Pockets of Joy
Golden pastry—an easy homemade version that we’ll walk you through—wrapped around a hearty beef filling, these easy empanadas are pure hand-held perfection. They’re one of our favorite party foods, as in we like to make a party out of the process of making empanadas! Are we crazy to think that filling and folding these lovely little pockets is fun? Make the dough ahead of time, and let people assemble their own. Have a beer while they bake, and get ready to dig in! That’s our kind of party.
What Is An Empanada?
Empanadas are crescent-shaped, savory pastries made of dough and filled with a variety of ingredients. Empanada filling varies greatly, and can include anything from beef, chicken, pork, tuna, shellfish, cheese, and / or vegetables, seasoned vibrantly, then baked or fried to perfection.
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What Are Empanadas Made Of?
Empanada ingredients really run the gamut from country to country—in Puerto Rico you might have one with sofrito-laced ground beef, whereas in Mexico your empanada might be filled with shredded chicken and corn. However, amidst all of this difference, there are a few unifying factors. Empanadas are basically little pockets of dough that are made of:
- A simple, homemade dough on the outside.
- Some kind of protein (usually pork, chicken or beef, but sometimes fish or cheese) tucked into the inside.
- Usually empanadas also have at least one or two simple vegetables—think corn, diced potatoes or carrots.
- And last but not least, they’re usually flavored with warm spices (think cumin, or even cinnamon) and / or chili peppers.
Our Beef Empanada Recipe is Loaded with a Hearty Mixture Of:
- Ground beef and boiled potatoes.
- Veggies galore: onion, celery, peas, and carrots.
- Garlic and plenty of warm spices.
- A touch of beef stock to make the ground beef empanada filling from drying out.
What Is Empanada Dough Made Of?
The internet claims that you can use store-bought pizza dough as a stand-in for homemade empanada dough. We’re all for shortcuts, but in this case we’re firmly in favor of making your own empanada dough—there is no substitute for the real thing. Homemade empanada crust really just a simple pastry dough—if you can make pie crust, you can make empanada dough. You’ll need just:
- Flour
- Ice water
- Salt
- Chilled butter
- Egg
We use chilled butter for this homemade empanada dough recipe because the steam it releases while baking creates gorgeous, flaky layers—just what we crave in our empanadas. Working with room temperature or melted butter results is an unforgiving, tough crust.
Our Tips for Making Homemade Beef Empanadas:
- Use an egg wash to help you seal your empanadas and to brush on the outside once filled. A little egg wash will give them a pretty golden-brown crust.
- Place your ground beef-filled empanadas on a hard surface and firmly press the edges together with a fork to ensure that all of the delicious ground beef filling stays firmly inside the little crust pocket.
- Place the assembled ground beef empanadas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes. This is the moment to freeze the empanadas, if you’re making them ahead.
- Don’t be intimidated by the dough-filling process—this part should be fun! It’s a great time to call the kids into the kitchen and put their many hours of Play Doh shaping expertise to work.
Can You Make Empanadas in Advance?
To make these potato and beef empanadas in advance, cover the tray of unbaked empanadas and refrigerate for up to two days. When you’re ready to eat, bake them at 400° for 40 minutes. They’ll emerge perfectly golden and steaming from the oven just as if you had baked them the same day.
Need more time? You can easily freeze these homemade beef empanadas! Once you’re done filling the dough and making your empanadas, lay them on a baking sheet like you’re about to bake them, but instead of putting the sheet in your oven, pop it in your freezer. Freeze overnight, then transfer to an airtight, zipper-top freezer bag and store for up to three months. When you’re ready to eat the empanadas, just lay the frozen empanada directly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes at 400°F.
What Country Are Empanadas From?
Empanadas (which means “to wrap in bread” in Spanish) are handheld versions of traditional Spanish meat pies. While their fillings, size, and cooking techniques vary from one Latin American country to the next, they all begin by filling pastry dough with savory ingredients and then cooking—either baking or frying—to flaky, golden-brown perfection. This beef empanada recipe is most closely related to Argentinian empanadas, because they are baked rather than fried and use ground beef instead of shredded or cubed.
Tools You’ll Need:
What Goes With Beef Empanadas?
Homemade beef empanadas are kind of a meal unto themselves, but you could lighten them up by serving them with a big green salad, or try:
- A big bowl of our Perfect Guacamole.
- Homemade Pico De Gallo with Cabbage.
- Mexican Street Corn Salad with Chipotle Crema also makes a lively partner.
The Best Beef Empanada Recipe, Hands Down
What did you think? They really are the best beef empanadas out there, right? Show this easy homemade empanada recipe some love and post your filling, baking, and eating (!) process to Instagram tagging @themodernproper and #themodernproper so we can follow along!
