Beef Empanadas
These savory beef empanadas are filled with a rich mixture of beef, chorizo, tomatoes, and warm spices, then baked in a flaky crust until golden. Perfect for Cinco de Mayo, entertaining, or make-ahead meals.
Servings: 18
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef stew meat cubed
- 2 fresh Mexican chorizo sausages casings removed
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes with mild green chiles undrained
- 1 12 oz. Mexican beer (or substitute chicken stock)
- 3 packages refrigerated pie crust or your favorite pastry recipe
- 1 egg beaten with water (for egg wash)
Instructions
Preheat oven:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
Sauté aromatics:
- In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent.
Cook chorizo:
- Add chorizo (casings removed) and cook for about 5 minutes.
Brown beef:
- Add beef cubes and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes.
Simmer filling:
- Add cumin, turmeric, pepper, bay leaves, pine nuts, vinegar, diced tomatoes, and beer. Stir well.
- Cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, until beef is tender.
- Thicken if needed: If mixture is too liquid, simmer uncovered until thickened.
Cool filling:
- Remove from heat and allow filling to cool completely before assembling.
Prepare dough:
- Roll out pie crust on a floured surface. Cut into 6-inch circles (each crust yields about 3 circles).
Fill empanadas:
- Place filling in center of each dough circle.
Seal:
- Fold dough over into a half-moon shape and crimp edges with a fork (or use a pie press).
Egg wash:
- Brush tops with egg wash.
Bake:
- Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool. Let rest about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Filling can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated.
- Empanadas can be assembled and frozen before baking; add extra bake time if cooking from frozen.
- Each pie crust makes about 3 (6-inch) empanadas when scraps are rerolled.
- I used my pocket pie press, or you can use a bowl as a template and cut a circle of dough for your empanadas, crimping the edges of with a fork to seal them. My pie press cuts 6″ circles of dough.
- Substitute additional beef if you prefer a milder filling without chorizo.
- I used a set of Spring Garden Piecrust Cutters, from Williams-Sonoma that are unfortunately are no longer available, but you decorate them anyway you like or leave them plain.