I’m sharing how to make the best beef empanadas you’ve ever tasted! We start with tender, flaky empanada dough wrapped around a savory mix of seasoned ground beef and melty cheese. They get oven-baked to golden perfection, no frying needed.
I love making Latin American favorites at home, from these cheesy beef empanadas to spicy chipotle chicken empanadas. Also, check out my pizza empanadas and these dessert cinnamon apple empanadas for a fun twist on the traditional!
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Recently, I shared my homemade empanada dough recipe with you (more on this in a minute). So, it’s time to fill up those wrappers! You can fill empanadas with just about anything, from chicken to shellfish, but today is all about these flaky, golden beef empanadas packed with melted Colby Jack cheese and juicy seasoned ground beef. Every Spanish family makes empanadas a little differently, but this is my husband’s favorite way. Each crispy bite is better than the last, and before you know it, you’ve devoured the whole plate. Not speaking from experience, AT ALL…
Why You Should Make Beef Empanadas From Scratch
- Quick and easy to make. Making these with homemade dough takes a bit more time, but it’s not a complicated recipe by any means. Once the dough is ready, you can have these beef empanadas filled, folded, and in the oven in minutes.
- Make them your own. I like to add olives to my empanada filling, while my husband prefers the classic cheese and beef combination. Luckily, making them at home means customizing our empanadas however we like!
- Versatile. Besides the fact that they’re delicious, I love these empanadas because they’re so versatile. You can serve them as an appetizer, a pre-dinner snack, dinner itself, etc. I won’t judge if you decide that they’re good for breakfast too, so long as you get in on this cheesy action!
Key Ingredients
Traditionally, empanadas are filled with protein, vegetables, and even fruit fillings, like my pineapple empanadas. For today’s recipe, I’ve included some notes on the filling ingredients you’ll need for these cheesy beef empanadas. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list with the full amounts and recipe details.
- Olive oil – Or another cooking oil, like canola, for browning the onion and ground beef.
- Onion – Any small white or yellow onion, diced.
- Jalapeño – Just one is often enough. You’ll need to deseed the jalapeño and dice it. If you’re not a fan of heat, feel free to leave this out.
- Garlic cloves – I use freshly minced garlic. Substitute 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder per fresh clove if needed.
- Ground Beef – Feel free to reduce the fat content by using extra lean ground beef. You can also fill your empanadas with chicken, pork, seafood, or turkey.
- Seasonings – I season the filling with salt, black pepper, cumin powder, and ground oregano.
- Colby Jack cheese – Or freshly grated cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican cheese blend.
- Empanada wrappers – I recommend 6″ round wrappers. I always make my homemade empanada dough, but you can use any store-bought empanada wrappers or even a refrigerated pie crust for this recipe. Simply cut the pie dough into rounds (a 6″ biscuit cutter works great here). You’ll need to adjust the empanadas’ baking time to 20-25 minutes in this case, or until they’re lightly golden.
- Egg – You’ll mix an egg with water for an egg wash, to brush on the empanadas before baking. The egg wash gives them a glossy finish.
Do You Bake or Fry Empanadas?
Empanadas can be baked OR fried. I like to bake my beef empanadas as there’s less oil, and less mess. If you prefer fried empanadas, feel free to cook them on the stove. They come out slightly crispier when they’re deep fried. That being said, I find these baked empanadas just as satisfyingly golden, crisp, and flaky. It’s the method I always use!
How to Make Empanadas
Prepping these beef empanadas for the oven doesn’t take more than 10 minutes. You’ll start by preparing the seasoned ground beef filling. Afterward, I’ll walk you through how to easily fold, seal, and bake your empanadas so that they’re ready to eat. Follow along here, and refer to the recipe card for the printable instructions.
Make the Beef Empanada Filling
The filling for these cheesy beef empanadas comes together quickly on the stove. I like to start on the filling first, since it gives it time to cool off while I prepare the empanada dough afterward.
- Sauté your aromatics. First, sauté the onion in a hot skillet with oil. Stir often, and once that’s softened, add the jalapeño. Then, add the garlic and stir for a minute as it becomes fragrant.
- Cook the beef. Now, add the ground beef and seasonings. Cook, breaking up the beef and stirring often while it browns and cooks through. Drain off any rendered fat afterward and set the filling aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Fill and Fold the Empanadas
Once you have the filling ready, you can start to fill and fold your prepared empanada wrappers. I actually look forward to this part because I think it’s super fun (maybe that’s just me!). Since empanada dough is a type of pastry, you’ll want to keep it cold in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. This way it’ll be much easier to handle. Let’s get started:
- Preheat the oven. Set your oven to preheat to 375°F. Meanwhile, get two large baking sheets lined with parchment paper. For extra insurance against sticking, give the paper a spritz with cooking spray.
- Fill the empanada dough. Once the beef filling has cooled, add a spoonful to the center of your first empanada wrapper. Sprinkle a little shredded cheese over top.
- Pinch the edges together. Now, fold the wrapper in half over the filling. Using your fingers, pinch the edges together, similar to how you would close an Chinese potsticker. You can twist the edges into a classic empanada border, or use a fork or empanada press to press in the edges and seal the empanada closed. Both are pictured here! Repeat, filling and folding the remaining empanadas.
- Fill the baking trays. Once all the empanadas are sealed, arrange them on your prepared baking sheets. Leave a little room on either side for the dough to spread as the empanadas bake. Finally, beat the egg and water together to make the egg wash, and brush it over the empanadas.
- Bake. Bake these beef empanadas at 375ºF for 25-27 minutes, until they’re lightly browned and crispy. Take them out and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving, so you don’t bite into a piping hot empanada!
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Use the right dough. If you don’t have empanada dough (either homemade or store-bought), use uncooked pie crust, puff pastry, or even canned biscuit dough in a pinch.
- Don’t skip the egg wash. This is what gives the empanadas their shiny, golden-brown, crispy exterior.
- Use leftover beef. Instead of ground beef, you can use any kind of cooked beef you have on hand. I love making empanadas with leftover pot roast, picadillo, or birria. We stuff all different kinds of leftover meats in empanadas!
- Add vegetables. Bulk up your empanadas with sweet corn, diced carrots and celery, potatoes, peas, diced tomatoes, or tomato paste. I recommend pre-cooking any raw veggies to remove excess liquid that might make the filling watery.
- Add beans. Drained and rinsed canned or cooked black beans, pinto beans, lentils, or chickpeas are all great mix-ins for empanada filling.
- More add-ins. Add in chopped olives, pimentos, and capers. I love adding green olives to my beef empanada filling like so many of our Puerto Rican friends do, even though my husband’s Puerto Rican family never added olives! You can also change up the herbs with marjoram, oregano and thyme.
Empanada Dipping Sauces
These steamy beef empanadas are delicious served warm from the oven as-is, but you can’t go wrong with a few tasty dipping sauces to complete the experience. Here are some of the sauces I love:
- Enchilada sauce – Give your empanadas some kick by dipping them in homemade enchilada sauce. We also like this guajillo sauce or adobo sauce.
- Salsa – We especially love this homemade Mexican salsa ranchera made from roasted tomatoes, and zesty salsa verde. South American chimichurri also pairs nicely with the beef.
- Guacamole – Just like tortilla chips, empanadas taste great topped with authentic guacamole or this creamy avocado salsa.
- Kid-friendly – For the kiddos, beefy empanadas go great with classic marinara sauce, mild and creamy sweet chili sauce, and even ketchup.
Serving Suggestions
These cheesy beef empanadas are one of my favorite appetizers with a side of dipping sauce (see above). They’re also great as a meal with some Latin-inspired sides. I often serve empanadas with arroz con gandules (Puerto Rican rice with pigeon peas), and grilled corn on the cob. In our house, no meal is complete without some sweet fried plantains! Otherwise, a big, sharing-style salad, like a three bean salad or cucumber tomato salad is an easy way to lighten up the meal.
Proper Storage
- Refrigerate. These cheesy beef empanadas can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container or in a large Ziploc bag for up to 1 week.
- Reheat. When you want to eat them again, just put them in the oven again for a few minutes until they reach the desired temperature.
- Freeze. These beef empanadas freeze super well before they’re baked. After you’ve filled them and pressed the edges of the dough together, place them on a baking tray and freeze them for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Afterward, store the frozen empanadas in a freezer bag or an airtight container for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Cheesy Beef Empanadas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, deseeded and diced (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon ground dried oregano
- 12-15 6-inch round empanada wrappers*
- 8 oz Colby jack cheese, freshly grated
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons water
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper, a silicone baking mat or spray with non-stick spray.
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat and add the onion once hot. Cook, stirring often, until the onion becomes translucent. Then add the jalapeño and cook for another three minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, or until it becomes fragrant.
- Add the beef and sprinkle in the salt, pepper, cumin and oregano and stir to combine.
- Cook, breaking up the beef and stirring often, until the beef turns a dark brown color and has cooked through. Drain off the rendered fat, set the pan aside and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Once cooled, add a spoonful of it to the center of an empanada wrapper and add a tablespoon of cheese on top.
- Fold it in half, pinch the edges around the border and twist the edges into a classic empanada border or use a fork to press in the edges to seal.
- Add empanadas to the two baking trays, leaving room for spreading. Beat the egg and water together in a small bowl and brush it over the empanadas.
- Bake empanadas for 25 to 27 minutes or until light and golden on the top. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- *You can make homemade homemade empanada dough or use store bought uncooked pie crust for this, simply cut the pieces into 6-inch round pieces and adjust the baking time to 20-25 minutes or until light and golden on top.
- Storage Options: these empanadas can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container or a in large Ziploc bag for up to 1 week. To reheat, I like to heat them in an air fryer or oven to crisp the outside again!
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These were nice and they looked cool. I’m from New Zealand and we don’t really have these kind of things. I used your recipe for the dough too, kneading it was hard and I was worried but it rested in the fridge and rolled out easy.
I added a little tomato sauce just because someone said they were dry and I didn’t want to risk all the effort.
I want to try this recipe. I remember my Mom made them when I was little. She used a red sauce with ground beef. Then she fried them lol. All I can say that they were amazing! I know the frying was so fattening! I will have to try these and see how they turned out. Sadly my Mom passed away when I was young and I don’t have any of her recipes.
Hi Marilyn! What is your families background? I may be able to help you figure out what the red sauce she used was!
I had such high hopes. Made the empanadas wrappers from scratch using the link, then followed recipe. They were super dry. Not sure what I did wring.