Now, I know what you might be thinking: “Empanadas? That seems complicated!” But trust me, this recipe is totally doable, and the results are so worth it. We're talking about flaky, golden-brown crusts filled with savory, well-seasoned beef filling that's guaranteed to make your tastebuds sing. This isn't just any old recipe, this is about capturing that authentic taste and feeling of pure comfort food, perfect for a casual lunch or a party. So, are you ready to embark on this delicious adventure and create some irresistible empanadas? Let's get started!

The Savory Pocket: Homemade Beef Empanadas

Alright, let’s get rolling! This recipe will walk you through every step, so don’t worry if you’re new to making empanadas.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

• For the Dough:

  • 2 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (ensure it contains xanthan gum)

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed (dairy-free butter works too)

  • ½ cup cold lard or vegetable shortening (for flakier crust - if you want to avoid this, you can substitute with more butter) (Vegetable Shortening)

  • ⅔ cup ice water (filtered water)

• 1 large egg for eggwash

• For the Beef Filling:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 pound ground beef (grass-fed beef)

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano

  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder

  • ½ cup beef broth

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • ¼ cup chopped green olives

  • ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl (large mixing bowl), whisk together the gluten-free flour blend and salt. Add the cubed butter and lard/shortening. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut the butter and shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water, mixing until the dough just comes together. Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This chilling period is important as it makes it so much easier to handle, roll out, and shape your empanadas.

2. Prepare the Beef Filling: While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (large skillet) over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned. Drain off any excess grease (you want flavorful meat, but no soggy filling!) Add the chopped onion and minced garlic and cook until softened. This mixture should start smelling quite aromatic by now!

3. Season the Filling: Stir in the ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute more until all those fragrant spices are getting toasted.

4. Add Liquids & Olives: Pour in the beef broth and tomato paste, mix well,l and simmer until the liquid reduces. This usually takes about 5-10 minutes, creating a more flavorful beef base, almost like a gravy. Finally, stir in the green olives. Let the filling cool completely before assembling the empanadas.

5. Assemble the Empanadas: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Take out your chilled dough and cut the dough in half so you will have two portions you can work with easier, put one of them back in the fridge. On a lightly floured surface (pastry mat), roll out one dough portion to about ⅛-inch thickness, then use a cookie cutter or small bowl (about 4-5 inches in diameter) to cut out circles. If you don’t have a cutter of these proportions, don’t worry, you can cut using a knife and tracing on a small plate or even a jar.

6. Fill the Dough: Place about 1-2 tablespoons of the cooled beef filling onto the center of each dough circle.

7. Seal the Edges: Lightly brush the edges of the dough with some water or a little eggwash. Fold one side of the dough over to form a half-moon shape and firmly seal the edges with a fork to get those traditional cute edges. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The fork edge sealing is also a nice added security measure so none of your fillings leak during the baking!

8. Eggwash & Bake: Beat 1 large egg with 1 tbsp of water, then lightly brush the tops of each empanada with this eggwash for an even golden-brown color during baking, also giving the tops a beautiful sheen. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the empanadas are golden brown. Let the empanadas cool slightly on the baking sheet, for a few minutes then transfer them to a wire rack before serving, this allows the bottom crust to firm a little bit more too!

9. Serve: These beauties can be served hot or at room temperature! Serve them alone as a snack, a starter, or as part of the main meal.

Tips & Tricks for Empanada Perfection

• Cold Ingredients: Keeping the dough ingredients (butter, shortening, and water) as cold as possible is vital for creating that flaky crust. Make sure to work quickly with dough!

• Dough Texture: Don’t overwork the dough when mixing and rolling it. Overworking will develop too much elasticity, causing your empanadas to shrink as they’re baking and creating a tough crust. You want it to be handled delicately!

• Filling Moisture: Make sure your beef filling isn't too wet, you don’t want soggy empanadas! Ensure all the liquid is reduced, before taking off the heat, and use a slotted spoon when scooping onto the dough circles to drain any extra moisture and only add filling solids.

• Filling Variations: This recipe is quite versatile! You can easily swap ground beef with ground chicken, pork, or chorizo or create vegetarian versions using plant-based meat. Adding cheese also enhances flavor a lot and different kinds of cheese will bring slightly different variations. Feel free to mix some chopped veggies in this recipe as well!

• Flavor Boost: If you love a little kick, consider adding a pinch of red pepper flakes to the beef filling. Or use different variations of chili peppers to tweak spice levels. For more subtle flavorings, adding a little dash of herbs also makes a huge difference and is easily added on top of spices as needed.

Recipe Card: Beef Empanadas

Yields: About 12-15 empanadas
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:

• For the Dough:

  • 2 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

  • ½ cup cold lard or vegetable shortening

  • ⅔ cup ice water

  • 1 large egg for egg wash

• For the Beef Filling:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano

  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder

  • ½ cup beef broth

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • ¼ cup chopped green olives

  • ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Instructions:

1. Make the dough and chill.

2. Cook ground beef with onions and garlic.

3. Add seasoning and cook for a minute more.

4. Add remaining filling ingredients and simmer.

5. Roll out dough and cut circles.

6. Fill dough circles with beef filling and seal.

7. Eggwash empanadas and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20-25 minutes.

8. Let cool, then serve.

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There you have it, my friends! Your very own homemade beef empanadas that are bursting with flavor and texture. These savory treats are perfect for any time you need a dose of comfort and deliciousness. Please share your empanada journey with me, I'd love to know how you came out! Happy baking!