Global Cuisine

Traditional Argentine Beef Empanadas

Flaky golden baked pastry pockets filled with spiced ground beef, onions, green olives, and hard-boiled egg.

September 13, 2025 By Chef Clara 5.0 (85 votes)
Traditional Argentine Beef Empanadas
The Quick Takeaway

In a nutshell: This authentic argentine traditional argentine beef empanadas comes together in just 60 mins using simple whole ingredients. Perfect for home cooks seeking a dependable, restaurant-quality finish with minimal effort.

Prep Time 35 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 60 mins
Cuisine Argentine
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Authentic South American comfort food! Handheld baked beef empanadas spiced with cumin, paprika, and oregano.

Key Equipment

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Chef's Pro-Tips

  • Cool the Filling First: Let the beef filling come to room temperature before filling the discs. Hot filling melts the dough's fat and makes a clean seal impossible.
  • Seal the Repulgue Tight: Moisten the disc edges with water and crimp firmly all the way around. A loose seal bursts open at 400°F and leaks filling across the baking sheet.

Ingredients
6 servings

  • 1 lb ground beef, 85% lean
  • 2 large yellow onions, finely diced
  • 2 tbsp butter or lard
  • 1 tbsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ cup green olives, pitted and chopped
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
  • 12 discs empanada dough discs, or store-bought pie crust cutouts
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Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Cook Beef Filling

Sauté onions in butter until translucent. Add ground beef, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook until browned. Cool filling and stir in chopped olives and hard-boiled eggs.

2

Fill & Repulgue

Place 2 tbsp filling in center of each dough disc. Moisten edges with water, fold over into half-moon, and crimp edges tightly.

3

Bake

Brush with egg wash and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20-25 minutes until deep golden.

Chef Clara's Kitchen Picks

Kitchen Essentials

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Frequently Asked Questions

Warm filling melts the dough and makes it greasy and hard to seal. Cooling it first keeps the discs firm and easy to crimp.

Moisten the edges with water, fold into a half-moon, and crimp tightly. Do not overfill; 2 tablespoons per disc is the right amount.

Yes. Argentine empanadas are traditionally fried as well as baked. Fry in 350°F oil until deep golden if you prefer the classic crisp shell.

Yes. Freeze them unbaked on a tray, then bag. Bake straight from frozen at 400°F, adding a few extra minutes to the 20-25 minute bake time.