Description
These hearty Beef Empanadas feature a flaky homemade shortcrust pastry filled with a flavorful mixture of ground beef, chorizo, potatoes, and aromatic herbs and spices. Perfectly baked until golden and crispy, they make an ideal snack or meal accompanied by a tangy dipping sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry Dough
- 2 1/2 cups plain/all-purpose flour
- 175g (12 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 cm (1/2″) cubes
- 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup warm full-fat milk (heated 30 seconds in microwave)
Filling
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 300g (10 oz) beef mince (ground beef)
- 120g (4 oz) chorizo
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 3/4 cup low sodium chicken stock/broth
- 1/2 cup tomato passata (or US tomato sauce/crushed tomato)
- 150g (5 oz) potato, peeled, cut into 8mm (1/3″) cubes (~1 cup)
- 1/3 cup green onion, finely sliced
- 2 hard boiled eggs (boiled 9 minutes)
- 1/4 cup green olives, roughly chopped
For Assembling
- 2 eggs, separated (yolks whisked for sealing and brushing pastry)
- Empanada sauce or alternative dips like ketchup, ketchup + sriracha, pink sauce, taco sauce, or salsa dip
Instructions
- Prepare the Filling: Roughly chop the chorizo into 1.5cm (1/2″) pieces and blitz with a stick blender until it forms a paste. This intensifies the flavor and creates a uniform texture.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Add finely chopped onion and minced garlic, cooking for about 2 minutes until fragrant and softened.
- Cook Meat: Add the chorizo paste to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the ground beef and cook until no raw meat remains. Stir in tomato paste and cook for another minute to deepen flavor.
- Add Seasonings and Liquids: Mix in fresh thyme, dried oregano, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, chicken stock, tomato passata, and diced potatoes. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
- Simmer Filling: Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the mixture is juicy but not watery.
- Cool Filling: Remove from heat, stir through sliced green onion, and transfer to a bowl. Allow the filling to cool completely, about 2 hours, before assembling the empanadas.
- Make Empanada Dough: In a small jug, whisk together warm milk and egg yolk. In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, and cold butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs with pea-sized lumps. Add the egg-milk mixture and blitz until a smooth dough ball forms, about 10 seconds.
- Chill Dough: Turn dough onto a floured surface, shape into a smooth log approximately 20cm (8″) long. Cut in half, flatten each half into discs about 2cm (0.8″) thick, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Roll and Cut Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll one chilled disc to about 3mm (0.1″) thickness. Cut into 15cm (6″) rounds using a bowl or cutter. Stack rounds separated by paper, keep covered in refrigerator. Expect to get about 10 to 11 rounds per disc.
- Preheat Oven: Set oven to 220°C (425°F), or 200°C (fan-assisted).
- Assemble Empanadas: Using cold filling, place approximately 3 tablespoons (55g) onto the top half of each pastry round, spreading into a half-moon shape and leaving a 1.5cm (0.6″) border. Sprinkle with chopped olives and chopped hard boiled egg.
- Seal Empanadas: Brush the pastry edges with whisked egg white, fold over to enclose filling, pressing out air. Seal edges by pleating, crimping with a fork, or leaving plain for a rustic look.
- Bake Empanadas: Arrange empanadas on two baking trays. Brush tops with egg yolk for golden finish. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on the base.
- Serve: Enjoy the empanadas hot with your choice of dipping sauces such as homemade empanada sauce, ketchup, or salsa.
Notes
- Note 1: Blitzing chorizo into a paste helps distribute its flavor evenly throughout the filling.
- Note 2: For hand method of dough preparation, rub butter into flour until pea-sized lumps form, then mix with egg-milk mixture until dough forms.
- Note 3: Dough discs can be chilling overnight for convenience and improved texture.
- Note 4: Filling must be fully cooled to avoid soggy pastry during assembly.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Latin American
Keywords: beef empanadas, homemade empanadas, ground beef pastry, chorizo filling, baked empanadas, empanada recipe, savory pastries
