Breastfeeding Friendly Easy Empanadas
These golden, hand-held pockets are packed with a savory ground beef filling seasoned with cumin, smoked paprika, and a hint of oregano — the kind of meal that feels special but comes together with everyday pantry staples. The filling gets extra richness from chopped green olives and hard-boiled eggs folded in at the end, giving every bite a satisfying mix of textures and bold flavor. When you're nursing and need real, nourishing food that actually tastes good, a recipe built around protein-rich beef, eggs, and wholesome homemade dough is exactly the kind of thing worth having in your rotation. The from-scratch dough uses cold butter and a splash of white vinegar for a flaky, tender crust that bakes up beautifully golden without any deep frying. Because you're making everything yourself, you know exactly what's going into each empanada — no mystery additives or preservatives to second-guess. They're also easy to reheat, which means you can bake a full batch and have satisfying, grab-and-go meals ready whenever hunger strikes between feeds.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
- ½ cup cold water
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
For the filling
- 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ⅓ cup green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and roughly chopped
For assembly
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and use your fingertips to work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. In a small bowl, stir together the cold water, beaten egg, and white vinegar, then pour over the flour mixture. Stir with a fork until the dough just comes together — it should be shaggy but hold when pressed. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, knead 3–4 times until smooth, then flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- 2
While the dough chills, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned throughout with no pink remaining, about 6–8 minutes. Drain off excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
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