This recipe is for classic empanadas with spiced ground beef and some extras like olives, a recipe I've made hundreds of times. They are a staple in Latin America, especially here in Argentina, where I'm from. They're flavorful and can be made as large handpies or turnovers, or small appetizer bites. You can use my homemade dough for empanadas or store-bought, which works just as well.
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Appetizer or meal
Empanadas (hand pies or turnovers) are a big thing here. They are a dish shared among friends, and on weekend nights, when you don't know what to eat, you order empanadas and call it a day. The flavors are endless, with meat and ham/cheese being the most popular ones, followed by cheese/onion, corn empanadas, chicken and more.
Meat empanadas are the most popular. They're very traditional and have been around forever.
The key is a well-seasoned, juicy filling. This recipe is all of that, plus the homemade dough (made with butter for this post) if you choose to go that route. You can buy them, and the links are in the recipe card.
These are classic ground beef empanadas (we also have knife-cut empanadas), with olives and the debatable hard-boiled egg. I added them today, but you can omit them. Not the olives, if you ask me.
Why make empanadas:
- Easy to share with friends.
- Perfect for when you don't want to cook.
- Make cocktail-sized ones for parties or as appetizers: they make fantastic finger food and can be frozen before baking.
- Good for casual get-togethers or game day.
Testing Notes
- Juicy filling tip: The large amount of onion might seem like too much, but it's essential. It keeps the filling moist and adds depth of flavor. Use ground beef with 15-20% fat; lean beef results in a drier texture.
- Chill the filling: Don't skip this. Even a slightly warm filling will soften the dough and make it hard to fold and seal. You can make the meat mixture ahead and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
- Sealing the edges: To prevent leaks, lightly moisten the edge of the dough with water before folding and crimping. It helps glue the dough together.
- Don't overfill: It's tempting to add extra, but too much filling will cause the empanadas to burst open as they bake. Do a test run with a few if you're unsure about the right amount.
- Freezing tip: Assemble and freeze unbaked empanadas for up to 1 month. Bake directly from frozen at 350°F (180°C). No need to thaw.
- Finish options: For a golden top, brush with egg wash (egg + milk) before baking. Some use oil instead, but it's optional and depends on the style you're after.
- Shortcut tip: You can keep homemade dough discs refrigerated or frozen. For convenience, store-bought discs work well too (see recommended brands in the recipe card).
Homemade dough
I love to make my own, but resort to store-bought quite often, especially when making large batches.
Make-ahead tip: Empanada discs or rounds freeze exceptionally well. Make large batches and store them individually between freezer sheets-trust me on this! If you stack them without separation, you'll remember me when they freeze together into an inseparable mess. Once individually separated, you can stack and wrap them together before freezing.
Ground beef filling
Also known as picadillo, this is the most old-fashioned and standard empanada filling in Argentina, where I'm from, and probably South America in general.
- Make the flavor base. The amount of onion is one of the reasons the handpies taste so good. Soften and sweat the different onions, but don't brown them.
- Add the rest of the filling ingredients and stir to mix. Make sure the meat is well seasoned!
- Let the filling cool down completely or refrigerate before using. It must be cold. This is essential to obtain a good result, so plan.
- Spoon some filling into the middle of the dough. Don't overstuff it, or the empanadas will probably burst open in the oven.
Moisten the edge of the dough with your wet fingertip and then press both sides tightly to close and seal as you fold the round in half. The water acts as a glue when it dries.
- Crimping: This rope style is the classic for beef empanadas. It takes practice. You can also use the tines of a fork to press and seal the edges, like for the corn empanadas.
- Brush the tops of the empanadas with egg wash for a shiny, golden brown finish.
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Ground Beef Empanadas (Argentinian recipe)
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This recipe is a classic empanada with spiced ground beef and olives. They're a staple in Latin America, especially here in Argentina. Hands-on prep time for the filling and assembly is about 30-40 minutes; the rest is chilling. I use my fantastic homemade empanada dough, but store-bought works just as well and will reduce the time by an hour or so.
Ingredients
Homemade dough:
- ¾ cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 7 tablespoons beef tallow, lard, or unsalted butter, scant ½ cup, melted and warm
Ground beef filling:
- 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- 2 pounds ground beef, with a 15-20% fat percentage
- 1 pound yellow onion, diced
- ½ pound green onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped, optional
- ⅓ cup chopped pitted green olives, if not using eggs, use ⅔ cup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 egg, for the egg wash
Instructions
Make the filling:
- Add 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil and 1 pound yellow onion, chopped, to a large skillet.
- Sauté over medium heat until the onion is soft. Add ½ pound green onion and stir for 2 more minutes.
- Incorporate 4 garlic cloves, minced, and 2 pounds ground beef. Stir over heat until meat is evenly cooked.
- Add 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon sweet paprika. Stir to combine. Remove from heat.
- Add 2 hard-boiled eggs and ⅓ cup chopped pitted green olives, and stir to combine.
- Let the filling cool down to room temperature and refrigerate for one hour before making your empanadas. Having a cold filling helps when assembling empanadas.
To make the dough:
- There is a separate post about homemade empanada dough with more details and images. You can also buy them, and I recommend La Salteña criollas (more traditional and sturdier) or La Salteña hojaldradas (flakier). They're one of the most well-known brands from Argentina, and we use them regularly.
- In a small bowl, stir 1 teaspoon salt in ¾ cup warm water until completely dissolved. Don't skip this step.
- In a large bowl, place 4 cups all-purpose flour and add 7 tablespoons beef tallow, lard, or unsalted butter, melted and warm and the warm salted water.
- Start mixing from the center outward, incorporating flour from the edges. When you can't mix any more, transfer the shaggy mass to a work surface or clean counter. Knead by hand for about 3-4 minutes until a smooth, uniform dough forms. It should not be sticky. Don't overwork it.
- Cover the dough with a clean towel or plastic wrap (I transfer it again to the same bowl, but you can use a clean one) and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. This resting time helps relax the gluten and makes the dough easier to roll out.
- With a large kitchen knife or dough cutter, divide the dough into 1 ounce (30 grams) pieces. On a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin, roll each ball from the center outward, until it's about 2-3 mm thick, rotating the dough frequently to maintain a round shape. Aim for 5-6 inch circles. You can also roll the whole dough (like you would pie dough) and use a 5.5-6 inch round cutter (12 to 15 cm in diameter) to cut out discs. You can stack them with a bit of flour or parchment paper in between so they don't stick.
Assemble and bake the empanadas:
- Take a dough disc (homemade or store-bought). Moisten the edges with water using your fingertip (this helps seal them). Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of cold filling in the center of each disc. Don't overfill, or they'll be hard to seal and burst during baking.
- Fold the disc in half to form a half-moon shape. Press the edges well to seal. Crimp the edges with the traditional rope-style crimping. There are several techniques: you can pinch and fold or press with a fork (though hand-crimping is more traditional). What matters most is sealing them well so the juices don't leak during cooking.
- Once assembled, place the empanadas on a tray and refrigerate them for 20-30 minutes before cooking. This helps them hold their shape and stay sealed.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F - 425°F (200°C - 220°C).
- Place the empanadas on a lightly greased or parchment paper-lined baking tray. Brush with a lightly beaten egg if you want a shinier finish. We don't necessarily do this every time.
- Bake for 15-25 minutes, or until golden and the dough is fully baked. Remember the filling is already cooked. Exact time depends on your oven. Serve immediately.
Notes
Juicy empanadas: You might think there's too much onion, but it's actually what keeps the filling moist and flavorful. Also, be sure to use ground beef with a decent fat content (15-20%), as it helps make the empanadas extra juicy.
Appetizers: make small rounds of dough (about 3 inches or 8 cm) and fill them as instructed, using a teaspoon or so of filling. I like to make them in huge batches and freeze them so I can bake them as needed when I have a last-minute gathering or potluck.
Filling variations: Use different spices to change the flavor of the empanada. Olives are a must, in my opinion, but you can omit the hard-boiled eggs. Some versions add raisins to give it a sweeter flavor.
Freeze empanada dough: Both fat versions freeze exceptionally well. Make large batches of discs and store them individually between freezer sheets—trust me on this! If you stack them without separation, you'll remember me when they freeze together into an inseparable mess. Once individually separated, you can stack and wrap them together before freezing.
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