Chicken Free Easy Empanadas
These golden, hand-held pastries are the kind of thing that disappears fast at any table — flaky, buttery dough wrapped around a boldly spiced beef filling that's savory, a little smoky, and packed with texture. The filling comes together with ground beef, sweet red bell pepper, onion, garlic, and a warm blend of cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano, then gets finished with briny green olives and chopped hard-boiled egg for that classic, satisfying bite. The homemade dough uses cold butter and a splash of white vinegar, which keeps it tender and easy to work with without any fuss. For anyone avoiding poultry, this recipe is a natural fit — the entire filling is built around beef, and the richness comes from the butter and egg wash rather than anything chicken-based. There are no hidden proteins to second-guess, just straightforward ingredients you can verify at a glance. Baked at high heat until deep golden brown, these come out of the oven looking like something from a bakery case. They're equally at home as a weeknight dinner, a party snack, or something you make on Sunday and look forward to all week.
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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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