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4.1 from 24 votes

Air Fryer Beef Empanadas

Air fryer beef empanadas made from flaky puff pastry wrapped around a ground beef picadillo filling. They cook in only 8 minutes!

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 2 mins
Servings: 12 empanadas
Calories: 326 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 plum tomato, diced
  • 1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound 93% lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 small potato, diced
  • 1 medium carrot, diced
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup frozen peas
  • 2 heets frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
  • 1 egg, whisked

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomato and onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
  3. Add ground beef, chili powder, salt, ground cumin, dried oregano, and ground coriander, and cook for 6-8 minutes, using a spoon to break up the meat into smaller pieces and stir occasionally.
  4. Add potato, carrot, and water. Stir to combine, lower heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are soft and tender.
  5. Remove skillet from heat, taste, and season with more salt if desired.
  6. Add frozen peas, mix together, and set aside. (The frozen peas will thaw and warm up with the residual heat.)
  7. Roll out puff pastry into two large rectangles, roughly 19x14-inches, then cut the dough into 7.5-inch rounds. (I used the lid of a storage container I had in the pantry as a template.) Repeat this process with the remaining scraps of dough until you get a total of 12 rounds.
  8. Place a heaping 1/4 cup of the ground beef mixture into the center of each round.
  9. Fold the dough in half over the filling and crimp the edges together with your fingers or the tines of a fork.
  10. Brush the tops of each empanada with the whisked egg.
  11. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
  12. Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray, and carefully add as many empanadas that will fit in the basket without touching.
  13. Cook for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove from the air fryer, and repeat with the remaining empanadas.
  14. Let the empanadas cool for 3 minutes before eating. Serve with your favorite salsa and some sour cream.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1empanada Calories 326kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 23g (8%) Protein 12g (24%) Fat 21g (32%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 11g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 38mg (13%) Sodium 334mg (14%) Potassium 258mg (7%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 987IU (20%) Vitamin C 5mg (6%) Calcium 19mg (2%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12empanadas

Amount Per Serving

Calories 326

% Daily Value*

Serving 1empanada
Calories 326kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 23g 8%
Protein 12g 24%
Fat 21g 32%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 11g 55%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 38mg 13%
Sodium 334mg 14%
Potassium 258mg 5%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 987IU 20%
Vitamin C 5mg 6%
Calcium 19mg 2%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.