Beef Empanadas Spiced Filling (Printable)
Golden baked pockets filled with spiced ground beef, vegetables, olives, and fresh parsley.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1/2 cup cold water, plus additional as needed
→ Beef Filling
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
07 - 1 small onion, finely diced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 pound ground beef
10 - 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
14 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
15 - 1 teaspoon salt
16 - 1/4 cup tomato paste
17 - 1/4 cup chopped green olives
18 - 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (optional)
19 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
→ Assembly
20 - 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)
# Directions:
01 - Whisk flour and salt in a large bowl. Incorporate cold butter using fingers or a pastry cutter until coarse crumbs form. Add egg and cold water; mix into a dough, adding more water if needed. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
02 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until softened, about 3 minutes. Add ground beef and cook, breaking apart until browned. Stir in bell pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, black pepper, and salt; cook 2 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook another 2 minutes. Mix in olives, chopped eggs if using, and parsley. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
03 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough on floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut 5-inch circles. Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling onto each circle. Fold dough to create half-moons; seal edges with a fork. Place empanadas on baking sheet and brush tops with beaten egg.
04 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The filling tastes like comfort in a pocket—savory, spiced, and nothing like the frozen versions.
- You can bake or fry them depending on your mood, and both ways turn out golden and crispy.
- They freeze beautifully, so you'll always have something ready when hunger strikes unexpectedly.
02 -
- Don't skip the dough refrigeration step or your butter will melt and you'll lose that flaky texture that makes people close their eyes when they bite in.
- The filling must be completely cooled before you assemble or the warm filling will soften the cold dough and make sealing impossible.
- If you're frying instead of baking, use a thermometer to keep the oil at 350°F—too hot and they'll brown outside before the inside cooks; too cool and they'll absorb oil like sponges.
03 -
- Make a double batch of filling and freeze it separately so you can assemble empanadas whenever you have a hankering, turning a 30-minute project into a 15-minute one.
- If your dough cracks when rolling, let it sit for five minutes under a damp towel—the gluten will relax and stop fighting you.