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Meat, Americas

Beef empanadas with salad

Beef empanadas with salad are small golden Argentine pastries filled with ground beef, green olives, and hard boiled egg. This recipe serves 4, takes 65 minutes, rates as medium difficulty, and costs €3.20 per person. The key to success is letting the filling cool completely before you stuff the dough.

Tonight, we're folding Argentine empanadas, little golden pockets filled with beef, olives, and hard boiled egg.

Beef empanadas with salad
Total time
1 h 05
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.20
Calories per person
600 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

An empanada is that little golden pocket that cracks under your teeth and hides a juicy beef filling seasoned with cumin and paprika. Hard boiled egg adds softness, while green olives bring that salty punch that wakes everything up. You eat them warm, by hand, and the lettuce and tomato salad on the side brings the freshness the dish would otherwise miss.

This is a great recipe for a Sunday when you have time to fold a dozen pastries at a leisurely pace, kids included, since they often love helping with the folding. It also works well for guests, set in the middle of the table as a sharing dish, and it has that rare quality of pleasing both picky kids and skeptical adults.

The ingredients

4 people

Dairy

  • Empanada dough rounds 12
  • Hard boiled eggs 2
  • Egg for glazing 1

Butcher

  • Ground beef 500 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onions 2
  • Green onions 3
  • Lettuce 1
  • Tomatoes 2

Pantry

  • Cuminoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Sweet paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Green olivesoften in the pantry 12
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Gluten, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Cook the chopped onions in the oil until translucent, then add the beef, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. 12 min

    Let the onion soften slowly, the filling turns out juicier.

  2. Off the heat, stir in the chopped green onions, then let the mixture cool completely. 15 min

    Chill the filling in the fridge, it holds together better.

  3. Add the chopped hard boiled eggs and sliced olives to the filling.

    The olives bring the salt, so don't oversalt beforehand.

  4. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each dough round, fold over, and seal the edges with the repulgue crimp. 15 min

    Wet the edge of the dough with your fingertip, it seals better.

  5. Brush with beaten egg, bake at 200°C, and serve with a lettuce and tomato salad. 20 min

    Poke each empanada with a fork to let the steam escape.

Our tips to get it right

  • Crimp the edges firmly with the traditional repulgue fold or just fork tines, a poorly sealed empanada leaks its juices in the oven.
  • Don't overfill the dough rounds, one generous spoonful is enough, otherwise the dough tears when you fold it shut.
  • If you're new to the repulgue fold, wet the edge well and press hard with your fingers, steady pressure matters more than technique.

The variations

  • Swap the ground beef for shredded chicken cooked in the same onion and spice base, for a milder tasting version.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with cooked lentils and finely diced vegetables, keeping the cumin, paprika, hard boiled egg, and olives.
  • For a quick kid friendly version, use filling cooked the day before and shape smaller empanadas that bake a bit faster.

What to serve it with

  • Lettuce and tomato salad
  • Homemade chimichurri sauce
  • A glass of red grape juice

Storage

Raw empanadas freeze very well, laid flat until firm and then bagged up. Once cooked, they keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Reheat them in the oven rather than the microwave so they stay crisp.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the filling ahead of time?

Yes, it's actually recommended. Cold filling is much easier to stuff into the dough and results in empanadas that seal without tearing.

Can you use puff pastry instead of empanada dough rounds?

Yes, just cut circles from puff pastry sheets. The result will be flakier but less true to the original Argentine texture.

How do you keep empanadas from opening while baking?

Wet the edge of the dough well before sealing and press firmly with your fingers or a fork. Keeping the filling very cold also helps, since it won't soften the dough.

Do kids actually like this dish?

Generally yes, especially if you leave the olives out of their portion if they're not fans. The individual golden pockets tend to appeal to younger eaters.

How long does it take to make beef empanadas with a side salad?

Count 1 h 05 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in beef empanadas with a side salad?

About 600 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does beef empanadas with a side salad cost?

About €3.20 per serving, or €12.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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