Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe (Baked) - The Anthony Kitchen (2024)

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Baked Beef Empanadas filled with juicy, taco-seasoned ground beef and melty Cheddar cheese come perfectly packaged in a golden exterior of buttery, flaky pie crust. They're the ideal choice for a party appetizer as they can be made in advance and frozen for later!

Got store-bought pie crust? Then it only gets better from here. Now, you've got a quick-fix, crazy easy Empanada Recipe on your hands excellent for slamming out a weeknight dinner in no time flat!

Looking another authentic (yet easy) Mexican dish to add to your dinnertime lineup? Try these simple, cheesy Entomatadas!

WHAT ARE EMPANADAS?

Empanadas are savory handheld pies of Latin descent. Similar to the American turnover, today's empanada dough is flaky, buttery and pastry-like.

The most common fillings for empanadas is beef or chicken, but the possibilities are truly endless. Today, empanada fillings can range from an Americanized Ham and Cheese rendition to sweet dessert-like confections.

WHERE DO EMPANADAS COME FROM?

Empanadas evolved from a dish originally brought over to Latin America by conquerors from Northern Spain. In its most primitive form, it was a filling of chicken or tuna (often accompanied by peppers and onions) that was baked into a rectangular yeast dough and then cut into squares for serving.

As the dishes popularity spread throughout Latin America, the yeast dough version evolved into today's pastry dough rendition. Each region developed its own take on how to fill the savory (and sometimes sweet) Latino pie.

ABOUT EMPANADA DOUGH

As surprising as it may be, if you've ever made Homemade Pie Crust, you've pretty much made empanada dough. In today's kitchen, the two really don't differ much.

EMPANADA DOUGH INGREDIENTS

Butter
Shortening
Flour
Salt
Cold Water

WHAT PREMADE DOUGH CAN I USE FOR EMPANADAS?

If you are going to use a premade dough for Empanadas, store-bought pie crust is best. However, if you like it a bit more buttery, you could also use crescent roll dough or puff pastry dough, and for a crispier exterior, some recipes will even call for filo dough.

HOW TO MAKE EMPANADA DOUGH

You can make Empanada Dough in the food processor, completely by hand...or (as mentioned above) use pre-made pie crust from the grocery store. While the latter is obviously the easiest of the methods, the food processor will also make very quick work of homemade empanada dough.

FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD

Add flour and salt to a food processor and pulse to combine.
Add butter and shortening a few pieces at a time until all fats are incorporated.
Slowly drizzle in the water and process until dough forms.
Wrap and refrigerate.

EMPANADA DOUGH BY HAND

Whisk together flour and salt.
Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender.
Add water and stir with a wooden spoon until dough forms.
Wrap and refrigerate.

BEEF EMPANADA FILLING

It doesn't take much to make a seriously flavorful Beef Empanada. In fact, all you need is a few simple ingredients and less than 10 minutes:

Ground Beef
Taco Seasoning
Cheddar Cheese

To make the filling, you'll simply need to brown the ground beef, along with some taco seasoning. Then, allow the ground beef to cool, mix in the cheese, and you're ready to fill some Beef Empanadas!

HOW TO MAKE BEEF EMPANADAS

The bulk of the work for most Beef Empanada Recipes comes from making the dough. This is not to say the dough is difficult to make by any means (especially if you have a food processor), but it does require some advanced planning.

If you are in a pinch for time, remember you can sub in a store-bought pie crust!

Cook the ground beef, allow to cool and combine with cheese.
Roll out the dough in a rectangle and cut into squares.
Add filling to the center of each square and brush edges with egg wash.
Pinch closed and crimp (if desired).
Brush with egg wash and bake for 22-24 minutes.

SQUARES OVER CIRCLES

While many recipes call for getting out the round cookie cutters and cutting out little circles of pastry for your Beef Empanadas, we've found squares to be a much more efficient shape. Roll the dough into a rectangle of the indicated thickness, and use a knife or pastry cutter to divide it into squares, rather than rolling, enlisting the cookie cutter, and rolling again.

Cutting the dough into squareswill save you from wasting dough to scrapsand time. Of course, you can still mold your Beef Empanadas into that signature Empanada half-moon shape.

TIPS FOR MAKING BEEF EMPANADAS

Make sure the dough is rolled out no thicker than an ⅛ of an inch.
Cut the dough into squares rather than rounds to save on dough and time.
Don't overfill them!
Don't skip the egg wash! It helps seal the pastry and keeps the filling from spilling out.

EMPANADA STORAGE INFORMATION

Once your Beef Empanadas have baked and cooled, you have three options: Consume right away, refrigerate, or freeze! You can keep Beef Empanadas in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To store them, place in a sealed, airtight container or a gallon-sized ziplock bag.

CAN YOU MAKE EMPANADAS IN ADVANCE?

Empanadas freeze very well, and reheat beautifully! To make Beef Empanadas in advance, allow them to cool completely, then transfer them to either a freezer-safe, airtight container (without too much wiggle room) and seal, or store them in a freezer-safe, gallon-sized ziplock bag and place in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.

HOW TO REHEAT EMPANADAS?

You can reheat frozen Empanadas in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in the oven at 350° for 8-12 minutes.

5 MORE MEXICAN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

Homemade Beef Chimichangas are loaded with a savory ground beef filling and topped with quick and easy stovetop queso! Plus, tips for frying to perfection and more.
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas are made with corn tortillas rolled with juicy, shredded chicken and melty cheese; they’re topped with a tangy, irresistibly creamy white sauce speckled with sauteéd jalapeños. Then, baked in casserole form.
Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas are smothered in a flavorful enchilada gravy, full of taco-seasoned ground beef, and topped with melty cheese.
Crock-pot Chicken Tacosis the perfect easy dinner idea for busy families and weeknight dinners. Cooked low and slow, this Mexican chicken picks up on every ounce of yummy the slow cooker has to offer. Shred, roll in a tortilla, and enjoy!
Chicken Enchiladas Verde features corn tortillas rolled with shredded chicken and Monterrey Jack cheese. They're topped with a generous serving of Verde Sauce, and baked until bubbly!

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