Easy Beef Empanada Recipe

This Easy Empanada Recipe uses flaky pie crust and ground beef to create the perfect dinner. Ready in about 30 minutes, they make a great weeknight meal! Make a double or triple batch and freeze some for a future freezer meal!

These homemade empanadas are wrapped in a flaky pie crust, then capped off with a delicious beef filling. No kidding – they make a great weeknight meal! You can even make two or three batches to freeze for meal plans, or whip up a batch of these as a side dish.

I was first introduced to empanadas by a friend – and immediately fell in love.  The flaky crust, with delicious filling was one dish that I could eat on the go or eat at home with my family.  This of course made me want to learn how to make easy beef empanada at home. However if I was going to make them, I wanted to make them as authentic as possible. 

I then looked up how to make empanads online and found a few “authenitc” recipes.  I made a few different recipes, however none of them had the wow factor that my initial introduction to empanads had.  I found this frustrating.    

In making my own empanada dough, I found it took quite a bit of extra work, with results that didn’t fit the bill. I’m unsure if those recipes were really authentic at all. But, for that matter, I won’t know until I travel south of the border and taste a REAL baked empanada (which, unfortunately, won’t be happening any time soon). Since my initial attempt at making homemade empanadas, I’ve always kept my eyes open for other, better recipes.

I love that you can pack empanadas full of nearly anything and they always turn out delicious. You can use chicken, steak, ground beef, or even pulled pork, along with your favorite veggies and spices! There’s no “correct” filling, because every combination turns out yummy (or should I say, “nummy!”).

Because my attempt at an authentic recipe failed, I decided to just make up my own!  These aren’t exactly the most authentic ground beef empanadas… but this easy recipe just tastes SO GOOD, so let’s go with it! When paired with the right crust, you’ll be tempted to stuff yourself sick.

So what is the right crust you ask.  Well for me, after years of trying numerous recipes, I found that pie crust made the easiest, flakiest and tastiest empanada crust!  Now remember, these are not AUTHENTIC.  Instead they are my personal creation.  

So if you are looking for an easy recipe, that is quick, easy to freeze and oh so tasty, try these beef empanadas with my Butter pie crust! 

If you’re looking for a quick, tasty Mexican meal to cook for dinner instead of the traditional Taco Tuesday, try this recipe.  This recipe takes only 30 minutes! My family loves these beef and cheese empanadas, and I think you will, too!

What is an Empanada?

Basically, an empanada is a half-moon-shaped pastry turnover, filled with either sweet or savory ingredients. It can be either baked or fried. The name “empanada” comes from the Spanish word “empanar”, which simply means ‘to coat with bread.’

You can make your empanadas as massive or bite-sized as you please! For quick snacks or a full dinner, you can adjust the size or filling to suit your personal preference without much hassle.

Where Did Empanadas Originate?

Empanadas were first made in Galicia, the northwest region of Spain. The recipe dates as far back as 1520, when a chef named Robert de Nola wrote a cookbook that contained recipes for many different kinds of empanadas, including ones filled with seafood. It’s believed that empanadas were the first “pocket” food to have been created.

Take that, Hot Pockets! 

The Galicians threw various Empanada Festivals to celebrate the dish and the variety of different ways to make them. These festivals still remain a huge and proud part of Galician culture today.

Empanadas are also a staple of numerous Latin and Filipino cultures as well. Each has their own unique spin on the recipe and, of course, every family has their preferred twist. Even still, generally, empanadas will have the same look no matter the culture it heralds from.

What Type of Premade Dough Can I Use for Beef Empanadas?

When I was on my empanada discovery kick, I discovered the owner of  chef-in-training made her meat empanadas with premade pie crust. This premade pie crust dough tasted way better than the authentic crust recipe I used before, so I was willing to bend on my ‘real deal’ preference. You can’t argue with flavor! I definitely recommend using either homemade or store-bought empanada dough (A.K.A. Pie Crust) from now on.

This also saves me a ridiculous amount of time in the kitchen. I only have to cut out the crusts and go!

Traditional empanada dough is much less flaky than pie crust. However, it can be pretty difficult to get just right. There is a specific tenderness that soaks up your filling without becoming soggy in the process, and that’s seriously hard to replicate.

Fortunately, there’s no need to seek out a special store for good, premade empanada wrappers! You can easily use pie crust and find them at your local supermarket. They might not have a fully authentic flare, but it’ll save you the extra struggle in making them personally.

Can I Make These Ground Beef Empanadas Ahead of Time?

Of course! You can whip up huge or tiny batches and freeze them for later. Just be sure that you DO NOT bake these empanadas before you freeze them!

Prepare the dough, wrap it around your preferred fillings, and put them into the freezer on a cookie sheet.  Once frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer safe container.

Most pastry dough will last up to three months in your freezer, and my empanada recipe is no exception! Don’t forget to attach a little piece of tape to the container with the date, so they don’t grow too icy.

With that in mind, also remember to properly thaw them out before baking. Soggy isn’t fun!

What is Traditionally Served with Meat Empanadas?

Since they’re typically stuffed with both meat and vegetables, empanadas act as complete meals – all on their own! If you do create a side dish, however, your ideal pairing will depend on the filling you’ve chosen for the empanadas.

You can serve any number of dips or sauces with savory empanadas, including Cilantro Lime Dressing or Avacado Dip.  You could also serve a nice Spinach Strawberry Salad, Esquites Recipe or Authentic Mexican Rice alongside a heavier meat-filled empanada.

Sweeter empanadas do not usually require a side dish, either. You can dip them in a chocolate or caramel sauce, honey, or some other sweet syrup!