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Beef empanadas

Golden pastry pockets hold a savory beef filling with onion, pepper, olives and hard-cooked egg. The filling cools before shaping, helping the edges seal and keeping the pastry from becoming soft before baking.

FlexibleModerate12 empanadas

Ingredients

Original recipe: 12 empanadas. Ingredient amounts scale below; the method is written for 6 servings. For larger amounts, use separate batches and check doneness.

  • 500 gGround beef
  • 250 gOnion finely diced
  • 150 gRed bell pepper finely diced
  • 50 gPitted green olives chopped
  • 3 eachEggs
  • 12 eachAll-butter wheat empanada pastry discs
  • 25 mlNeutral oil
  • 1 tspGround cumin
  • 2 tspSweet paprika
  • ¾ tspSalt
  • ½ tspBlack pepper
  • 1010 mlWater

Make it

  1. Heat oil in a skillet and soften onion and pepper for 8 minutes. Add beef, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper and cook for 8–10 minutes, breaking up clumps, until the beef reaches 160°F/71°C. Spread in a shallow dish to cool for 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, put 2 eggs in a small saucepan with 1000 ml of the water, which should cover them. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Cool under running cold water, peel and chop.
  3. Mix chopped eggs and olives into the cooled beef. Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C and line a baking tray.
  4. Divide filling among the 12 pastry discs, keeping a clear border. Fold over, press out air and crimp edges firmly with a fork. Arrange on the tray.
  5. Beat the remaining egg with the remaining water and brush over the pastry. Cut a small steam vent in each and bake for 22–27 minutes, until golden and the filling reaches 165°F/74°C.
  6. Rest for 10 minutes before serving, two empanadas per person.
Ingredients, recipe context & sources

Ingredient flags: Wheat, Milk, Eggs. Check packaged ingredients and cross-contact.

This is an original Livura home-cooking interpretation, not yet independently kitchen-tested. Source links provide dish and cultural context; the recipe wording and quantities are Livura’s.

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