How to Make Beef Empanadas
You can spice up your dinner at home with beef empanadas, which are quite easy to make and can be served as a main dish or an appetizer. Empanadas are believed to have originated from Galicia, Spain, and are considered to be a pure Latin American delight. In Galicia, beef empanadas are served as pies after being cut into pieces. Apart from Latin America and Spain, beef empanadas are extremely popular in Portugal, the Caribbean, the Philippines and many other parts of the world. They are available in most Spanish or Latin American restaurants but you can learn to make them at home to impress your family members or guests.
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 persons
Utensils: Oven, skillet and fork
Ingredients:
Lean ground beef: 1 lb.
Chopped onion: 1 medium
Minced garlic cloves: 3
Ground cumin: ½ tsp. (optional)
Red pepper: 1/8 tsp.
Diced black olives: ¼ cup
Chili powder: ½ tsp.
Salt: ¼ tsp.
Well drained diced tomatoes with mild green chiles: 1 can (14 ½ oz)
Refrigerated pie crusts: 1 box (or 2 homemade pie crust shells)
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese: ½ cup
Egg: 1 (beaten)
Toppings
Sour Cream
Prepared Salsa
Instructions
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1
Preheat the oven and prepare the beef
The first step towards making beef empanadas is to preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a skillet over medium heat, you need to cook beef, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes and olives. Once the beef is thoroughly cooked, you may remove it from heat and drain it. You can now add tomatoes, salt, cumin and chili powder.
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2
Lay the pie crusts
On an ungreased large cookie sheet, you are required to lay the pie crusts. With a beaten egg, you should brush each pie crust. About two cups of beef mixture can be spooned onto half of each crust before topping each with ¼ cup cheese.
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3
Fold half of each crust over the filled half
You should now fold one half over the filled half of each crust, before pressing the edges with a fork to seal them. You may cut slits in the top of each as well. You will now have two empanada pies which need to be brushed again with egg.
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4
Bake and serve
Now bake your empanadas for about 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Once they are done, you can enjoy them hot.
Red pepper: 1/8 tsp.
Diced black olives: ¼ cup
Chili powder: ½ tsp.
Salt: ¼ tsp.
Well drained diced tomatoes with mild green chiles: 1 can (14 ½ oz)
Refrigerated pie crusts: 1 box (or 2 homemade pie crust shells)
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese: ½ cup
Egg: 1 (beaten)
Toppings
Sour Cream
Prepared SalsaNext%20stop%3A%20Pinterest "Pin It")