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Beef Empanadas

Savory and golden, these beef empanadas feature a tender shortcrust pastry and a flavorful filling enriched with chorizo, herbs, and spices. Ideal as an appetizer or a hearty main dish, this South American classic is deeply satisfying with every bite.
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Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Dough chilling + filling cooling: 3 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

Empanada Shortcrust Pastry

  • 1 tsp kosher or cooking salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 175 g 12 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed into 1 cm (1/2") pieces
  • 1/2 cup warm full-fat milk heated for 30 seconds in microwave

Empanada Filling

  • 1/2 onion finely diced
  • 1/4 tsp kosher or cooking salt
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 150 g 5 oz potato, peeled and diced into 8mm (1/3") cubes
  • 1/2 tsp each of cumin paprika, and dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup tomato passata or US-style tomato sauce/crushed tomatoes
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 300 g 10 oz ground beef
  • 2 tsp tomato paste
  • 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
  • 120 g 4 oz chorizo
  • 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/3 cup finely sliced green onion

Other

  • 2 hard-boiled eggs cooked 9 minutes
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped green olives
  • 2 eggs separated (yolks for brushing, whites for sealing)

Dipping Sauces

  • Empanada sauce or alternatives such as ketchup ketchup with sriracha, pink sauce, taco sauce, or salsa dip

Instructions

Empanada Filling

  • Roughly chop the chorizo into 1.5 cm (1/2") chunks and process with a stick blender to form a paste. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the chorizo and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the beef and cook until no pink remains. Incorporate tomato paste, cooking briefly for 1 minute. Add potato, spices, thyme, salt, stock, and tomato passata. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes until the potato is tender and the filling is juicy yet not watery. Mix in green onion, then transfer to a bowl and let cool completely, approximately 2 hours.

Empanada Shortcrust Pastry

  • In a small jug, whisk together the egg yolk and warm milk. In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, and butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs with pea-sized lumps. Add the egg-milk mixture and pulse on low until the dough forms a ball, around 10 seconds. Transfer to a lightly floured surface, shape into a 20 cm (8") log, divide in half, and form each into a 2 cm (0.8") thick disc. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.
  • Roll one chilled disc on a floured surface to 3 mm (0.1") thickness. Cut out 15 cm (6") rounds using a bowl or cutter. Stack and chill the rounds on paper, covered, while working with the remaining dough. You should yield 10 or 11 pastry rounds.

Assembly and Baking

  • Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F (200°C fan). Ensure the filling is spreadable and cool. Spoon 3 tablespoons (approx. 55g) of filling onto one half of each pastry round, shaping into a half-moon and leaving a 1.5 cm (0.6") margin. Sprinkle with chopped olives and crumbled egg. Brush edges with egg white, fold over, seal, and optionally pleat or crimp the edges. Arrange on two baking trays, brush with egg yolk, and bake for 20 minutes or until golden and crisp.
  • Serve warm with your preferred dipping sauce.

Notes

Using a stick blender to puree the chorizo integrates it better into the beef, maximizing flavor distribution.
For a manual dough method, rub butter into the flour mixture by hand, mix with milk using a wooden spoon, then knead to form a smooth dough.
Dough can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling.
Avoid using filling that is too cold and firm; it should be pliable but not warm to protect the pastry texture.