Argentine Empanadas

5 from 6 votes

A foolproof recipe for the traditional Argentine Empanadas with beef filling and homemade pastry. These empanadas are baked, making them healthier than the fried ones. Try them!

Prep Time40

Cook Time1

Servings: empanadas

Author: Bea & Marco

Ingredients

Fillings:

olive oil
1.3 lb onion (double the beef weight) (600 gr), cut into cubes
1 red capsicum , cut into cubes
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 tablespoon cumin powder
2 tablespoon sweet paprika
½ cup white wine (125 ml)
10.5 oz minced beef meat (300 gr)
¾ cup green part of spring onion , chopped
¾ cup green olives , roughly chopped
½ cup parsley , finely chopped
3 hard boiled eggs
salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Empanada dough:

3.5 oz unsalted butter (100 gr), room temperature
1 large egg , room temperature
2 teaspoon salt
3 ¾ cups bread flour , plus 1 ½ tablespoon more (500 gr)
2 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup warm water , plus 1 tablespoon more (150 ml)

Instructions

The filling

Using low medium fire, heat some olive oil in a pan, add in the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes until they're a bit soft. Add in cubed red capsicum and continue cooking for 20-30 minutes until they're really soft, stirring frequently.
Add in chili flakes, sweet paprika and cumin, cook for 1 minutes until the powdery taste is gone. Add in wine and cook for 30 seconds until the alchohol evaporates. Add in minced beef, salt and black pepper. Cook just until the beef is almost done. That's going to ensure juicy empanada later. Put in a container and aside to cool.
Once cooled, add in chopped spring onion, olives, parsley and give it a good mix. Sprinkle chopped eggs on top and keep in the fridge for 2 hours before using.

The dough

In a stand mixer bowl and using a paddle attachment, add in butter and whisk until fluffy. Add in egg and mix until well combined. Add in salt and ⅓ of flour. Whisk to combine and keep adding ⅓ of flour, mixing well to combine each time.
Switch to dough hook. Add in oil, water and knead for 10 minutes. The dough will be crumbly at first, as if it's not going to form but have faith. It will. Push it together with your hand to help for the first 1-2 minutes.
After 10 minutes, you'll get a nice soft pliable dough. Form it into a ball, place in a container, cover with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 2 hours. Take out 15 minutes earlier before using.

Making empanada

Take out the dough and divide into 20 balls. Keep them covered with cling film while using to prevent them getting dry.
Take one ball and roll it out with a rolling pin to a more or less hand size. Put 1 tablespoon filling on top, fold the dough. pinch the seam to seal and climp all the way around. Repeat the same for the rest of the balls. Place them on a baking tray with baking sheet.
Bake at 200°C (400°F) in a preheated oven for 20-30 minutes or golden brown and fully cooked. Serve hot.

Notes

If your place is too hot (like mine in the summer), place the balls of dough in the fridge and take out 2,3 balls at one time to work with. This is to prevent them getting overly soft thus making it challenging to work with.

Nutrition