a small amount of egg wash lightly over one half edge’s border.
Fold dough. Fold over the dough to create a half-moon shape, pressing the edges firmly to seal.
Crimp edges. Use the back of a fork to crimp the edges (I prefer this over a rope crimp, which is more time consuming).
Egg wash. Brush on an egg wash with a pastry brush and bake on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet.
Storage & Make ahead
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers either plastic wrapped or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 400°F oven until the crust has recrisped and the filling is warmed through, about 5-7 minutes.
Make Ahead:
- The dough can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the fridge for two days before using.
- The filling can be cooked and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a day.
- The assembled, unbaked empanadas can be covered in plastic and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Brush with egg wash before baking, no need to change the baking time.
Freezing Instructions
Unbaked, assembled: Freeze on parchment lined baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Frozen empanadas will keep for up to three months and can be baked from the freezer. Brush with egg wash before baking, and add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Fully baked: Can be frozen, though they lose a bit of their flaky texture. To prevent freezer burn, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. To reheat, unwrap as many empanadas as you need and warm in a 300°F oven or toaster oven, about 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
An empanada is a crescent-shaped pastry filled with your choice of savory or sweet filling, popular throughout Latin America. Super customizable and easy to make ahead of time. It makes a delicious party appetizer but is also a great dinner idea!
I prefer baking for ease but also for perfectly crispy and flaky empanadas. Plus, you don’t have to worry about stinking up your kitchen with the aroma of frying oil. No cleaning up the mess of deep frying!
I haven’t tried that, but some readers have tried and reported success with this. You may need to experiment a little with bake times and temperatures, as this will vary based on your air fryer.
Yes! Simply double all ingredients, but use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to combine the wet and dry dough ingredients. Combining such a large amount of flour by hand results in an uneven dough that won’t roll out or hold its shape as nicely. If you don’t have a stand mixer, simply make two batches of the dough as written separately.
I’m certainly not the person to settle this debate! Most Latin American countries have some variation of an empanada. My dad is Dominican, and in the Dominican Republic, empanadas are often called pastelitos.
Every country has their own way of filling, shaping the empanadas, and cooking. I’m not a big fan of olives or raisins, which are often included in many savory empanada fillings. Nor do I have much time to hard boil eggs, another ingredient you’ll frequently find. However, if you prefer to add those ingredients, then feel free to!
Yes, feel free to use a product like Goya discos frozen empanada wrappers. Prepare according to the back-of-the-package instructions, being sure not to overfill.
You can, but note the filling will taste less rich and savory.
* Salsa
* Sour cream
* Guacamole
* Pickled red onions
* Mexican street corn
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Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 cup (237 grams) water
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 3/4 cups (349 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- Pinch of paprika
For the Beef Filling:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound ground beef (85-90% lean)
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled and minced
- ½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced
- ½ green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup beef broth
- 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste, to preference
- 1 small russet potato, peeled, finely diced, and boiled*
- 3 scallions, trimmed and chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese (or “Mexican blend” cheese), optional
For the Egg Wash:
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
For the dough:
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the water and butter, heating until butter has fully melted. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and paprika and make a well in the center. Pour a little of the warm butter mixture in and mix with your fingertips to make a wet paste. Pour in remaining liquid, and work the dough with your hands until you get a wet, oily dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
For the filling:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the beef, cooking until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of drippings.
- With the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons of drippings, sauté the yellow onion until translucent, 10-15 minutes. Then add the bell peppers, peas, garlic and seasonings.
- After a few minutes, deglaze the pan with ¼ cup of beef broth, then add 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste (to preference).
- Once the tomato paste has dissolved, mix in the beef and potatoes. Remove from heat.
To assemble:
- Tear off golf-ball sized pieces of the chilled dough and roll into balls. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the balls into 1/4-inch thick, 5-inch diameter circles. Once your dough has been rolled out, place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center of each dough circle. Add ½ teaspoon scallions to each circle, and sprinkle lightly with cheese, if using. Brush a small amount of egg wash lightly over one half edge’s border. Fold over the dough to create a half-moon shape and press edges firmly to seal. Crimp edges with the back of a fork.
- Place empanadas onto the prepared baking sheet. Lightly beat together the egg and water. Brush the empanadas gently with the egg wash.
- Bake empanadas until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.
- Refrigerate leftovers either plastic wrapped or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze cooked empanadas plastic wrapped in a resealable freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. To reheat, unwrap as many empanadas as you want and warm through in a 300°F oven or toaster oven for about 10 minutes.
Notes
This post was originally published in 2015 and updated with new photos and recipe improvements in 2022. Photos by Joanie Simon.
I just made these, and they were delicious & flaky. They were easy enough to get right, but just difficult enough to earn bragging rights.
Love this recipe! I doubled the spices and my husband & friends loved them. The recipe made 16 5 1/2 circles. I used my bread hook in my upright mixer to mix dough chilled overnight and it turned out fantastic.
What kind of flour needed To make empanadas
Made these tonight! Such a success!! Substitued the ground beef for turkey for something a little leaner(even though it’s still loaded with butter!) very delicous! Made the dessert ones too! The hardest part for me was making evenly level dough but overall good! Thank you!
How long can I keep this dough in the refrigerator ? One day, two, a week?
I made your dough yesterday, it was very easy and worked out great. Instead of using your filling I used my own recipe for a Puerto Rican version of empanadas called Pastelillos. They turned out fantastic thank you so much for your recipe as I will never buy the discos (Goya) again. Awesome website!
We made the dough and it just fell apart. We couldn’t even roll it. Disappointed we couldn’t make them 🙁
That’s really strange I’ve never encountered that problem or had that complaint from anyone else. Is it possible an ingredient was mis-measured?
My daughter and my husband found these to be tasteless. When u drain the fat off there goes all the flavor(not the oil but the spices).
YUMMY!
THIS IS A BIG THUMBS UP! ALL YOUR RECIPES ARE WONDERFUL,
THANK YOU!
oops!! Found them 🙂 Can’t wait to check them out!
Great video! I’ill be making these real soon. Do you have any more videos I can check out?
I made this before& it was a big hint for us.It was extremely easy too.
Great video!! They look great, banana nutella is perfect for my sweet tooth!!