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Empanadas with ground beef and onion filling
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4.16 from 19 votes

Easy Beef Empanadas

These easy-to-make beef empanadas are so close to the real thing, you'll feel transported to Argentina in one bite. They do require some time to make, but they're delicious.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Argentinian
Keyword: Beef
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 571kcal
Author: Laura Lynch

Ingredients

For the filling:

  • 1 large baking potato cut into small cubes
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 green onions chopped
  • 3 large eggs hardboiled

For the dough:

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup butter (can substitute lard or vegetable shortening)
  • 1 yolk egg
  • 3/4 cup milk
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the dough:

  • Add the flour to a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the flour. Cut in the butter until the flour mixture resembles small pebbles. Add the egg and milk. Stir to combine.
  • Using your hands, knead the dough together until dough is smooth.
  • Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Cut the dough into 4 inch rounds.

For the filling:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350°F(176°C).
  • Cut the potato into small cubes and add them to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and ground beef to the skillet. Cook until the ground beef is browned and crumbled.
  • Add the paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and chopped green onion to the skillet. Stir to combine.
  • Add a spoonful of the mixture to the dough rounds. Add a slice of egg. Fold the dough in half over the filling. Wet your finger with water and run it along one seam of the dough. Crimp together along the seam.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes or until browned on top.

Video

Notes

  • You can store any left over empanadas in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to one week. When you're ready to reheat them, use the air fryer for the best crispy results. Otherwise you can put them in the oven on 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes, until warmed through.
  • You can also freeze empanadas, either cooked or uncooked.
  • If you want to make up a big batch of beef empanadas ahead of time and freeze them, do so after you've assembled them, but before you bake them. Put them in the freezer on a plate or sheet pan in a single layer until frozen all the way through. Then you can remove them from the plate and put them in a Ziplock bag. Then you can take out as many as you need without them sticking together.
  • When baking from frozen, thaw them completely in the fridge before adding egg white and baking as per the instructions below.
  • You can also cook them from frozen, skipping the egg wash step. You will need to cook them for 15-18 minutes to cook through from frozen.

Nutrition

Calories: 571kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 415mg | Potassium: 548mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 960IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 5mg