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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 made the beef empanadas. They were tedious to make but were worth it. Very good.
So glad you enjoyed these empanadas, Pam!
What an excellent experience! The dough is crispy and buttery. The filling is delicious. Put the two together and you are in for a real treat! Definitely will make again as well as try different versions, perhaps even a dessert one?!
So excited to hear you loved these empanadas, Cherish! You can absolutely experiment with any filling your heart desires – savory or sweet! Happy baking 🙂
These were a little tedious for me, but so worth the effort! I had extra filling so ended up making extra dough to extend it.
These were wonderful. Will definitely make again.
We love to hear that, Barbara!! So glad you enjoyed these empanadas! 🙂
I never had an empanada before this challenge, but now I can say that beef empanadas are a favorite food! Every member of the family LOVED them (if only I could say that about all foods). The recipe is easy to follow, and I’m sure it will get easier (and I’ll get faster) the more I make these wonderful empanadas.
Wow! That makes us all SO happy to hear, Annemarie! So thrilled you and the whole family loved these empanadas!!! These are super customizable, too, so feel free to play around with any assortment of fillings (savory OR sweet!) and see if you can get the kids to eat other things they don’t usually like if they’re just wrapped in pastry 😉 Happy baking!
I was really nervous about this one as I have not mastered pie dough yet, but it turned out great and was super simple! Can’t wait to try new fillings!
Hooray! So excited you enjoyed these empanadas, Robin!!
I have made empanadas many times and this is the best dough recipe I’ve found. It was easy to make and cooked up beautifully. It’s flaky on the outside and doesn’t get mushy on the inside. I can’t review how theyfreeze because their were none leftover. Another delicious recipe, Tessa!
So happy to hear you enjoyed these empanadas, Wendy!!
Surprisingly crispy especially considering it isn’t fried. So good and instructions were easy ti follow. Filling was delicious. We used ground turkey because it’s all we had!
Hi Bevin! So happy you enjoyed these empanadas!! I love how crispy they are too 🙂
These empanadas were so delicious! Once you get the hang of not overfilling them/closing them up, they’re quite easy, too. I’m excited to experiment with different fillings in the future.
So excited to hear that, Rae! These are super customizable, so it’s definitely fun to experiment with any fillings your heart desires!!
Delicious!!!
Wow, these were so delicious!!! I did use ground turkey instead of beef, so the mixture was a bit drier after cooking. Next time, I’ll try it with beef or I’ll add more broth to the mixture before assembly! So good!!!
Hi Bethany! So happy to hear you enjoyed these empanadas so much!!
Very good recipe.
Filling was great (though I did substitute shredded beef for the ground beef).
Dough was easy to make.
Over all result was very good.
So happy to hear that you enjoyed these empanadas, Paul!