Where to Buy Beef and Cheese Empanadas

Stuffed pastries are universal. Every culture has their own version, from Chinese dumplings to Polish pierogies to Indian samosas. I grew up eating empanadas, but by contrast, they weren't traditional to a specific cuisine. While empanadas from Mexico are usually made with masa, my grandma—a woman who grew up in Culiacán, a city in northwestern Mexico—made hers with pot sticker wrappers! During the creation of this dish, we figured that if you're searching for an empanada recipe, you're probably not looking to fry them in pot sticker wrappers, so we developed an amazingly easy and flaky homemade dough. But we have modeled our filling after my grandma's top-secret recipe. And if you REALLY want to go all-in on my grandma's method, we've also included tips on how to use those pot-sticker wrappers. Read on for more tips for these Cheesy Beef Empanadas.

During the development of this dish, I figured that if you're searching for an empanada recipe, you're mostly not looking to fry them in pot sticker wrappers. So, our associate food editor (and pastry queen) Makinze Gore developed an amazingly easy and flaky homemade dough.

How do I amp up the filling?
This filling is loosely based on my grandma's very traditional Mexican (top-secret!) recipe. It's delicious as is, but if you want to give it even more pizzaz, we highly recommend adding a splash of red wine vinegar, finely chopped capers and green olives, and a good squeeze yellow mustard. It's the María Picos Clark way!

What other types of cheese can I use?
We've gone for a blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack because they melt beautifully, while letting the flavor of the spices, tomatoes, and jalapeños shine. If you want to experiment with other types of cheese, you could try mozzarella, provolone, or fontina. You could even go with pepper jack, for a little extra kick.

How do I make these with pot sticker wrappers?
If you'd like to go the pot sticker route, fill each wrapper with about 1 teaspoon of meat. (If you add too much filling, the wrapper will break.) Dip a finger in water and run alongside the edges of the wrapper, then fold and seal with tines of a fork.  Heat an inch of vegetable oil in a deep pan (or a wok, like my mom), and fry in batches until empanadas are deeply golden and bubbly on surface.

Can I make these in the air fryer?
Absolutely! We've included directions for cooking these in the air fryer in the recipe below. Long story short, don't egg wash the empanadas and shorten the cooking time to 10 minutes.

I'm not a huge fan of sour cream. What else can I serve with these?
Think taco bar! You could try salsa, pico de gallo, or guacamole. You could even double-down on the cheese and go for a homemade queso dipping sauce.

How do I store these?
While they're best fresh, you can keep these cooked empanadas in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you want them to last longer, we recommend freezing them (see how below).

Can I freeze these?
Yes! You have a couple of options. You can freeze already-baked empanadas, or (our personal preference) you can freeze the filled, unbaked empanadas. Either way, freeze the empanadas on a parchment-lined baking sheet until solid before transferring them to an airtight bag or container. This ensures they don't get squished and will come out of your freezer as beautifully shaped as when you put them in. To bake the frozen, uncooked empanadas, let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before egg-washing and baking until golden and heated through (you'll need to add a few extra minutes to the bake time). To reheat frozen cooked empanadas, let thaw completely and then pop into the oven at 400º to crisp up!

Have you made this recipe? Let us know how you liked it in the comments below.

Yields: 15

Prep Time: 0 hours 20 mins

Total Time: 2 hours 0 mins

For the dough

3 c.

all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

1 tsp.

kosher salt

1 tsp.

baking powder

1/2 c.

cold butter, cut into cubes

3/4 c.

water

1

large egg

For the beef filling

1 tbsp.

extra-virgin olive oil

1

yellow onion, chopped

2

cloves garlic, minced

1 lb.

ground beef

1 tbsp.

tomato paste

1 tsp.

oregano

1 tsp.

cumin

1/2 tsp.

paprika

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c.

chopped tomatoes

1/2 c.

chopped pickled jalapeños

1 1/4 c.

shredded Cheddar

1 1/4 c.

Shredded Monterey Jack

Egg wash, for brushing

Freshly chopped cilantro, for garnish

Sour cream, for serving

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Make Dough

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut butter into flour using your hands or a pastry cutter until pea-sized. Add water and egg and mix until a dough forms. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.
2. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

For Oven

1. Preheat oven to 400° and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add ground beef and cook, breaking meat up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 5 minutes. Drain fat.
3. Return pan to medium heat, and stir tomato paste into beef. Add oregano, cumin, and paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and jalapeños and cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
4. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and divide in half.  Roll one half out to ¼" thick. Using a 4.5" round cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Repeat with remaining dough. Reroll scraps once to cut out more rounds.
5. Lightly moisten outer edge of a dough round with water and place about 2 tablespoons filling in center and top with cheddar and Monterey. Fold dough in half over filling. Use a fork to crimp edges together. Repeat with remaining filling and dough.
6. Place empanadas on prepared baking sheets and brush with egg wash. Bake until golden and filling is warmed through, about 25 minutes.
7. Garnish with cilantro and serve with sour cream.

For Air Fryer

1.  In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add ground beef and cook, breaking meat up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 5 minutes. Drain fat.
2. Return pan to medium heat, and stir tomato paste into beef. Add oregano, cumin, and paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and jalapeños and cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and divide in half.  Roll one half out to ¼" thick. Using a 4.5" round cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Repeat with remaining dough. Reroll scraps once to cut out more rounds.
4. Lightly moisten outer edge of a dough round with water and place about 2 tablespoons filling in center and top with cheddar and Monterey. Fold dough in half over filling. Use a fork to crimp edges together, then brush with egg wash. Repeat with remaining filling and dough.
5. Place empanadas in a parchment-lined Air Fryer basket, making sure they don't touch, and cook in batches at 400° for 10 minutes.
6. Garnish with cilantro and serve with sour cream.

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Parker Feierbach

Lauren Miyashiro Food Director Lauren Miyashiro is a contributing recipe developer at Delish, and our former Food Director.

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Source: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a52606/beef-empanadas-recipe/

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