Empanadas Criollas (Argentinian Beef Empanadas)

There’s nothing as delicious as homemade empanadas criollas, an Argentinean empanada stuffed with ground (or chopped) beef, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and raisins. A true family favorite that is easy to make, comes with amazing tips so you can achieve perfection, and makes for an interactive baking experience.

I’ll start this post off by saying this: there are thousands of recipes for empanada fillings – there are as many variations on empanadas criollas as there are families in Argentina. Add sugar! Don’t add sugar! Use lard! Oil is okay! There are no red bell peppers in empanadas criollas! Use red pepper! I’ve tried to stick to what I think is at the heart of this recipe: ground beef, generous amounts of onion, olives, raisins ,and hard-boiled egg. This recipe is the variation my family enjoys. I think your family will, too. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Perfect for parties and picnics or dinner with the fam. I love making a double batch of these on the weekend, for a nice Sunday sit-down dinner, and then freezing a few to pull out for an easy portable meal when soccer is the only real thing on the menu.
• Easy. While empanadas aren’t quick, they are pretty easy. And if folding them seems daunting, all you really need is a fork to crimp the edges shut. 
• Sweet and savory nirvana. If you’re a fan of sweet and savory (think: pineapple on pizza), you’ll love the zippy olives and sweet raisins. 

Here’s What You’ll Need

• Ground beef: Ideally 80/20 grass-fed ground chuck, but you can also use extra lean.
• White onion: White onion is a key ingredient in empanadas criollas because it keeps the filling from being too dry. By weight, you should have as much onion as you do beef.
• Bell pepper: You won’t find bell pepper in every empanada criolla recipe, but I like the natural sweetness it adds to this recipe.
• Spices and seasonings: garlic, oregano, paprika, cumin, chili powder, nutmeg, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper
• Beef broth: You can also use water if you don’t have any broth on hand.
• Sugar (optional): Completely optional, but you can use a teaspoon or two of sugar to help balance the flavors of this sweet and savory filling. In the recipe I’ve indicated when you should taste the mixture to decide if you want to add a teaspoon or two.
• Green olives: Briny green olives help cut through the richness of the ground beef filling. I recommend that you buy pitted olives to save yourself some work in the kitchen.
• Golden raisins: If your raisins have taken up permanent stock in your pantry and are a little extra chewy, rehydrate for 15-20 minutes in a bowl filled with water previously brought to a boil. 
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Homemade empanada dough: homemade empanada dough is a serious game changer; It’s a simple dough that comes together fast, it doesn’t need a long resting period, and it’s so much easier to work with than store bought dough. If you’re going to make empanadas from scratch, go all in, I say! Here’s my go-to recipe for empanada dough.

Variations

• Appease less adventurous eaters. You can leave the olives, raisins and hard-boiled eggs out of the filling and then add them to the empanadas individually.
• Use store bought dough in a pinch. Look for “empanada tapas” (discs), which you can find in the freezer section of most Hispanic markets. When I can, I always make the dough by hand, though. 
• Swap meats! While this recipe calls for beef, the possibilities are endless. Swap the beef with ground lamb or ground turkey and instantly change the flavor profile of the recipe. 

Instructions

1. Make a sofrito of sorts. Add onions and bell peppers and cook over medium for 6 minutes or so, then add the garlic for the last two minutes before adding the ground beef. It’s important to hold off on the garlic so it doesn’t burn.
2. Add your ground beef to the pan with the sofrito. Then add the oregano, paprika, cumin, chile powder, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt. Use a spatula to break up the beef and combine the spices, the sofrito, and the meat.
3. Once the beef has cooked through, add the raisins and the green olives. Then, taste. At this point, you have the option of adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar. 
4. Add water and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until it absorbs back into the filling. Turn off heat.
5. Fold in hard boiled eggs. Taste and adjust salt/pepper as needed.
6. IMPORTANT: Let the filling cool before wrapping your empanadas.
7. Use either homemade dough, rolled (or cut) into discs or store bought discs. If using my homemade empanada dough, cut into 14 pieces and roll into discs. These will make large empanadas. Place 3 or even 4 tablespoons into the center of the disc. (If using store bought discs, you’ll probably only need 2 tablespoons, but you may need to make adjustments depending on the brand you buy.)
8. Wet the edges of the dough with a little water and fold over into a half-moon crescent.
9. Either use a fork to crimp the edges shut or use the ‘repulgue’ technique to fold the empanada dough (see my empanada dough recipe for step-by-step pictures).
10. Place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
11. Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush empanadas with egg wash.
12. Bake at 400F for 25 minutes or until the empanadas are golden brown. Let rest for a couple of minutes or until cool enough to handle, and serve!

Favorite Pairings for Empanadas

Although empanadas criollas make for a tasty appetizer or hand-held picnic meal, we love these for a nice weekend dinner. Here are a few serving suggestions:

1. Lime wedges: Not traditionally served in Argentina, but they make a similar empanada in Peru, and they serve it with fresh lime. It’s an easy way to liven up the dish!
2. Green salad: Serve this with a simple side salad so the empanadas shine.
3. More empanadas: If you’re going to make empanadas, go all in! We love these Caprese Empanadas, but I also make them using Mexican Chicken Tinga, BBQ chicken, and ham and cheese.
4. Chimichurri: If you’ve ever been to an empanada restaurant, you’ve probably tried this classic Argentinian accompaniment. This version from Cafe Delights is delicious. 

STORAGE & REHEATING

Storage: Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Reheating: Reheat in an oven preheated to 350°F for 10 minutes or until warm.

Freezing: Freeze unbaked empanadas right before you’d bake them. Pop them on a sheet pan, but instead of sliding them in the oven, pop them in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight bag and store for up to 3 months in the freezer. Pull out desired quantity as needed, brush with egg wash, and bake at 400°F for approximately 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and heated through. 

📖 Recipe

Empanadas Criollas (Argentinian Beef Empanadas)

There's nothing as delicious as homemade empanadas criollas, an Argentinean empanada stuffed with ground (or chopped) beef, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and raisins.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course appetizer

Cuisine Argentinian

Servings 6 -14 people

Equipment

• Sheet pan
• Parchment paper
• Large frying pan (at least 12")

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Beef Filling

• 1 pounds meat
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste (I needed to add a touch more when all was said and done
• ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
• 1 pound onion finely minced (approximately 2 large onions)
• ½ sweet bell pepper red, orange, or yellow
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon minced garlic approximately 4 large cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 ½ teaspoons Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• ¼ teaspoon Chile powder
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup beef broth or water
• 1-2 teaspoon sugar I used one, but depending on your tastebuds, you may wish to increase this a bit
• ½ cup roughly chopped green olives
• ½ cup golden raisins soaked in hot water for at least 20 minutes prior to using
• 2-3 Hard boiled eggs roughly chopped

Empanada Discs

Instructions

 

• Make a sofrito of sorts. Add onions and bell peppers and cook over medium for 6 minutes or so, then add the garlic for the last two minutes before adding the ground beef. It’s important to hold off on the garlic so it doesn’t burn.
• Add your ground beef to the pan with the sofrito. Then add the oregano, paprika, cumin, chile powder, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt. Use a spatula to break up the beef and combine the spices, the sofrito, and the meat.
• Once the beef has cooked through, add the raisins and the green olives. Then, taste. At this point, you have the option of adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar.
• Add water and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until it absorbs back into the filling. Turn off heat.
• Fold in hard boiled eggs.
• Taste and adjust salt/pepper to your personal preferences.
• Let cool before filling the empanada discs.
• Use either homemade dough, rolled (or cut) into discs or store bought discs. If using my homemade empanada dough, cut into 14 pieces and roll into discs. These will make large empanadas. Place 3 or even 4 tablespoons into the center of the disc. (If using store bought discs, you’ll probably only need 2 tablespoons, but you may need to make adjustments depending on the brand you buy.)
• Wet the edges of the dough with a little water and fold over into a half-moon crescent.
• Either use a fork to crimp the edges shut or use the ‘repulgue’ technique to fold the empanada dough (see my empanada dough recipe for step-by-step pictures).
• Place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
• Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush empanadas with egg wash.
• Bake at 400F for 25 minutes or until the empanadas are golden brown. Let rest for a couple of minutes or until cool enough to handle, and serve!

Notes

VARIATION: If you have raisin, olive, or egg haters among your diners, you can sprinkle a few raisins, place a few slivers of olive, and place a slice of egg into the empanada right before folding. 

Need a homemade empanada dough? This is my go-to recipe. It’s perfect for this recipe!

If you like these beef empanadas, try this recipe for caprese empanadas – such a fun summer filling chock full of basil, sun-dried tomatoes, and mozzarella.

Keyword appetizers, dinner recipes, freezer meals, ground beef recipes, kid friendly

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!