Beef empanadas
Empanadas de carne
Baked or fried pastry pockets of spiced beef, olive and egg — Argentine hand pies, not a generic freezer roll.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Empanadas de carne.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Rest
- 1 hr
- Total
- 2 hr 10 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- Mild
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Argentine beef empanadas are a cumin-paprika mince with onion, sometimes olive, raisin and boiled egg, wrapped in a wheat dough and baked until the repulgue (the braid) is gold. Every province has a filling. This is a Buenos Aires-ish baked version. They freeze raw and save weeknights. Cook minced beef with a lot of onion, cumin, paprika or chilli, and a splash of stock so the filling stays juicy when it cools. Olives, raisins and chopped boiled egg are Buenos Aires-ish extras, not universal law. Chill the filling before you wrap. A wheat dough, a tight seal, and a braided repulgue if you have the patience. Bake until gold. They freeze raw. A dry empanada is an underseasoned, overcooked filling, not a pastry problem alone.
Ingredients
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Dough: flour, salt, oil, warm water. Rest 30 minutes. Cook onion until sweet, add beef, cumin, paprika. Cool. Fold in egg and olives.
25 minStep 2
Roll discs, fill, braid or fork-seal. Glaze.
20 minStep 3
Bake at 200°C 20–25 minutes until gold. Rest 5. Chimichurri if you have it.
25 min200°C
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 October.
Substitutions
Beef → Humita (corn and cheese)
A different, valid empanada.
Tips
- Cool filling or the dough tears.
- A wet finger seals a stubborn edge.
History & culture
Kiosks, asados, and football. Salta and Tucumán fry more and go juicier. We are baking. Kiosks, football days and asados all run on these. Salta and Tucumán fry more and go juicier; we are baking. Every province has a filling and a fold. Take them in a paper bag. A home tray is weeknight food if you batch the mince on Sunday.
A Spanish-Andalusian pastry that the Southern Cone filled with its own mince. The braid is the cook's signature. A Spanish-Andalusian filled pastry took on Southern Cone mince, cumin and the local braid. That is a recipe path, not a romance of empire. The empanada as Argentine street and home food is its own craft. Name the filling you made. The braid is a cook's signature and a seal, not decoration.
Regional variation
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Beef empanadas take?
2 hr 10 min all in — 40 min prep, 30 min cook, 1 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 12 empanadas. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
Mild.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Eggs. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Frying pan, Oven, Rolling pin.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1½ tsp.
What can I use instead?
Beef → Humita (corn and cheese). A different, valid empanada.
Any tips from this recipe?
Cool filling or the dough tears. A wet finger seals a stubborn edge.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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