Flaky Beef Empanadas

Don’t be afraid of making these delicious Beef Empanadas. The recipe is super easy, can be doubled for a crowd, and full of a hearty and delicious filling. Baked in a flaky empanada dough, enjoy them with Chimichurri sauce!

Traditional Empanadas

These are found in countries all over the world and the fillings are just as different as the people. Empanadas Mendocinas (Argentinian Empandas) contain beef, spices, olives, and sometimes hard-boiled eggs.

Not sure everyone would like the eggs, I left them out and I think they are even better this way.

The empanada dough is sturdy enough to hold in all the delicious filling and can be baked, deep fried, or air-fried. There are a ton of recipes out there but the best empanadas are:

• budget-friendly (just like this chipped beef cheese ball, and this chipped beef dip)
• easy to make
• filling
• fun to eat
• can be made ahead of time

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Ingredients Needed

Beef – I like to use a 93/7 lean beef but use your favorite. Just remember that the more fat the more weight lost during cooking.

Spices – There is a variety of spices that are used in traditional Argentinian empanadas, but I kept it pretty easy.

Olives – This recipe uses green olives but use your favorite olives or substitute beans.

Fresh Herbs – I like the way the fresh parsley and cilantro add some color along with their flavor.

Empanada Discs – You can make your own homemade empanada dough, but I love to use these empanada discs from Goya.

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How to Make Beef Empanadas at Home

First: Preheat oven to 375 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Second: In a large skillet, cook the onion, garlic, ground beef, and spices over medium high heat until the beef is no longer pink.

Remove from heat and add the herbs and olives. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Third: Place 2 tablespoons of the empanada filling in the center of each disc of pastry dough.

Fold over, squeezing out any air, and crimp the outer edge closed. Repeat with remaining filling.

Fourth: Place the filled discs on the parchment lined baking sheet.

Brush with egg wash and bake empanadas for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let cool slightly. Serve and enjoy!

For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Serving Suggestions

They are a meal in themselves but I like to add a simple green salad when serving for dinner. If I’m serving as an appetizer, I like an easy salsa recipe, chimichurri, or sour cream.

How long do the last?

If you have any leftovers, store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven at 350F for 5-10 minutes or until heated through.

Can you make them ahead of time?

The filling can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge. You can freeze the prepared filling for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container.

To freeze, place unbaked empanadas on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen empanadas them overnight in the refrigerator before baking or frying.

What kind of dough do you use for Empanadas?

The dough is similar to pie crust, in fact you can use pie dough in a pinch, but it is a little sturdier to hold the savory ingredients.

You can easily make homemade dough or take a shortcut and buy the Goya brand discs in the freezer section. This recipe makes 20 empanadas which is 2 packages of 10 discs.

Where are they from originally?

Originally from Spain and Portugal, you can find empanadas all over the world with a variety of different fillings.

More Empanada Recipes

These yummy and portable hand pies are easy to make with your favorite filling. Sometimes I just want a lighter vegetarian filling like in my caprese empanadas, street corn empanadas, and these sweet caramel apple empanadas.

But sometimes I want a hearty meal or something spicy like my taco empanadas, chicken tinga Empanadas, or these spicy sausage empanadas.

More Ways to Cook Homemade Beef Empanadas

I love that these are baked but if you want to deep fry them, here are some tips.

• Refrigerate the assembled empanadas for 15 minutes firm up the dough before frying.
• Heat a few inches of oil to 365F in a large skillet.
• Fry only 1-2 empanadas at a time so the oil temperature stays hot.
• Flip once while cooking
• Place on a paper towel lined plate when done frying to drain of excess oil.

You can also air fry these at 325F for 15 – 20 minutes.

Tapas Tips & Tricks

• Use homemade or store-bought empanada dough. Don’t turn down a great shortcut in my opinion.
• There is a variety of spices in traditional Argentinian empanadas, but use your favorites. Sweet paprika (or Hungarian Paprika) is sweeter and more flavorful. Spice them up with cayenne pepper.
• I prefer a leaner meat but use your favorite blend. Or substitute ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground pork. 
• Remove the meat mixture from the pan before adding the olives and fresh herbs to avoid over cooking them.
• Defrost the empanada dough according to package instructions. I like to take mine out of the freezer the night before.
• Keep the plastic wrapper on each disc while filling, it makes it easier to hold them.
• Roll the edges over or crimp with a fork to seal the beef empanadas. I like to crimp twice to make sure they don’t leak.
• Use an egg wash to help achieve that golden brown pastry. A simple mixture of 1 beaten egg and 2 tablespoons water.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below (or on Pinterest with the “tried it” button – you can now add pictures into reviews, too!), and be sure to help me share on facebook!

This Easy Beef Empanada Recipe uses pre-made empanada dough and ground beef to create a delicious appetizer or dinner. Ready in roughly 30 minutes, they are a fun and budget friendly way to try new dishes from other countries!

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{Originally published 7/21/21/ – photos and notes updated 01/29/24}

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