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easy beef empanadas

(1 rating)
JillianC avatar
Recipe by
Jillian Coleman
@JillianC
Brooklyn, NY

This is my favorite Beef Empanada recipe. After much trial and error I came up with this recipe. It goes great with a side of my rice and beans recipe! You can also freeze uncooked empanadas for later use!

(1 rating)
yield 10 (about 20 empanadas)
prep time 20 Min
cook time 1 Hr
method Stove Top

Ingredients For easy beef empanadas

  • FOR EMPANADA SHELL
  • 2 pkg
    goya discos in frozen aisle (thaw and have at room temperature for when your filling is cooled)
  • FOR EMPANADA FILLING
  • 1 lb
    lean ground beef
  • 4 clove
    garlic, minced
  • 2 md
    onions, finely chopped
  • 1 c
    green or red peppers, finely diced
  • 1 c
    tomato, seeds removed and finely chopped
  • 1/2 c
    tomato sauce
  • 1 c
    chicken stock
  • 8 Tbsp
    cilantro, fresh, chopped
  • 1 tsp
    oregano, dried
  • 2 pkg
    goya sazon (orange box that says con culantro y achiote)
  • 1/2 tsp
    ground cumin
  • 12
    spanish olives, roughly chopped
  • 4 Tbsp
    frozen goya sofrito (slightly defrosted is easier to scoop)
  • 2 Tbsp
    raisins, roughly chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

How To Make easy beef empanadas

  • 1
    Get everything ready to go.
  • 2
    Heat oil, add beef and cook until brown and no longer pink … drain excess fat, remove cooked beef and set aside.
  • 3
    In same pan add onions, peppers and garlic and cook until soft and onions are translucent (do not brown and do not burn garlic).
  • 4
    Add meat back to pan, stir to combine.
  • 5
    Add tomatoes, olives, sofrito and raisins and cook until softened about 5 mins.
  • 6
    Add tomato sauce, cumin, oregano, chicken stock, sazon and cilantro. Bring to boil and cook on low-medium heat until thickens (about 15-20mins).
  • 7
    Let mixture cool, then spoon into defrosted room temperature disco.
  • 8
    Place filling in the middle of disco, brush edges with egg and water mixture, fold in ½ and seal edges with fork.
  • 9
    Fry empanada in 350 degree oil until golden, about 4-6 mins, turning ½ way through. (You can also bake if desired until crispy and golden brown, but fried taste much better!).
  • 10
    Tips: 1. Place uncooked empanadas in wax paper and tin foil, in freezer bag for later use 2. As you prepare each empanada (if not immediately cooking) after sealing, place on wax paper and separate with wax paper or disco plastic to prevent sticking, cover immediately to prevent from drying out. 3. Goya Discos and Goya Sofrito are sold in frozen section. Let both defrost. Sofrito is hard to spoon if you do not defrost a little. You can use food processor to chop onions and peppers, but chop other ingredients by hand.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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