Beef Empanadas
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4.9
163 reviews
Excellent
Beef Empanadas
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Beef Empanadas are baked pastries with a tender, buttery dough filled with a savory mixture of ground beef, sautéed vegetables, peas, seasonings, diced cooked potato, scallions, and optional cheese. The combination yields a flavorful, textured filling wrapped in a slightly crispy golden crust. An egg wash gives the empanadas a glossy finish once baked.
Description
Beef Empanadas begin with a dough made from water, butter, flour, salt, and paprika, cooked into an oily dough then chilled. The filling is prepared by browning ground beef and sautéing onions, bell peppers, peas, garlic, and spices before combining with beef broth, tomato paste, boiled diced potato or leftovers, scallions, and optionally shredded cheese.
The dough is rolled out, filled with the beef mixture, sealed, and brushed with an egg wash before baking at 400°F until golden. This creates a flaky yet moist pastry showcasing a robust, spiced beef and vegetable filling with a slight creaminess from potatoes and cheese.
These empanadas make a convenient snack or meal component, holding well for reheating. The recipe suggests using cooked potato leftovers to save prep time and adds paprika for smoky depth in the dough.
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Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 unsalted butter 170 grams
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Pinch paprika
For the Beef Filling:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 pound ground beef 85-90% lean
- 1 onion peeled and minced, small, yellow
- ½ red bell pepper cored, seeded, and finely diced
- ½ green bell pepper cored, seeded, and finely diced
- ½ cup peas frozen
- 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 cumin ground
- ¼ cup beef broth
- 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste to preference
- 1 russet potato peeled, finely diced, and boiled, small
- 3 scallion trimmed and chopped
- 1/2 cup Monterey jack cheese optional, shredded, or Mexican blend cheese
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
- Cook potatoes by boiling diced pieces until fork tender, approximately 10 minutes, if not using leftovers.
- Use leftover cooked potatoes to save preparation time in the filling.
- Brush empanadas with egg wash before baking for a golden, glossy crust.
- Chill the dough for at least two hours to improve handling and texture.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
163 reviews
Excellent
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