Easy Baked Beef Empanadas: Savory, Freezer-Friendly & Perfect for Any Meal

Imagine serving a dish that tastes like you’ve spent hours perfecting it, yet comes together with remarkable ease. That’s precisely what you get with these Easy Baked Beef Empanadas. Bursting with savory flavors and encased in a golden, flaky crust, they are a testament to delicious simplicity. Leveraging the convenience of pre-cooked ground beef from your freezer and store-bought pie crusts, this recipe transforms into a quick and satisfying family dinner. They are also incredibly versatile, ideal for cooking a few at a time in a toaster oven for smaller meals or even packed for lunch. Plus, their freezer-friendly nature makes them an excellent meal prep option—so don’t hesitate to double the batch and stash some away for future cravings!

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❓ What Are Empanadas? A Culinary Journey

Empanadas are a delightful and popular type of savory pastry turnover, traditionally either baked to a golden crisp or fried until perfectly puffed. The name “empanada” itself comes from the Spanish verb “empanar,” meaning “to bread” or “to cover with bread,” perfectly describing their essence. These beloved pockets of flavor trace their origins back to the Iberian Peninsula, specifically Portugal and Spain. They were introduced to the Americas by Spanish colonists in the 16th century, quickly gaining immense popularity across Latin America and beyond.

Today, empanadas are a culinary staple in many countries, each region boasting its unique variations. Fillings can range from succulent seafood and flaky fish to hearty potatoes, tender chicken, and of course, richly seasoned beef – as featured in this recipe. The dough also varies, from light and airy to rich and buttery. In some bakeries, empanadas are even cleverly molded into different shapes based on their fillings. This ingenious system allows customers to easily identify what’s inside each delicious package. And for a fun tidbit: according to the readers of Bearshapedsphere, there are three proper ways to eat an empanada, and starting from the middle isn’t one of them!

⏲️ Time Needed to Craft Your Delicious Beef Empanadas

One of the best aspects of this easy baked beef empanada recipe is its efficiency. You’ll typically need approximately 45 minutes for the hands-on portion, which includes rolling out the dough, filling each pastry, and sealing them. The baking process then takes about 25 minutes, resulting in beautifully golden and crispy empanadas. This means you can have a fresh batch of homemade empanadas ready in just over an hour!

This recipe is designed for maximum convenience, assuming you’re using pre-cooked ground beef from your freezer. If you need to cook the meat from scratch, be sure to factor in additional time for browning and seasoning. Utilizing frozen, pre-cooked ground beef is a fantastic meal prep hack that significantly cuts down on overall preparation time, making these baked beef empanadas a perfect solution for busy weeknights.

🥘 Key Ingredients for Flavorful Beef Empanadas

Creating these delightful beef empanadas requires a simple list of readily available ingredients. The beauty lies in how these components come together to form a rich and satisfying filling, enveloped by a perfectly crisp crust. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Cooked Ground Beef: The star of our filling, ideally pre-cooked and thawed from your freezer for ultimate convenience.
• Taco Seasoning Mix: Adds a zesty, savory depth that perfectly complements the beef. You can use store-bought or a homemade blend.
• Water: Helps rehydrate the taco seasoning and creates a succulent, flavorful mixture for the filling.
• Canned Corn: Provides a touch of sweetness and texture, adding to the classic Tex-Mex profile. Make sure it’s well-drained.
• Onion: When chopped and sautéed, it offers aromatic depth and a subtle sweetness that enhances the entire filling.
• Cheddar Cheese: Shredded cheddar melts beautifully, adding a creamy, tangy element that binds the filling together.
• Salsa: Introduces a vibrant, fresh flavor and a hint of spice. Choose your favorite mild or medium salsa.
• Pie Crust Dough: The foundation of our empanadas. Pre-made, unbaked pie crusts are a fantastic shortcut, saving you time and effort.

🌾 Adaptations for Dietary Restrictions

We understand that dietary needs vary, and this recipe can be easily adjusted to accommodate certain restrictions without compromising on flavor or texture. Here are a couple of popular adaptations:

Gluten-Free: For those avoiding gluten, enjoying these delicious beef empanadas is still entirely possible. Many grocery stores now stock excellent gluten-free pie crusts in their freezer sections, which can be directly substituted for conventional crusts. Alternatively, if you prefer to make your own, there are numerous reliable gluten-free pie crust recipes available. You can find links to a couple of highly recommended gluten-free pie crust recipes with our Zucchini Quiche recipe, which are perfectly suitable for empanadas as well.

Dairy-Free: To make these empanadas dairy-free, simply omit the cheddar cheese from the filling. The other ingredients provide plenty of flavor and moisture. You could also explore dairy-free cheese alternatives if you wish to retain a creamy texture. While not explicitly mentioned in the original, for a Vegetarian adaptation, you could substitute the ground beef with seasoned plant-based ground meat or a mixture of black beans and finely diced mushrooms, seasoned with the taco mix.

📋 Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Baked Beef Empanadas

Follow these detailed steps to create your irresistibly delicious baked beef empanadas:

1. Prepare the Beef Filling: If your cooked ground beef is not already seasoned with taco seasoning, place it in a skillet with the taco seasoning mix and water. Simmer for about 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the seasoning is well incorporated and the mixture is fragrant. If your ground beef is already seasoned, you can skip this step.
2. Combine Filling Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the seasoned ground beef (or plain cooked beef if seasoning in this step), drained canned corn, sautéed chopped onion, shredded cheddar cheese, and salsa. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly distributed, creating a cohesive and flavorful filling.
3. Prepare the Pie Crust Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of your pie crust dough to an approximate thickness of 1/16 inch. It’s crucial not to roll it too thin, as this can make the dough difficult to handle, prone to tearing, and challenging to seal effectively.
4. Test and Cut Dough Circles: Before cutting all your circles, cut one 8-inch circle and attempt to make a test empanada. This allows you to gauge if your dough thickness is ideal for folding and sealing without frustration. Once you are confident with the dough’s consistency, proceed to cut 18 individual circles, each approximately 8 inches in diameter, from your remaining pie crust dough.
5. Fill and Seal the Empanadas: Place approximately ⅓ cup of the prepared beef filling onto one half of each dough circle, ensuring you leave a clear border around the edge for sealing. Carefully fold the other half of the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape. Press the edges together firmly. Using the tines of a fork, crimp the edges all around to create a decorative and secure seal. Trim any excess dough if necessary for a neat appearance.
6. Bake to Perfection: Arrange the filled empanadas on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for approximately 25 minutes, or until the crusts are beautifully light brown and crispy.
7. Serve: Once baked, remove the empanadas from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes before serving. They are fantastic served warm with a side of queso dip or fresh salsa.

💭 Expert Tips for Flawless Empanadas

Achieving perfect baked beef empanadas is simple with a few smart techniques. Here are some expert tips to ensure your empanadas turn out beautifully every time:

1. Dough Choice: While bulk pie crusts are convenient, you can certainly substitute them with pie crusts from the refrigerated section of your grocery store if you prefer a different brand or texture. Just ensure they are unbaked and ready to roll.
2. The Turnover Press Advantage: Making empanadas, along with dumplings and other turnovers, becomes significantly easier and more consistent with the use of a specialized turnover press. This turnover press set from Amazon (affiliate link) is highly recommended. It typically comes with a range of 5 presses in varying sizes, usually from 2-½ inches up to 7 inches, providing versatility for different pastry sizes.
3. Optimizing Filling with a Large Press: If you opt for the largest size press, typically around 7 inches (the biggest available for home use), you’ll find that you need slightly less than ⅓ cup of filling per empanada. This adjustment will allow you to yield an additional 2-3 empanadas from the same batch of dough and filling, maximizing your efforts.
4. Using the Turnover Press Effectively: To use a turnover press, start by using the plain, non-fluted side of the press to cut out your dough circles. Once the circles are neatly cut, place one dough circle onto the fluted side of the open press. Add your carefully measured filling to one half of the dough. Then, gently close the press. The fluted edges will not only perfectly seal the pastry but also create that classic crimped edge. A crucial tip: ensure your dough isn’t too thin. Overly thin dough can sink in the center when filled, pulling away from the edges and leading to a poor, leaky seal during baking.
5. Keep Your Dough Chilled: Always keep your pie crust dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to work with it. Cold dough is significantly easier to handle, less sticky, and maintains its shape better during rolling and filling. As it warms up, dough becomes more pliable but also more difficult to manage, potentially leading to tears or sticking.

Recipe

Easy Baked Beef Empanadas

5 from 1 vote

Easy Baked Beef Empanadas are incredibly delicious and surprisingly simple to make, giving the impression of an all-day culinary endeavor. They are also an excellent freezer meal option, making them perfect for meal prep—don’t forget to make extra for later!

AuthorAuthor: Mary Ann

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 18 empanadas

Calories 303

Equipment

• Turnover press
• Rolling Pin
• Pastry mat

Ingredients

  

• 3 cups cooked ground beef, from the freezer, thawed
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
• ⅓ cup water
• 15.25 oz. canned corn, drained
• ½ onion, chopped and sautéed
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup salsa
• 4 pie crust dough portions, unbaked

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Instructions

• If your cooked ground beef is not already taco-seasoned, simmer it with the taco seasoning and water for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it is already seasoned, skip this step.
• In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the pie crust dough.
• Roll the pie crust dough out to about 1/16″ thick. It’s best to cut one 8″ circle and make a test empanada before cutting out all of the circles to be sure that your thickness works well for folding and sealing. It’s easy to make the dough too thin, resulting in a frustrating experience when filling and sealing.
• When you are satisfied with the thickness of the dough, cut 18 individual circles approximately 8″ in diameter.
• Fill each crust with ⅓ cup of the filling. Fold crust over and seal, cutting off any extra dough if necessary. Bake at 375°F for approximately 25 minutes, or until crust is light brown and crispy. Serve with queso dip or salsa.
• To freeze, place unbaked empanadas in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze. When frozen, place in freezer containers and label with the following information: “Thaw. Bake at 375°F approximately 25 minutes, or until crust is light brown and crispy. Serve with queso dip or salsa.”

Notes

1. Nutrition data is per empanada.
2. You can substitute pie crusts from the refrigerated section of the grocery store for the bulk pie crusts if you prefer.
3. Making empanadas, dumplings, and turnovers is much easier with a turnover press. This turnover press set from Amazon (affiliate link) comes with 5 presses of varying sizes ranging from 2-½” to 7″:
4. If you use the 7″ press (which is the largest size press I can find), you’ll need to use slightly less than ⅓ cup of filling in each empanada but will be able to get 2-3 more empanadas out of the recipe.
5. To use the press, use the side without the fluting to press into the dough to cut out your circles. Once your circles are cut out, place them on the fluted side of the press, add the filling, then close the press to seal the edges. Make sure that your dough is not too thin (thin dough will sink in the center when filled, pulling away from the edges and causing a poor seal).

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 303 calCarbohydrates: 25 gProtein: 8 gFat: 18 gSodium: 616 mgFiber: 1 g

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Don’t let this fantastic recipe get lost in the shuffle! These easy baked beef empanadas are destined to become a staple in your meal rotation. Whether you’re planning a family dinner, need quick individual meals, or are stocking your freezer with convenient options, this recipe delivers on flavor and ease. Pin this recipe now so you can easily find it whenever you’re ready to whip up a batch of these savory, satisfying turnovers. Happy cooking!