Beef Empanadas Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

mmmargey

YES! I had no time to google it so I tested 1, it worked and then I baked my whole batch. Much faster than frying in smaller batches and just as crispy and toasty. Just brush egg wash (1 beaten egg+ a few drops of water) to get more golden colour (if cooking from frozen brush them once they've defrosted a bit in the oven).

angel

Could we bake them?

Belle's Mom

Recipe says yield is 40 empanadas. Directions = 16.

Sasha

Another commenter advised 20 minutes at 400, which worked perfectly for me!

Monaka

Step 3's instruction, "Add the tomato paste and toast," sent me searching for toast in the ingredients list, lol!

Charlie

I make 100 at a time (small, like for two bites) and freeze them on a cookie sheet. When frozen, I put them in a ziplock bag and keep them for up to 3 months in the freezer. I bake them frozen until they are nice and gold (I use an egg wash).

Barb

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

begreen

The yield is 40 empanadas. 2 logs cut in half = 4. Each of the 4 are cut into 10 = 40.

Joy Pinto-Kamath

A friend and I get together and make these by the dozen so we can keep them in the freezer for after school snacks. We deep-fry, cool, freeze, thaw in the fridge, and heat in the skillet.For larger batches (more than 6), they go into the oven, straight from the freezer.See my reply below for reheating directions.

Julian

I would freeze before frying -- that oil won't do well in the freezer.

Sasha

I improvised and subbed in tempeh for the original beef, along with a few other substitutions, and it was delicious. I think very firm tofu would work too.That said, the dough is so versatile! I made another batch with curried cauliflower and chickpeas as a filling, and that was very tasty as well.

Stephanie

This might exactly the right amount of filling for the empanadas, and they turned out so great I was thoroughly impressed. Followed the recipe exactly except for rolled the dough out and made circles with a biscuit cutter instead (then refrigerated the disks, then took them out again and rolled them thinner just before stuffing them)

The PFG

Followed this to the letter--except subbed fish sauce for the oyster sauce and coconut aminos for the soy sauce. Baked a quarter of these after brushing with egg wash. They came out with a calzone-esque consistency. Not what I wanted, but the filling is outstanding!I froze the remaining (uncooked) empanadas on lined baking sheets overnight. The second time around, I pan-fried in cast iron with a smattering of olive oil, flipped, and finished in a 400F oven. These were flaky, crusty PERFECTION!

herbie

Yes Susan, they can be made ahead of time, frozen and then fried. Flavor remains!

Chalin

I was out of oyster sauce so used gochujang and it was delicious!

Deb Martin

Kudos to anyone who makes the dough and cuts it out. Me? I use Goya frozen empanada discs. Be sure to buy the puff pastry one, which is from Argentina. The other one is more doughy but also works. I freeze them before baking and then take them out a couple at a time for a snack or meal. They bake up great in the toaster oven.

SweetSue

Great recipe, served with a curried ketchup

Paul

Delicious with a great flaky dough. Very labor intensive and I messed up quite a few trying to roll out individual circles. Next time I’m rolling the dough flat in pieces and using a round cookie cutter.

MelH

Step 3: Tomato paste and TOAST???

PHBrowne

Vinegar sauce? Columbian friends of ours serve theirs with a bright vinegar sauce, kissed by a tiny bit of tomatoes and fresh herbs.You dip the empanadas in the sauce or break them in half and pour a bit inside. Completely sparks the flavor.Since this is my only experience with empanadas, I was looking for a good companion sauce.

Elizabeth

Can they be air fried?

Lynn

Maybe someone else mentioned this already, but I use my tortilla press instead of rolling the dough. So much easier.

Charlie

For those of you that have access to a Latin or Argentine grocery store like we do in Miami, they sell empanada dough ready to use. The best brand is La Salteña, the blue kind which is for baking. I used to bring it all the way from Argentina, in the small size for co*cktail parties. Now I can find it here and it is excellent.

june

Plan to make these substituting tofu for beef and keeping everything else the same.Sounds so good!

Katie P

Anyone have any luck making these gluten free?

Linnea

Aug 14/22 Baked instead of fried. Pastry a little dry, but the empanada was tasty.

Miss Foodie

Great recipe but a lot of work. Be prepared. I baked these to cut back on fried foods and they baked quite well as others suggested. I made them in batches and froze the extra for lovely appetizers with friends. They were flaky after thawing and baking. I omitted the raisins as my family is not a fan of them. Definitely worth making…thinking of making chimichurri to go with it next time.

Miss Foodie

Great recipe, but reduce the salt. Soy sauce and fish sauce are very salty. Brushed egg wash and baked 20-25 minutes as previous suggestions for a lighter and still flaky pastry. Family loved it. Freezes well.

MSWIS

This are time consuming and worth every minute. Delicious.

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Beef Empanadas Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to fry or bake empanadas? ›

Both cooking methods produce delicious empanadas. If you want a healthier merienda, bake them in the oven. If you're working with less time, frying them is the way to go. Try both and ask your loved ones to vote on their favorite.

Which dough is best for empanadas? ›

If you're looking for a shortcut, store-bought pie dough can be used to make empanadas.

What pastry is empanadas made from? ›

Sugar – Yes we need some sugar in this recipe. I used brown sugar today as the molasses notes cooks down and add complexity to our dish. Puff pastry – Believe me you'll want to use store bought for this recipe, it'll save you time and energy. Egg – We're using an entire egg for an egg wash to top our Beef Empanadas.

What are traditional empanadas made of? ›

Empanadas have their origin in the Spanish action Empanar connoting “wrap in bread.” Traditional empanadas hence are simply beef stuffing wrapped in pastry dough. Beef empanadas are small palm-sized meat pockets. They resemble the Arabian Samosas and Italian calzones.

How do you keep empanadas crispy after frying? ›

Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.

In much the same way, putting fried food on a cooling rack means the excess oil will drip off, but there's enough air circulating underneath the food that the bottoms don't get soggy.

Is empanada dough the same as pie crust? ›

While pie dough is designed to be flaky, empanada dough is meant to be more tender. Pastry for empanadas has a higher flour-to-fat ratio, making it sturdy and perfect for wrapping around meaty fillings. Some recipes use lard or an additional egg as the fat source, but our recipe keeps it simple and easy with butter.

Can you make empanadas with pizza dough? ›

And while we love traditional empanadas, fussy pastry dough is a lot to tackle on a busy weeknight. Here, we use our favorite dough hack, ready-made pizza dough, for a quick-ready-to-roll crust. It's crisp and tender and works perfectly to enclose the grass-fed ground beef, bell pepper, and golden raisin filling.

What is the difference between Spanish empanadas and Mexican empanadas? ›

When the Spanish hit the New World in the 16th century they shared their empanada recipe with the Aztecs and Maya. The Spanish recipe was made with bread dough, the Mexican recipe with corn masa dough. This is where Mexican empanada history takes over. Each region in Mexico has their own version of the empanada.

Why put vinegar in empanada dough? ›

Adding a little vinegar to your dough will result in a tender, pliable, and flaky crust because it slightly inhibits gluten development, leading to a crust that is flakier and easier to work with. The great thing about vinegar is that you really only need a little bit of it to help your pie/empanada dough.

Is Goya empanada dough puff pastry? ›

GOYA® Empanada Dough-Puff Pastry for Baking are versatile and convenient puff pastry discs, ideal for creating sweet or savory recipes with a gourmet touch. Just fill them with simple ingredients—like fruit, cheese, meats, or vegetables—and then bake them until crispy and golden brown.

Is empanada dough the same as tortilla dough? ›

There's not a lot of difference — chief one being that you use ice water with empanada dough, and hot water for tortillas. Another difference is the flour.

What nationality makes the best empanadas? ›

Argentina has become world-famous for their empanadas which are widely available in Buenos Aires and across the country as fast-food options and restaurant staples. As with many recipes, that of empanadas was shared through generations and carried to many other nations.

What American food are empanadas similar to? ›

Empanadas – pastry turnovers filled with a variety of savory ingredients – are either baked or fried and also can be known as empanadillas or pastelillos. They're similar to meat pies popular in other cultures like pasties in England, Natchitoches hand pies in Louisiana, and Russian blintzes.

Why is it better to bake than fry? ›

While any type of cooking naturally reduces the nutrients in food, frying reduces the most nutrients while absorbing fat from the oil. Baking, however, enhances some nutrients and makes the protein in some foods easier to digest, making it a better and healthier way of cooking food than frying.

Why bake instead of fry? ›

The oxidised oils can cause many possible health problems including damage to the heart, kidney and lungs. Consuming oxidised oils can also lead to the increased risk of high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. As baking requires no addition of oils, it does not cause any oxidation.

Can I bake Goya empanadas instead of frying? ›

These classic Argentinean empanadas are filled with chicken, chorizo, onions, garlic, paprika, chopped GOYA® Manzanilla Olives Stuffed with Minced Pimientos and raisins. And following the Argentinean tradition, they're baked instead of fried! Make them in a snap with GOYA® Empanada Dough-Puff Pastry for Baking.

Should I fry or bake? ›

Greater nutrient retention: Unlike frying, baking is a preparation method that retains many nutrients commonly lost when cooking. There is better preservation of healthy vitamins and minerals while minimizing your chances of the bad ones, like aldehydes, which can result in foods fried at high temperatures.

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