Beef Empanadas

Ingredients

• 1 package (2 crusts) refrigerated pie dough, or a double batch of homemade dough
• 1 lb ground beef, 1 diced onion, 1/2 cup diced green olives and raisins (optional), 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Cook the filling in a skillet until the meat is browned and any vegetables are softened; season well and let cool slightly.
3. Roll out the dough and cut into 5- to 6-inch rounds.
4. Spoon the filling onto one half of each round, fold over, and crimp the edges shut with a fork.
5. Arrange on the prepared sheet, brush with the egg wash, and bake for 20–25 minutes until deep golden brown.
6. Serve warm.

The Tale of Beef Empanadas

Story updated September 19, 2026

The empanada's story begins far from Argentina, with the stuffed pastries of the medieval Middle East, which spread into Spain under centuries of Moorish rule. The word appears in print in the early 1500s, including in the Catalan cookbook Libre del Coch of 1520, and Spanish colonizers carried the technique of sealing fillings in folded pastry across the Atlantic. In Argentina the country's cattle-ranching pampas and gaucho culture made beef the natural filling, typically seasoned with onion, cumin, paprika, and a boiled egg or olive. There is no single national recipe: the north, around Salta and Tucuman, favors spicier versions, while Mendoza and Cuyo add raisins. Each region defends its own as the real empanada.