These beef and cheese empanadas are inspired by traditional Argentinian empanadas (empanadas Argentinas) with a delicious twist – adding cheese for extra richness!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the disclosure.
These beef and cheese empanadas take me back to my childhood when I lived in Latin America, where I was introduced to these delicious filled turnovers.
Empanadas are a popular street food all over South America. They make great party snacks and they’re hearty enough that you can eat them as a light meal.
My version of empanadas includes olives, raisins, and hard-boiled eggs, which are common ingredients in Argentinian empanadas.
Paprika, cumin, fresh parsley, and just a bit of heat from the jalapeños make this filling really flavorful!
I’ve added cheese to my version for extra richness and flavor – it’s not traditional, but it’s so delicious!
Store-bought pastry is a great shortcut for making these crispy, golden hand pies packed with seasoned ground beef and melted cheese.
I used to make these with store-bought pie crust for years, but recently found that puff pastry adds extra flakiness!
➡ If you’re looking for more Latin recipes, try my arroz con pollo, pork carnitas, or chicken tinga.
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients for Beef Empanadas
💡 Tips for Making Beef and Cheese Empanadas
🥩 Ground Beef: Use 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef for best results. Leaner beef will work, but may be a bit drier. Drain the fat after sauteing, if there’s too much.
🥟 Pastry Options: I actually prefer puff pastry for its amazing flakiness! Dufours or Trader Joe’s puff pastry are great! Store-bought pie crust also works great.
🧀 Cheese: I love sharp cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend for this recipe, but feel free to use Monterey Jack or your favorite cheese. The cheese is my delicious addition to the traditional recipe – for a more authentic Argentinian version, you can omit it entirely. Add the cheese after removing from the heat so it doesn’t melt before assembly.
❄️ Make-Ahead Tip: Assemble the empanadas, place them on a baking sheet, and freeze. Transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
🥚 Boiled Eggs (Optional): For a traditional Argentinian empanada flavor, add chopped hard-boiled eggs to the filling. This is a classic ingredient that makes the empanadas even more satisfying. Chop 2-3 hard-boiled eggs and stir them into the cooled filling along with the cheese.
❓ FAQs
Ground turkey, chicken, or pork all work well. You can also make these vegetarian by using seasoned black beans or potatoes.
Make sure your mixture is completely cooled before filling. Don’t overfill (one tablespoon is enough), and seal the edges with egg wash, and press well with a fork.
The raisins add a nice contrast to the olives and spiciness, but you can omit them.
Beef and Cheese Empanadas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup onion diced
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ lb ground beef
- 2 tablespoon raisins
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoon chopped green olives
- ⅔ cup diced tomatoes (canned) drained
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped (or to taste)
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese
- 4 refrigerated pie crusts or puff pastry sheets
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet and saute ⅓ cup onion over medium heat until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add 1 bell pepper and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add 2 teaspoon minced garlic and ½ lb ground beef and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until beef is browned.
- Add 2 tablespoon raisins, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add 4 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, 2 tablespoon chopped green olives, ⅔ cup diced tomatoes, and 1 jalapeno pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese. Allow filling to cool.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Unroll a pie crust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15-inch circle. Cut into 4-inch circles. Brush edges of circle lightly with beaten egg. [See Note 1]
- Place a rounded tablespoon of the meat mixture in the center of the circle. Fold in half and seal edges with a fork. Brush the top of the empanada with egg and place it on a baking sheet.
- Repeat with remaining circles, re-rolling dough scraps as needed. Repeat for the remaining pie crusts. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes or until golden on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!
I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
Did you know that the best way to support your favorite bloggers is to comment and rate recipes, and share on social media? If you loved this recipe, please comment and give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below. If you’re a pinner, pin this post using the Pin buttons at the top and bottom of this post and in the recipe card above. Thank you for your support!
Katrina Christensen says
I’ve started making empanada’s a few months ago because they’re so darn good. I’ve been using a Goya recipe as when I was looking for one ot was rated by 117 people at a 4.9. Today I came across your recipe when I was looking up if I could freeze leftovers and I got my answer from you, so Thank you. I then figured I’d take a look on what your recipe included in the beef ones (although I make both). I read you had said that you use Goya discs sometimes and also Trader Joe’s discs. You stated that Goya discs are smaller and TJ’s are large. I figured I’d let you know that they (Goya) actually have 2 sizes, small and large. I probably use half of what you use for a beef filling plus other ingredients, but I never thought to put cheese in them darn it. Cheese makes everything good.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Katrina, thank you for the tip!
grace says
Where are the nutrient values??
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Grace, I’m sorry but that recipe was one of the first I posted on my blog. Before I started entering nutritional values. I’ve updated the recipe to include them now. Hope that helps.
Lindsay says
Great time-saving tips. These are a must!