Spicy Beef Empanadas

30 mins Prep Time

1 hours 0 mins Cook Time

Written By

Nadia Boachie

Empanadas are some of my favourite snacks because they really can double as a meal. Empanadas are essentially mini hand pies, a dough filled with meat, veggies, cheese or a combo and then baked or fried. Empanadas are popular in several countries around the globe, including Argentina, Venezuela, the Philippines and Indonesia, though most people associate empanadas with a Spanish origin. These empanadas have a spicy, flavourful beef filling seasoned with a variety of peppers like bell peppers, blistered poblanos and jalapeños. If you are looking for a tasty empanada recipe, look no further. Try this out if you want a taste of these delicious pastries. This recipe makes a shiny, firm and slightly crispy buttery crust that holds the filling together and a well seasoned, well-balanced ground beef interior. This particular recipe is most similar to an Argentinian empanada. After they are baked, the empanadas freeze wonderfully and can be reheated in the oven when ready for consumption. I mentioned they double as a meal and these empanadas are great if you like to meal prep. Pop one out of the freezer, reheat and enjoy fresh with a side salad or on its own.

Ingredients

Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces unsalted butter
1 egg
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of water for a soft and smooth dough
1 egg, for egg washing

Spicy Beef Filling

1 1/2 pounds lean or extra-lean ground beef
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 Spanish onion, diced
2 poblano peppers
1 red bell pepper
2 jalapeño peppers, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tomato, diced
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 red bell pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Beef Filling

6 Steps

Step 1

Set oven to broil and blister your poblano peppers. This will take anywhere from 10-15 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
Step 2

Once poblano peppers are cool, peel off skin and chop, you can discard the seeds.
Step 3

In a medium skillet, heat the oil. Add your ground beef and cook until slightly brown but not fully cooked.
Step 4

Add diced onions and use a wooden spoon to mix until beef is cooked and onions are wilting. Add your minced garlic, diced jalapeño, bell pepper and poblano peppers. Add the tomato, tomato paste and chicken stock and simmer over moderate heat until the liquid has nearly evaporated, about 10 minutes.
Step 5

Filling should be thick and wet but not soupy.
Step 6

Add your spices, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely. When it cools completely, filling should be thick. I typically refrigerate it to let it cool completely to make it easier to assemble.

Dough

4 Steps

Step 1

In a bowl, mix your flour, baking powder and salt.
Step 2

Using pastry cutter or grater, chop in or grate butter into flour mixture.
Step 3

Add water and bring dough together.
Step 4

Knead until smooth about 5 minutes, form into disk, cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least 1 hour.

Assembly

9 Steps

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Step 2

Take dough out of fridge and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Step 3

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll to about 1 cm thick.
Step 4

Using a large cookie cutter or a bowl, cut out circles. The dough should make about 13 small empanadas or 10 larger ones.
Step 5

Take about 2 heaping spoon fulls of beef filling and place in the middle of each cut out circle.
Step 6

Fold over the dough and pleat the ends to seal filling inside.
Step 7

Place prepared empanadas on baking sheet lined with parchment paper leaving a bit of space between each.
Step 8

In a small bowl, whisk egg and brush over empanadas to give them a golden finish.
Step 9

Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown, crust is done and filling is heated through. Bake in increments of 5 minutes if the crust hasn't achieved a golden brown colour after indicated bake time. Don't worry if a bit of filling 'juices' seem to seep out during baking. It should not ruin the overall texture of the empanada.