Cinnamon Free Easy Empanadas
Flaky, golden, and stuffed with a boldly seasoned beef filling, these baked empanadas are the kind of hand-held meal that disappears fast at any table. The buttery dough comes together with a simple trick — cold butter, cold water, and a splash of white vinegar — giving you that satisfying crisp shell without any fuss. Inside, ground beef gets layered with smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, and a hint of cayenne, then finished with briny green olives and chopped hard-boiled egg for a filling that's rich, savory, and genuinely interesting. For anyone navigating a sensitivity to cinnamon, this recipe is a natural fit — the spice blend leans on smoky and earthy notes rather than anything sweet or warming, so there's nothing to swap or skip. The whole process is straightforward: make the dough, brown the beef, fold and crimp, then bake until deeply golden. They come out of the oven looking impressive but honestly require very little technique beyond a good seal on the edges. Serve them fresh with a squeeze of lime or a simple dipping sauce, and watch them vanish.
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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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