Beef Empanadas

These baked Beef Empanadas are so delicious and easier to make than you think! The cheesy beef filling enveloped in a buttery, flaky crust makes an incredible snack or dinner!

If you, like me, love empanadas but find the opportunities to eat them are few and far between, then you really need to try this recipe. For the longest time, the only time I would enjoy one of these delicious, beef-filled parcels was at pot lucks. That meant I rarely got to eat them and that, my friends, is sad. Really sad!

These baked beef empanadas are amazingly delicious little parcels that are filled with the most delicious ground beef filling. They are seriously good and can be enjoyed as a snack, appetizer or main course. I love a versatile recipe that can be eaten any time of day!

Baked beef empanadas on a rectangular platter.

Surprisingly, homemade beef empanadas are also not all that difficult to make either. I wish I had found this out a long time ago! If you want to make it even simpler, you could always replace the pastry dough with a store-bought pie crust but I do recommend making your own empanada dough. Even the homemade empanada dough comes together quickly and if you have a food processor, it can be done in one making it as simple as it gets.

Another bonus: this delicious beef empanada recipe freezes well which means that you can make them, freeze them, and have quick and easy snacks or weeknight dinners ready to go whenever the craving strikes. A freezer stash of these savory empanadas is highly recommended.

Closeup of two beef empanadas on a parchment lined baking sheet with one empanada broken open to show the beef filling inside.

Mexican Empanadas and Empanadas around the world

My introduction to empanadas was through a Mexican friend at a potluck. I instantly became obsessed with these Mexican empanadas and absolutely had to eat them again and again. While empanadas are a popular street food in Mexico, other countries in Latin America and other parts of the world including Spain have versions of these delicious little parcels.

The ingredients for empanadas vary depending on the region of the world they are from as does the cooking method. Some are made with flour pastry dough and baked, while others are made with corn flour or masa and are fried. The empanada fillings can vary as well to include different proteins like chicken or vegetarian options. There are all sorts of fillings to stuff these half-moon shape parcels with that you can have so much fun trying out new options to suit your personal preference.

Depending on the region in Mexico, you can find a wide variety of types of empanadas including baked versions like the one I am sharing today. And since beef is my personal favorite (and the type of empanada I first fell in love with), that is what I based my recipe on.

While similar to the delicious empanadas my friend makes, I did take some liberties and sneak in some more veggies. If you need a way to get those picky eaters to eat more veggies, stuff them in this easy empanada recipe and they will eat them without a complaint!

A tray of baked beef empanadas with one empanada broken open to show the savory beef filling.

Ingredients in these easy Beef Empanadas

  • Oil: olive oil, vegetable oil, or similar.

  • Ground beef: The base of the filling is made with ground beef. I use a lean ground beef.

  • Vegetables: finely chopped carrots, onion, bell pepper. Peas are added as well. This is a great way to sneak in more vegetables and get those picky eaters to actually enjoy them.

  • Seasoning; ground cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper.

  • Tomato sauce

  • Cheese: Mexican blend cheese or cheddar cheese, shredded.

  • Flour: regular, all purpose flour.

  • Butter: for the pastry dough.

  • Eggs: used for the dough.

**Note: Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post.**

How to make Beef Empanadas

Making beef empanadas comes down to these 3 components:

  1. Make the beef filling
  2. Make the pastry dough
  3. Assemble and bake

Make the beef filling

  1. Saute the ground beef. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for a couple of minutes, breaking up large pieces as it cooks.

  2. Add the veggies. Add the carrots, peas, bell pepper, and onion and continue to cook the beef and vegetables for a few minutes, stirring often.

  3. Season. Once the beef is cooked through and the vegetables have softened, add salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, tomato sauce, and water. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring often as most of the liquid will absorb. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Make the pastry dough

  1. Pulse flour and butter. While the filling is cooling, make the dough by adding flour and salt to a food processor. Pulse to combine and add the butter. Pulse until it forms a coarse meal.

  2. Add wet ingredients. Add an egg and 1/3 cup of water and pulse. Slowly add water until the dough comes together. This typically requires 2/3 cup water but you may need to adjust this slightly.

  3. Form into a disc. Transfer the dough to a flat surface and form it into a ball. Cover it with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Photo collage showing the steps for making empanada dough.

Assembling and baking cheesy beef empanadas

  1. Portion dough. Remove the dough from the fridge and divide it into 12 equal portions. Form each portion into a ball.

  2. Fill circles with filling. Working with them one at a time, use a rolling pin to roll the ball out into a 5 inch circle. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center and sprinkle with some cheese. [Note: Depending on the size of the empanadas you want to make, you can adjust the amount of filling.]

  3. Form into half moon shapes and seal edges. Fold the circle over onto itself to form a half moon. Gently press down the edge of the pastry to seal them. You can use a fork to gently seal the edges with the tines of a fork, being careful not to puncture the empanada. Alternatively, you can pinch the edge a little bit at a time and fold it inwards to create a crimped edge (like I have in the picture). Arrange onto a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

  4. Egg wash and bake. Beat an egg in a bowl and then brush it onto each empanada. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

So easy and so delicious! You can serve these as they are or with a nice salsa.

A photo collage showing the steps for forming and baking beef empanadas.
Closeup of a pile of baked bee empanadas.

Storing leftovers and reheating

Once cooled completely, leftover beef empanadas can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container. They will keep for a few days when stored correctly.

To reheat them, place the empanadas back on a baking sheet and pop them in an oven at 350F until heated through.

Can you freeze beef empanadas?

You can freeze both unbaked and baked beef empanadas for longer storage. To freeze unbaked empanadas, arrange the empanadas on a parchment lined baking sheet and do not brush them with egg wash. Instead, place the whole baking sheet into the freezer for a few hours. Once the empanadas have frozen, transfer them to a freezer safe container or freezer bag. They can be kept frozen for a few months.

Frozen unbaked empanadas can be thawed and then brushed with the egg wash and baked as directed. You can also bake them without thawing them, though you will need to add additional minutes to the bake time.

To freeze baked empanadas, once they cool transfer them to a freezer safe ziploc bag or container. You can reheat the homemade empanadas without thawing them or you can thaw them in the fridge overnight if you wish to.

A platter of baked beef empanadas.

Enjoying these savory delights with a cold Cucumber Margarita is my idea of a good night. Of all my favorite Mexican dishes, these are up there with other favorites like Baked Chicken Taquitos. I hope you enjoy this easy recipe as much as I do!

-Cathy

You may also like these other Mexican inspired recipes:

Baked Chicken Taquitos
Authentic Taco Seasoning Recipe
Chili Lime Shrimp Tacos with Mexican Street Corn Salsa
Taco Stuffed Mini Peppers
Queso Blanco Dip
Churros

Baked beef empanadas on a rectangular platter.

Beef Empanadas

Catherine
These baked Beef Empanadas are so delicious and easier to make than you think! The cheesy beef filling enveloped in a buttery, flaky crust makes an incredible snack or dinner!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine South American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 257 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

For the Filling

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1/2 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 carrot finely diced
  • 1/4 onion finely diced
  • 1/4 cup peas
  • 1/4 bell pepper (any colour), finely diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup Mexican blend cheese or cheddar cheese, shredded

For the Dough

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter chopped
  • 2 eggs divided
  • 2/3 cup cold water

Instructions
 

To make the filling:

  • Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for a couple of minutes, breaking up large pieces as it cooks.
  • Add the carrots, peas, bell pepper, and onion and continue to cook the beef and vegetables for a few minutes, stirring often.
  • Once the beef is cooked through and the vegetables have softened, add salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, tomato sauce, and water. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring often as most of the liquid will absorb. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

To make the dough:

  • While the filling is cooling, make the dough by adding flour and salt to a food processor. Pulse to combine and add the butter. Pulse until it forms a coarse meal.
  • Add an egg and 1/3 cup of water and pulse. Slowly add water until the dough comes together. This typically requires 2/3 cup water but you may need to adjust this slightly.
  • Transfer the dough to a flat surface and form it into a ball. Cover it with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Assemble the empanadas and bake

  • Preheat oven to 400F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and divide it into 12 equal portions. Form each portion into a ball.
  • Working with them one at a time, use a rolling pin to roll the ball out into a 5 inch circle. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center and sprinkle with some cheese. [Note: Depending on the size of the empanadas you want to make, you can adjust the amount of filling.]
  • Fold the circle over onto itself to form a half moon. Gently press down the edges to seal them. You can use a fork to gently seal the edges with the tines, being careful not to puncture the empanada. Alternatively, you can pinch the edge a little bit at a time and fold it inwards to create a crimped edge (like I have in the picture). Arrange onto baking sheets.
  • Beat an egg in a bowl and then brush it onto each empanada. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.

Nutrition

Calories: 257kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 8gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 343mgPotassium: 139mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 876IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 2mg

The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.

Keyword beef, cinco de mayo, ground beef
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