Beef Empañadas

Traditional Latin American beef empanadas filled with seasoned ground beef, hard-boiled eggs, raisins, and olives, all wrapped in flaky pastry and fried until golden brown.

6 servings

1 hr 20 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•2 whole hard-boiled large eggs
•½ medium onion
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•1 clove garlic
•½ teaspoon ground cumin
•½ teaspoon dried oregano
•¾ pound ground beef chuck
•2 tablespoons raisins
•1½ tablespoons pimiento-stuffed olives
•1 can whole tomatoes
•1 package empanada pastry disks
•4 cups vegetable oil
•1 piece deep-fat thermometer

Cooking Instructions

1.
Cut each egg crosswise into 10 thin slices.
2 min
2.
Cook onion in olive oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in beef and cook, breaking up lumps with a fork, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
8 min
3.
Add raisins, olives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and tomatoes with reserved juice, then cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced but mixture is still moist, about 5 minutes. Spread on a plate to cool.
5 min
4.
Preheat oven to 200°F with rack in middle.
5 min
5.
Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap on a dampened work surface (to help keep plastic in place), then roll out an empanada disk on plastic wrap to measure about 6 inches. Place 3 tablespoons meat mixture on disk and top with 2 slices of egg. Moisten edges of disk with water and fold over to form a semicircle, then crimp with a fork. Make more empanadas in same manner.
20 min
6.
Heat 3/4 inch vegetable oil in a deep 12-inch skillet over medium heat until it registers 360°F on thermometer. Fry empanadas, 2 or 3 at a time, turning once, until crisp and golden, 4 to 6 minutes per batch.
25 min
7.
Transfer to a shallow baking pan and keep warm in oven. Return oil to 360°F between batches.
15 min

Ingredients

•2 whole hard-boiled large eggs

•½ medium onion

•1 tablespoon olive oil

•1 clove garlic

•½ teaspoon ground cumin

•½ teaspoon dried oregano

•¾ pound ground beef chuck

•2 tablespoons raisins

•1½ tablespoons pimiento-stuffed olives

•1 can whole tomatoes

•1 package empanada pastry disks

•4 cups vegetable oil

•1 piece deep-fat thermometer

Cooking Instructions

Cut each egg crosswise into 10 thin slices.

2 min

Cook onion in olive oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in beef and cook, breaking up lumps with a fork, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

8 min

Add raisins, olives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and tomatoes with reserved juice, then cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced but mixture is still moist, about 5 minutes. Spread on a plate to cool.

5 min

Preheat oven to 200°F with rack in middle.

5 min

Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap on a dampened work surface (to help keep plastic in place), then roll out an empanada disk on plastic wrap to measure about 6 inches. Place 3 tablespoons meat mixture on disk and top with 2 slices of egg. Moisten edges of disk with water and fold over to form a semicircle, then crimp with a fork. Make more empanadas in same manner.

20 min

Heat 3/4 inch vegetable oil in a deep 12-inch skillet over medium heat until it registers 360°F on thermometer. Fry empanadas, 2 or 3 at a time, turning once, until crisp and golden, 4 to 6 minutes per batch.

25 min

Transfer to a shallow baking pan and keep warm in oven. Return oil to 360°F between batches.

15 min