Easy Beef Empanada Recipe – This Simple Empanada Recipe makes use of flaky pie crust and floor beef to create the right dinner. Prepared in about 30 minutes, they make a fantastic weeknight meal! Make a double or triple batch and freeze some for a future freezer meal!
These self-made empanadas are wrapped in a flaky pie crust, then capped off with a delicious beef filling. No kidding – they make a fantastic weeknight meal! You’ll be able even to make two or three batches to freeze for meal plans or whip up a bunch of those as a facet dish.

I used to be first launched to empanadas by a pal – and instantly fell in love. The flaky crust, with the delicious filling, was one dish that I may eat on the go or eat at dwelling with my household. This, after all, made me need to learn to make simple beef empanada at home. Nonetheless, if I used to make them, I needed to make them as genuine as potential.
I then looked up the right way to make empanadas on-line and located a couple of “authenitc” recipes. I made a couple of totally different recipes. Nonetheless, none of them had the wow issue that my preliminary introduction to empanadas had. I discovered this irritating.
In making my very own empanada dough, I discovered it took somewhat a bit of additional work, with outcomes that didn’t match the invoice. I’m not sure if these recipes have been genuine in any respect. However, for that matter, I received’t know till I journey south of the border and style a REAL baked empanada (which, sadly, received’t be occurring any time quickly). Since my preliminary try at making self-made empanadas, I’ve at all times saved my eyes open for different, higher recipes.
I like that you would be able to pack empanadas stuffed with almost something, and so they at all times prove scrumptious. You need to use rooster, steak, floor beef, and even pulled pork, alongside together with your favorite veggies and spices! There’s no “right” filling; as a result of each mixture seems yummy (or ought to, I say, “nummy!”).
As a result of my try at a simple recipe failed, I decided to make up my very own! These aren’t precisely probably the most open floor beef empanadas… however, this simple recipe tastes SO GOOD, so let’s go together with it! When paired with the best crust, you’ll be tempted to stuff your self sick.
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So what’s the proper crust, you ask. Appropriately for me, after years of attempting quite a few recipes, I discovered that pie crust made the most straightforward, flakiest, and tastiest empanada crust! Now keep in mind, these are usually not AUTHENTIC. As an alternative, they’re my private creation.
What’s an Empanada?
Principally, an empanada is a half-moon-shaped pastry turnover, stuffed with both candy or savory substances. It may be both baked or fried. The title “empanada” comes from the Spanish phrase “seminar,” which merely means ‘to coat with bread.
You can also make your empanadas as massive or bite-sized as you please! You may regulate the dimensions or filling to fit your private desire for fast snacks or a full dinner without any problems.
The place Did Empanadas Originate?
Empanadas have been first made in Galicia, the northwest area of Spain. The recipe dates way back to 1520, when a chef named Robert de Nola wrote a cookbook that contained recipes for many different sorts of empanadas, together with ones stuffed with seafood. It’s believed that empanadas have been the primary “pocket” meals to have been created.
Take that, Sizzling Pockets!
The Galicians threw varied Empanada Festivals to have a good time with the dish and the number of other ways to make them. These festivals nonetheless stay an enormous and proud part of Galician tradition at this time.
Empanadas are additionally a staple of quite a few Latin and Filipino cultures as nicely. Everyone has a distinctive spin on the recipe, and, after all, each household has its most popular twist. Even nonetheless, typically, empanadas may have an identical look irrespective of the tradition it heralds from.
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What Sort of Premade Dough Can I Use for Beef Empanadas?
Once I was on my empanada discovery kick, I found the chef-in-training proprietor made her meat empanadas with premade pie crust. This premade pie crust dough tasted method higher than the simple crust recipe I used earlier, so I used to be prepared to bend on my ‘actual deal’ desire. You’ll be able to’t argue with taste! I undoubtedly suggest utilizing both self-made or store-bought empanada dough (A.Okay.A. Pie Crust) to any extent further.
This additionally saves me a ridiculous period within the kitchen. I solely have to chop out the crusts and go!
Conventional empanada dough is far much less flaky than pie crust. Nonetheless, it may be somewhat tough to get excellent. There’s a particular tenderness that soaks up your filling without turning into soggy within the course, and that’s critically laborious to copy.
Thankfully, there’s no want to hunt out a particular retailer for good, premade empanada wrappers! You’ll be able to use pie crust and discover them at your native grocery store. They won’t have a completely genuine flare, but it prevents the other battle from making them personally.
Can I Make These Floor Beef Empanadas Forward of Time?
In fact! You’ll be able to whip up enormous or tiny batches and freeze them for later. Ensure that you DO NOT bake these empanadas earlier than you freeze them!
Put together the dough, wrap it around your most popular fillings, and put them into the freezer on a cookie sheet. As soon as frozen stable, switch them to a freezer secure container.
Most pastry dough will last as long as three months in your freezer, and my empanada recipe is not any exception! Don’t neglect to connect just a little piece of tape to the container with the date to develop too icy.
With that in thoughts, additionally, keep in mind to correctly thaw them out earlier than baking. Soggy isn’t enjoyable!
What’s Historically Served with Meat Empanadas?
Since they’re usually full of each meat and greens, empanadas act as full meals – all on their very own! In the event, you do create a facet dish. Nonetheless, your splendid pairing will depend upon the filling you’ve chosen for the empanadas.
You’ll be able to serve any variety of dips or sauces with savory empanadas, together with Cilantro Lime Dressing or Avacado Dip. You might additionally serve a pleasant Spinach Strawberry Salad, Esquites Recipe, or Genuine Mexican Rice alongside a heavier meat-filled empanada.
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Sweeter empanadas don’t usually require a facet dish, both. You’ll be able to dip them in a chocolate or caramel sauce, honey, or another candy syrup!
These Simple Beef Empanadas use flaky pie crust and floor beef to create the right dinner. Prepared in about 30 minutes, they make a fantastic weeknight meal!