Beef Empanadas
Golden, flaky beef empanadas stuffed with a savory, spiced filling. This easy, authentic empanadas recipe walks you through every step for perfect homemade empanada preparation.
The Empanada That Started It All
There is a reason beef empanadas show up at every family gathering, street food cart, and holiday table across Latin America. They are portable, endlessly customizable, and impossible to eat just one of. This is my go to beef empanadas recipe, built on a flaky, buttery dough and a rich, spiced filling that tastes like it took all day but really comes together in under two hours.
If you have ever searched for an authentic empanadas recipe and felt overwhelmed by regional variations, don't worry. This version borrows the best techniques I have picked up over years of testing, resulting in a beginner friendly empanada cooking guide that still delivers serious flavor.
Before we get cooking, the right tools and ingredients make a real difference here. A good pastry cutter keeps your butter cold and your dough flaky, and a sturdy round cutter makes quick work of shaping uniform empanadas. These are the products that genuinely help this recipe shine:
What Makes This Empanadas Recipe Beef Filling So Good
The filling is where this recipe earns its stripes. Instead of just browning meat and calling it done, we build layers of flavor with:
- Aromatics like onion, garlic, and bell pepper for sweetness and depth
- Warm spices including cumin, smoked paprika, and a whisper of cinnamon
- Tomato paste for richness and body
- Optional mix ins like chopped olives and hard boiled egg, a nod to South American tradition
That hint of cinnamon might surprise you, but it is a small trick borrowed from certain African beef empanadas and Latin American versions alike, adding warmth without making the filling taste sweet.
Chef's Tip: Always let your filling cool completely before assembling. Warm filling melts the butter in your dough, and that is the fastest way to end up with tough, greasy empanadas instead of flaky ones.
Getting the Dough Right
A great empanadas recipe easy enough for beginners still needs a properly made dough. The secret is keeping everything cold. Cold butter, cold water, and a quick chill in the fridge before rolling. This is what creates those beautiful flaky layers when they bake.
When rolling out your dough, aim for about an eighth of an inch thick. Too thin and the filling will burst through. Too thick and the empanadas will taste doughy instead of light and crisp.
For sealing, you have two solid options:
- Press the edges with a fork for a classic, rustic look
- Fold the edge into a small rope pattern for a more polished, bakery style finish
Either way works, so pick whichever feels more natural to your hands. Practice makes this part faster every time.
Assembling and Baking
Once your dough is rolled and cut into circles, this becomes one of the most satisfying parts of homemade empanada preparation. Scoop the filling, fold, seal, and repeat. It is a rhythm that gets faster with each empanada, and honestly, a little meditative once you find your groove.
Brushing the tops with egg wash before baking is what gives these empanadas their gorgeous golden sheen, so don't skip that step.
Ready to make it? Here is the full step-by-step recipe:
Beef Empanadas
Golden, flaky beef empanadas stuffed with a savory, spiced filling. This easy, authentic empanadas recipe walks you through every step for perfect homemade empanada preparation.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 3/4 cup cold water, plus more as needed
- 1 large egg, for the dough
- 1 lb ground beef, 80/20 blend
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, optional, for warmth
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3/8 cup green olives, chopped, optional
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped, optional
- 1 beaten egg, for egg wash
Instruction
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and half the salt. Cut in the cold cubed butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Whisk the egg into the cold water, then add it to the flour mixture. Stir just until a shaggy dough forms, adding a splash more water if needed.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly until smooth. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
While the dough chills, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the diced onion, garlic, and bell pepper to the skillet. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, remaining salt, and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Remove the filling from heat and stir in the chopped olives and hard-boiled eggs, if using. Let the filling cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll the chilled dough out on a floured surface to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 5 to 6 inch circles using a bowl or cutter.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of cooled filling onto one half of each circle, leaving a border around the edge.
Fold the dough over the filling to form a half moon shape. Press the edges together and crimp with a fork or fold into a rope pattern to seal.
Arrange the empanadas on the prepared baking sheets. Brush the tops with the beaten egg wash.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until deeply golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Pastry cutter or fork
- Rolling pin
- 5 to 6 inch round cutter or bowl
- Large skillet
- Baking sheets
- Pastry brush
Notes
Serving, Storing, and Variations
These beef empanadas are fantastic on their own, but they truly shine with a simple dipping sauce like chimichurri, salsa criolla, or even a garlicky aioli on the side. A crisp green salad rounds out the meal nicely if you are serving them for dinner rather than as an appetizer.
For storage, keep baked empanadas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, and reheat them in the oven rather than the microwave to preserve that crisp crust. Unbaked empanadas freeze beautifully for up to three months, which makes this recipe ideal for meal prepping ahead of parties or busy weeknights.
Feeling adventurous? Swap the beef for shredded chicken, spiced lentils, or even a sweet plantain and cheese filling for a completely different take on the same dependable dough. However you fill them, this recipe proves that a good empanada is really about technique, and once you have that down, the possibilities are endless.
