Baking

Beef Empanadas: Golden Pockets of Joy

3 min

Cut the cold butter into the flour until you've got coarse crumbs, then stop the second the egg and water pull the dough together. Overwork it and the pastry turns tough instead of tender. The other thing I'm strict about is cooling the beef filling all the way down before it goes near the dough. Warm filling steams the pastry from inside, the edges won't seal, and you end up chasing leaks with a fork.

By Nora Calloway

A little backstory

Empanadas traveled with Spanish and Portuguese cooks into Latin America, and nearly every country there made the half-moon their own. This Argentine-leaning version, with green olives, raisins, and chopped hard-boiled egg in the beef, is one of the more recognizable styles. The sweet-savory mix sounds odd to some people the first time, but it's old and it's deliberate.

Empanadas are the perfect food. A golden, flaky pocket wrapped around a juicy, spiced beef filling. They’re portable, freezer-friendly, and impossible to eat just one.

This version is baked (not fried), uses a simple dough, and packs a filling with garlic, cumin, paprika, and briny olives. Make a batch. Watch them vanish.

Makes 12-14 empanadas.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1 1

Make the Dough

In a bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in cold butter until it looks like coarse crumbs.
Add egg and cold water. Mix until just combined (don’t overwork).
Form into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2 2

Cook the Filling

In a skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until browned. Drain excess fat.
Add onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes until soft.
Stir in cumin, paprika, chili powder, and salt. Cook for 1 minute.
Remove from heat. Stir in olives, raisins, and chopped eggs (if using). Let cool.

3 3

Preheat and Roll

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll dough on a floured surface until ⅛-inch thick.
Cut into 4-5 inch circles using a cutter or bowl.

4 4

Fill and Seal

Place 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each circle.
Fold over into a half-moon. Press edges with a fork to seal.
Place on baking sheet. Brush with egg wash.

5 5

Bake and Serve

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Cool for 5 minutes. Serve with chimichurri or hot sauce.

Summary

Prep Time: 30 minutes + chilling | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes + chilling

Yield: 12-14 empanadas

Difficulty: Medium

Storage Notes

Fridge:

Store baked empanadas in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes.

Freezer (Perfect for Meal Prep):

Freeze unbaked empanadas on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 375°F for 25-30 minutes.

Make-Ahead:

Make the dough and filling separately up to 2 days ahead. Assemble and bake when ready.

Dough Tip:

Store-bought pie crust or empanada discs work great if you’re short on time. No judgment.

The Ingredients

Everything you need.

Prep

30 minutes + chilling

Cook

25 minutes

Total

55 minutes + chilling

Yield

12-14 empanadas

For the Dough:

2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold butter, cubed
1 egg
⅓ cup cold water

For the Filling:

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup green olives, chopped
¼ cup raisins (optional, but traditional)
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (optional)

For Egg Wash:

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

1
Make the Dough. Make the Dough. In a bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in cold butter until it looks like coarse crumbs. Add egg and cold water. Mix until just combined (don’t overwork). Form into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 2 2
2
Cook the Filling. Cook the Filling. In a skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until browned. Drain excess fat. Add onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes until soft. Stir in cumin, paprika, chili powder, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in olives, raisins, and chopped eggs (if using). Let cool. 3 3
3
Preheat and Roll. Preheat and Roll. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough on a floured surface until ⅛-inch thick. Cut into 4-5 inch circles using a cutter or bowl. 4 4
4
Fill and Seal. Fill and Seal. Place 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each circle. Fold over into a half-moon. Press edges with a fork to seal. Place on baking sheet. Brush with egg wash. 5 5
5
Bake and Serve. Bake and Serve. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes. Serve with chimichurri or hot sauce
6
Fridge:. Fridge:. Store baked empanadas in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes
7
Freezer (Perfect for Meal Prep):. Freezer (Perfect for Meal Prep):. Freeze unbaked empanadas on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 375°F for 25-30 minutes
8
Make-Ahead:. Make-Ahead:. Make the dough and filling separately up to 2 days ahead. Assemble and bake when ready
9
Dough Tip:. Dough Tip:. Store-bought pie crust or empanada discs work great if you’re short on time. No judgment

Swaps & Substitutions

Cold butter → cold lard or shortening works and gives a flakier, more traditional pastry; keep it cold either way.
All-purpose flour → a good 1:1 gluten-free blend holds up, but roll it a touch thicker since GF dough cracks at the folds.
Ground beef → ground turkey or chicken is fine; add a splash of oil when browning since it runs leaner and drier.
Salted butter → use it, just drop the dough salt to a pinch so the pastry isn't over-seasoned.
Raisins → chopped dates or currants if raisins aren't your thing, or leave them out entirely for a savory-only filling.
Baking → you can deep-fry these at 350F instead; skip the egg wash and fry until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Questions & Answers

Can I make these ahead?

Yes. Assemble and seal them, then refrigerate up to a day or freeze on a tray before baking. Bake straight from frozen, adding about 5 minutes to the time.

Why did my empanadas leak filling while baking?

Usually the filling was still warm or too wet, or the edges weren't pressed firmly. Cool the beef completely, keep filling to 1 to 2 tablespoons, and crimp the fork all the way around.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Keep them in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes so the pastry crisps back up; the microwave makes them soft.

My dough cracked when I folded it. What happened?

It was likely too cold or rolled too thin. Let the disc sit a few minutes after the fridge, roll to a true eighth-inch, and patch small cracks with a dab of water.

Do I have to include the raisins and olives?

No, but they're what make this version taste Argentine. If you skip the raisins the filling leans fully savory, which is also good; the olives add salt and bite, so taste before adding extra salt.

Beef Empanadas: Golden Pockets of Joy