Ingredients Print

Check off ingredients as you go

Makes about 20 empanadas

• 3 sheets puff pastry

For the filling

• 500 g (1.1 lb) ground beef (minced beef)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 2 small red bell peppers, thinly sliced (optional)
• Salt, pepper
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 Tbsp double-concentrated tomato paste
• 1 glass (200 ml / ¾ cup + 1 Tbsp) beef stock (or water)
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (coriander), chopped
• 4 medium potatoes (optional)

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

Empanadas are usually made with a simple flour-and-water dough. To save time, I used store-bought puff pastry, and it is excellent too. If you would rather make the dough yourself, you can use the one from my gyoza recipe, which is very similar.

Making the filling

1. In a skillet, ideally nonstick, brown the ground beef over high heat (no oil at first, so it releases its own fat), just as for bolognese sauce. Let it brown, breaking up the meat well with a wooden spoon. After 7-8 minutes, once the meat has changed color (browned), remove it from the pan and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, cook the onion over medium heat. Add the tablespoon of olive oil. (If you are using the bell peppers, add them now too.) If you are using potatoes, cook them at the same time in a saucepan to make a mash that you will add to the filling.
3. Cook the onions for about 10 minutes, until soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper, add the tomato paste and the spices: cumin, paprika, oregano. Pour in the stock and return the meat to the pan. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes over fairly low heat so the flavors blend without burning. You want a soft mixture with a slightly caramelized look but no liquid left, so your turnovers don’t get soggy. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped cilantro (and the mashed potatoes, if using). Let cool a little.

Shaping the empanadas

1. Roll out the pastry thinly, cut out circles and place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each round (no more, or you will have trouble sealing them and the pastry may tear). Fold the pastry over to enclose the filling, forming a half-moon. Seal the edges by pinching them or pressing with a fork.

2. Arrange the empanadas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush them lightly with oil and bake at 190°C (375°F) for about 20 minutes, or until the empanadas are nicely golden.

Serve hot or warm.

Tips and variations

• You can also add green olives sliced lengthwise, hard-boiled eggs cut into wedges, and potatoes that you have cooked and mashed to the filling (in that case, add them at the end of step 2, and put a wedge of egg in each empanada).
• The filling (and the dough too) can be made one to two days ahead, so all you have to do is take them out of the refrigerator a little beforehand, then assemble and bake.
• Filled, unbaked empanadas can be frozen (for 3 months). Lay them on a baking sheet until frozen, then transfer to freezer bags.
• You can also fry the empanadas instead of baking them. Fried empanadas should be eaten right away.