Beef Empanadas
South American hand pies stuffed with seasoned ground beef, hard-boiled egg, olives, and onions, baked golden. The classic Argentine empanada — perfect appetizer or hand-held lunch. The dough is buttery and slightly flaky; the filling is generous and savory.
Prep Time
17 min
Cook Time
15 min
Servings
2
Calories
576 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Beef200 g
- Dough½ batch
- Onion½ medium
- Salt½ tsp
- Black Pepper¼ tsp
- Cooking Oil½
- Garlic1 ½ cloves
All quantities scaled automatically from 2 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 2 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Beef200 g
- Dough0.5 batch
- Onion0.5 medium
- Salt0.5 tsp
- Black Pepper0.25 tsp
- Cooking Oil0.5
- Garlic1.5 cloves
Instructions
- 1
Make the dough: in a bowl, combine 3 cups flour, 1.5 teaspoons salt, ¾ cup cold butter (cubed), 1 egg, and ¾ cup ice water. Mix until just combined — don't overwork. Knead briefly, wrap in plastic, refrigerate 1 hour.
- 2
Make the filling: heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Sauté 1 chopped onion 5 minutes until soft. Add 2 minced garlic cloves, cook 30 seconds. Add 1 lb ground beef. Cook 6-7 minutes, breaking it up, until browned.
- 3
Season the beef with 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1.5 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon cayenne, and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Cook 2 minutes. Pour in ¼ cup of water and simmer 5 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed.
- 4
Off heat, stir in 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs, ½ cup chopped green olives, and a handful of chopped fresh parsley. Cool completely — hot filling tears the dough.
- 5
Roll the dough on a floured surface to ⅛ inch thick. Cut 5-inch circles with a bowl or large cookie cutter. Place 2 tablespoons of cooled filling on each circle, fold over into a half-moon shape, and seal the edges by pressing with a fork — or crimp the edge into a rope for traditional presentation.
- 6
Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 400°F for 22-25 minutes until deeply golden and the bottoms are crisp. Cool 5 minutes before eating — the filling is volcanic right out of the oven.
Watch how to make Beef Empanadas
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💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Cool the filling completely. Hot filling makes the dough wet and tears it as you fold. Spread it on a tray to cool faster.
- 2.Don't overfill. Two tablespoons per empanada is plenty. Overfilling causes them to burst during baking.
- 3.Seal the edges firmly. Loose seals leak filling and create messy puddles on the baking sheet. Press hard with a fork.
- 4.Olive + egg + beef is the classic combination. Don't skip the olives or hard-boiled eggs — they're traditional and add specific textural and flavor contrasts.
🔬 Why It Works
Argentine empanadas are different from Mexican or Caribbean empanadas — the dough is more buttery and tender (similar to pie dough), and the filling combination of beef, egg, and olives is the cultural signature. The hard-boiled egg adds richness and contrast against the savory beef; the olives add briny pops. Cool filling ensures the dough handles cleanly; firm sealing prevents leakage; the egg wash creates the deep golden color. Baking (rather than the also-traditional frying) is healthier and easier for batch cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
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