Beef Empanadas

Beef Empanadas feature a flavorful beef filling wrapped in flaky, buttery pastry. I'm showing you step-by-step how to make empanadas that are baked instead of fried. These crowd-pleasers can be made ahead of time too!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword beef empanadas, empanadas, how to make empanadas

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Inactive Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours

Yields: 20 empanadas

Recipe by Tessa Arias

Ingredients

For the Dough:

1 cup water
1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter
2 3/4 cups (349 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons 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 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

Directions

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.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

*May use cooked potato leftovers as well. If using fresh uncooked potato, in a small saucepan, fill ⅔ with water and bring to boil over high heat. Meanwhile, peel and finely dice the potato. When water is boiling, reduce heat to medium and add potato, cooking until the potato can easily be pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Drain in colander.