Classic Beef Empanadas
Ingredients
Detailed Cooking Instructions
- 1
Submerge the potatoes in a spacious pot filled with water and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and let them simmer for roughly 8 minutes until they are just starting to soften, then drain. After they have cooled down sufficiently to be handled, peel the skins off, dice them into cubes, and keep them ready for later.
- 2
At the same time, heat butter in a wide frying pan and sauté the onions and scallions for approximately 5 minutes until they become tender. Mix in the bell pepper and continue cooking for 3 minutes, then incorporate the ground beef, browning the meat thoroughly for about 5 minutes while stirring. Incorporate salt, cayenne pepper, and paprika for seasoning.
- 3
Take the skillet off the burner and mix in the potatoes and olives. Incorporate the diced hard-boiled eggs and allow the mixture to sit and cool for roughly 20 minutes.
- 4
Set your oven to preheat at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Prepare two baking pans by covering them with foil and applying a thin coating of olive oil.
- 5
Lay an empanada disc on your counter and dampen the perimeter with a bit of warm water. Scoop a generous tablespoon of the prepared filling into the middle, fold the pastry over, and crimp the edges shut using the tines of a fork. Continue this process with the rest of the ingredients. Arrange the assembled empanadas on the baking sheets and coat them with a wash of beaten egg.
- 6
Place them into the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until they achieve a golden-brown color.
Recipe Reviews
The flavor was fine, though I felt it lacked a certain kick. I replaced the green olives with black ones, and the total preparation time exceeded 90 minutes. While the dough was excellent, the stuffing lacked depth. Overall, it felt like too much effort for a fairly average dish.
My grandsons, ages 4 and 7, asked to help me bake empanadas after watching a cooking video online. To suit their preferences, we skipped the onions, swapped in black olives for the green ones, and included half a cup of raisins to give them a sweet twist. Those kids polished them off in no time!