Appetizers & Snacks/ How to Recipes BY: PUBLISHED: 02/01/2019  UPDATED: 01/12/2024

How To Make The Best Beef Empanadas

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After we made that lovely empanada dough, we have to make a great empanada recipe with it!

Looking for a tasty beef empanada recipe? Try these easy empanadas that you can make with homemade empanada dough, beef, veggies and more.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

So we are making beef empanadas that you can make in 5 minutes. Honest, the filling of these empanadas is done in 5 minutes. These are great to serve as a snack or even as a starter. So, are you ready to learn how to make the best beef empanadas? Let’s get started!

What You Need For This Recipe

To make this recipe you need a small list of ingredients. Put the following ingredients on your grocery shopping list and have them ready when you start:

  • Dough – you can make empanada dough or buy it in the store
  • Beef – use lean ground beef
  • Onion – a small onion finely diced
  • Garlic – fresh garlic
  • Bell pepper – dice sweet red bell pepper
  • Seasoning – to add taste use Mexican seasoning
  • Oregano
  • Egg – to brush the empanadas
  • Salt and pepper – season to taste

Note that the full ingredients list, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.

Ingredients for making empanadas with ground beef.

How To Make Beef Empanadas

  1. First, you have to make the dough and let it refrigerate. Then for the filling start with heating a skillet on medium heat.
  2. Put the ground beef in the skillet and let it brown. Finely chop the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Once the meat is browned add to the skillet.
  3. Move it around in the pan so it will get soft and translucent. Then add the 2 tablespoons of Mexican seasoning and the oregano.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir through the filling and add ⅓ cup of water. Simmer for 1 minute then let the filling cool.
  5. Preheat the oven to 400℉/200℃. Now it is time to assemble the empanadas. I use an empanada shape that allows you to put some filling in the middle.
  6. Turn over the dough and press it close. Of course, you can do this by hand. Put approximately 2 tablespoons of filling on the dough.
  7. Do not put too much filling on the dough because the empanada will not be able to close properly.
  8. Close the empanada and put it on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Whisk the egg and brush the top with it to give it a nice color while baking.
  9. Put the tray in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Your beef empanadas are ready to serve.

Ground beef empanadas are a great savory turnovers recipe. Easy 5-minute filling for this delicious snack. So, make these beef hand pies

Delicious Savory Empanadas

Empanadas also known as hand pies or turnovers are such an easy recipe. You can make a million variations and surprise your guest with a new filling every time.

It is such a versatile product. You can:

  • Oven bake the empanadas
  • Deep fry them
  • Steam the empanada

With the filling, the options are just as endless. You can make them with beef, pork, fish, and vegetables. If you make a vegan dough, you can make this recipe completely vegan.

Take any type of fruit and you can use it in your hand pies from apples to blueberries or from peaches to pineapples. Made some homemade jam? You can use it as a filling.

Making homemade Nutella hazelnut butter is another great idea for an empanada filling. So, let’s start at the beginning and make the tasty beef filling.

Ground beef empanadas are a great savory turnovers recipe. Easy 5-minute filling for this delicious snack. So, make these beef hand pies

Ways To Close Your Empanada

There are several ways to close your empanadas:

  • Water – use water and brush the side of the dough before pressing it together.
  • Egg whites – egg whites can also be used similarly to glue the empanada shut.
  • Pastry pie – when using a pastry pie shape, press the ends real tight and close the edges of the dough.
  • Fork – You can use a fork and press the edges of the dough to seal it together.
  • Fold the edges – Lastly, you can fold the edges and turn the edge over by hand to close it.

Ground beef empanadas are a great savory turnovers recipe. Easy 5-minute filling for this delicious snack. So, make these beef hand pies

Can You Make Beef Empanadas Ahead

Yes, beef empanadas are perfect to make ahead. You can make them a couple of days in advance or you can make them ahead and store them for a longer period.

Depending on the storage method you can keep them for a longer period.

Ground beef empanadas are a great savory turnovers recipe. Easy 5-minute filling for this delicious snack. So, make these beef hand pies

How To Store Beef Empanadas

You have several ways to store your beef empanadas. In all cases let the empanadas cool first before storing them:

  • Refrigerator – if you plan on serving leftover empanadas for a day or 2 you can store them in the fridge. Put the cooled empanadas in an airtight food container and store them for up to 3 days.
  • Freezer – if you want to keep them longer it is recommended to freeze the empanadas. Put them in a freezer-friendly food container and store them for up to 3 months.

Ground beef empanadas are a great savory turnovers recipe. Easy 5-minute filling for this delicious snack. So, make these beef hand pies

How To Reheat Beef Empanadas

When you store empanadas, you have several ways to reheat them:

  • Oven – preheat the oven to 375℉/190℃ and put the leftover beef empanadas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the middle of the oven on a rack and heat for 8 to 9 minutes or until hot. You can heat them from frozen and extend the cooking time by 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Air Fryer – preheat the Air Fryer to 350℉/175℃ and put the beef empanadas in the Air Fryer basket. Heat for 6-8 minutes and if you heat from frozen add 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Cast Iron skillet – you can also heat your empanadas in a cast-iron skillet. Preheat the skillet to medium-hot and brush the pan with vegetable oil. Add the empanadas and heat until warm.
  • Microwave – you can also heat them in the microwave. If you have firm empanadas, they likely go soft in a microwave. Put the empanadas in a microwave-safe dish and heat for 1 minute. Check if they are hot else extend for 30 seconds, and repeat if necessary.

Ground beef empanadas are a great savory turnovers recipe. Easy 5-minute filling for this delicious snack. So, make these beef hand pies

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do so have fun making this beef empanada recipe yourself!

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How to make the best beef empanadas

Easy Beef Empanadas

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Looking for a tasty beef empanada recipe? Try these easy empanadas that you can make with homemade empanada dough, beef, veggies and more.

Ingredients

  • 250-gram empanada dough
  • ½ pound ground beef
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 onion
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoon Mexican seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon of oregano
  • 1 egg to brush the empanadas
  • ⅓ cups water
  • Pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat a skillet on medium heat and brown the ground beef
  2. Finely chop the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Once the meat is browned add it to the skillet as well
  3. Move the ingredients around in the pan so they will go soft and translucent. Then add 2 tablespoons of Mexican seasoning and the oregano
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste (option). Stir through the filling and add 1/3 cup of water. Simmer for 1 minute then let the filling cool
  5. Pre heat the oven to 400℉/200℃. Assemble the empanadas. Put some filling in the middle of an empanada disc. Turn over the dough and press it close with a fork
  6. Put on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Whisk the egg and brush the top of the empanadas
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown
  8. Ready to serve

Notes

Take half of the dough as made in the empanada dough recipe I use a empanada shape that allows you to put some filling in the middle Do not put too much filling on the dough because the empanada will not be able to close properly

Click To Play Recipe Video

Nutrition facts

Calories: 242; Fat: 8.5g; Carbs: 25g; Protein: 15g;

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10 Comments

  • Reply

    Paapazaan

    02/01/2019 at 8:10 pm

    Wow, Thank U??

  • Reply

    Kathy

    08/09/2019 at 2:12 am

    Your website name makes me so happy. Love all the things tortilla! I will try to make empanada dough soon! Thanks.K

    • Reply

      Mireille

      08/09/2019 at 7:02 am

      Hi Kathy,

      So glad to read you love tortillas as much as I do. Have fun making the empanada dough!

      Mireille

  • Reply

    Jerri

    03/02/2020 at 2:49 pm

    looking forward to making it. I have a question. how much is 250 gram empanada dough?

    • Reply

      Mireille

      03/02/2020 at 2:57 pm

      Hi Jerri,

      250 is about half the empanada dough recipe. Take a look in the recipe and you will find a link to the dough recipe.

  • Reply

    Caryn

    04/04/2020 at 1:56 am

    Great recipe! Only comment is your pepper is a hot pepper, not a bell pepper as pictured in your ingredients. Hot pepper works better anyway. Bell peppers are sweet and much rounder.

    • Reply

      Mireille

      04/04/2020 at 6:42 pm

      Hi Caryn,

      Great to read you like this recipe! The pepper in this recipe is not hot, it is a sweet pointed pepper. We can’t buy hot peppers this big. The hot peppers we can buy are smaller. I think it is a matter of naming convention.

  • Reply

    Joe S

    05/21/2020 at 3:20 pm

    How many empanadas does this recipe yield? I am interested to try it. I am cooking for eght!

    • Reply

      Mireille

      05/21/2020 at 4:40 pm

      This recipe yields 6 big empanadas. If you make them smaller you can definitely serve 8.

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