Beef Empanadas Savory Pastry (Printable)

Baked savory pockets stuffed with spiced ground beef, vegetables, herbs for snacks or main meals.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1/2 cup cold water, plus additional as needed

→ Beef Filling

06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
07 - 1 small onion, finely diced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 pound ground beef
10 - 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
14 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
15 - 1 teaspoon salt
16 - 1/4 cup tomato paste
17 - 1/4 cup green olives, chopped
18 - 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (optional)
19 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Assembly

20 - 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add cold butter and work in with fingers or pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in egg and cold water, mixing until dough forms; add additional water if necessary. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
02 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until softened, about 3 minutes. Add ground beef, breaking it up and cooking until browned. Mix in bell pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, black pepper, and salt; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook another 2 minutes. Remove from heat, then incorporate olives, hard-boiled eggs if using, and parsley; allow to cool.
03 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough on a floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 5-inch diameter circles. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in center of each circle. Fold dough over to create half-moon shape and seal edges with a fork. Arrange on prepared sheet and brush tops with beaten egg.
04 - Bake empanadas for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They taste indulgent but come together faster than you'd expect, making weeknight cooking feel special.
  • The filling is forgiving and gets better when you use what you have on hand, so they suit any mood or season.
  • Freshly baked, they're warm clouds of savory comfort that somehow make everyone gather around the kitchen.
02 -
  • Keep your butter and water ice-cold when making the dough, because warmth is the enemy of flaky pastry—it melts the butter into the flour instead of leaving it in little pockets that create steam and separation.
  • Don't skip cooling the filling before filling the empanadas, because hot filling will make the dough soggy and cause it to fall apart when you fold it.
  • A fork isn't just for decoration when you seal the edges—it actually compresses and bonds the dough together, keeping your filling from leaking out into your oven.
03 -
  • If your dough tears while rolling or filling, just pinch it back together—these aren't delicate pastries; they're forgiving and rustic, and slight imperfections add character.
  • The moment your empanadas come out of the oven is when they're most fragile, so let them cool for at least five minutes on the pan before transferring them, or they'll fall apart in your hands.

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