Empanada Recipes

Woken up feeling creative and ready to get your hands floury? We reckon this is the ultimate recipe for traditional Argentine Beef Empanadas.

First things first, you’ll need some empanada pastry. You can grab our authentic discs right HERE , find them at your local Latin market, or better yet—take on the full challenge and make the dough from scratch!

   Argentinian Beef Empanadas (Traditional Style)

1. Ingredients (makes 12–15 empanadas)
2. Filling
3. 500g premium beef mince (En Australia "mince" es el término perfecto).
4. 2 large brown onions, finely chopped.
5. Beef tallow (o "Dripping") or vegetable oil.
6. 1 tbsp sweet paprika.
7. 1/2 tsp ground cumin.
8. 1 tbsp dried oregano.
9. Salt and black pepper, to taste.
10. 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (o "dried chilli").
11. 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped.
12. 2–3 spring onions, finely sliced.
13. Optional: chopped green olives.

Dough

• 12–15 cm diameter Empanada pastry discs ("pastry discs" o "shells").

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Instructions

1.      Sauté the onions: Heat the beef tallow or oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and translucent.
2.      Add the mince: Add the beef mince and stir gently. Cook just until it changes colour. Pro tip: Do not overcook—the filling must stay juicy.
3.      Season: Remove from heat and stir in the paprika, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and chilli flakes. Adjust salt to taste.
4.      Chill the filling: Let the mixture cool down, then refrigerate. Note: It is much easier to assemble empanadas when the filling is cold.
5.      Final touch: Once chilled, gently fold in the chopped eggs and spring onions.
6.      Assemble: Place a spoonful of filling in the centre of each pastry disc. Moisten the edges with a little water, fold over, and seal with a "repulgue" (traditional hand-crimp).
7.      Cook:
   1. Bake: Preheated oven at 200°C (fan-forced) for 12–15 minutes until golden.
   2. Fry: Deep-fry in neutral oil at 180°C until golden brown and crispy.