Description
Savory cheesy ground beef empanadas bring pure comfort right to your plate, wrapping up spicy seasoned meat and melty cheese in a golden, flaky pastry that crumbles perfectly with each delicious bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 boxes refrigerated pie crust
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Seasonings and Liquids:
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 egg
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown 1 lb ground beef with ½ diced yellow onion, 1 diced bell pepper, and 2 minced garlic cloves for 6-8 minutes until meat is completely cooked.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon chili powder, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste and ½ cup chicken broth.
- Reduce heat and simmer your mixture for 5-7 minutes until liquid is nearly completely absorbed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Unroll refrigerated pie crusts and use a 4-inch round cutter to create circle shapes.
- Spoon 2 tablespoons beef mixture and 1 tablespoon Monterey Jack cheese onto each pie crust circle’s center.
- Fold each circle in half, creating a half-moon shape. Press edges firmly with a fork to seal your empanadas completely.
- Whisk 1 egg and brush the surface of each empanada for a golden finish.
- Arrange empanadas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 15-18 minutes until edges are crisp and golden brown.
Notes
- Always drain excess fat from ground beef after browning to prevent greasy empanadas and ensure a cleaner filling texture.
- Seal empanada edges completely with a fork to prevent filling from leaking during baking, creating a tight, neat package.
- For a gluten-free version, swap traditional pie crust with gluten-free pastry dough or use corn tortillas as an alternative wrapper.
- Experiment with cheese varieties like pepper jack or queso fresco to customize the flavor profile and add personal flair to your empanadas.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Beef
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Latin American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 to 6
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg