Beef Empanadas
Beef empanadas are a delicious and satisfying dish with flaky pastry and a flavorful filling of seasoned beef, chorizo, and vegetables. Perfect for parties or cozy nights in.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2 ½ cups plain/all-purpose flour
- 175 g cold unsalted butter (cut into 1 cm / 1/2" cubes)
- 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1 unit egg yolk
- ½ cup warm milk (full fat, heated for 30 seconds in the microwave)
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
For the Filling
- ½ unit onion (finely chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 300 g beef mince (ground beef)
- 120 g chorizo
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp fresh thyme (finely chopped)
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp cooking/kosher salt
- ¾ cup chicken stock/broth (low sodium)
- ½ cup tomato passata (or US tomato sauce/crushed tomato)
- 150 g potato (peeled and cut into 8mm/1/3" cubes, about 1 cup)
- ⅓ cup green onion (finely sliced)
- 2 unit hard-boiled eggs (cooked for 9 minutes)
- ¼ cup green olives (roughly chopped)
- 2 unit eggs (separated—yolks whisked for sealing and brushing pastry)
For Serving
- Empanada sauce Other options: ketchup, ketchup + sriracha, pink sauce, taco sauce, salsa dip
Instructions
Empanada Filling
- In a pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic; cook until soft.
- Add beef mince and chorizo to the pan. Cook until browned.
- Stir in tomato paste, thyme, oregano, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- Add chicken stock and passata, then incorporate potatoes. Cook until potatoes soften.
- Mix in green onions, hard-boiled eggs, and green olives. Remove from heat to cool.
Empanada Shortcrust Pastry
- In a bowl, mix flour and salt. Add cold butter and rub it into the flour until it resembles crumbs.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the warm milk, egg yolk, and olive oil together.
- Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and mix until a dough forms. Chill for 30 minutes.
Make Empanadas
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut circles using a cutter.
- Place a spoonful of the filling in the center of each circle. Fold over and seal the edges with egg yolk.
- Brush the tops with the remaining egg yolk and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
Serve beef empanadas warm with your choice of dipping sauce. They pair well with ketchup, salsa, or a spicy sauce for an extra kick. If you have leftover empanadas, let them cool completely before storing. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them before baking. To reheat, bake from frozen at 375°F (190°C) for about 25-30 minutes.