Lactose Free Easy Empanadas
Few things hit as satisfyingly as a golden, hand-crimped empanada fresh from the oven — flaky on the outside, packed with savory, spiced beef on the inside. The filling layers ground beef with smoky paprika, cumin, briny green olives, and chopped hard-boiled eggs, which is the classic combination that gives these their deeply rich, complex flavor. The dough comes together with butter, egg, and a splash of white vinegar, which helps create that tender yet sturdy crust that holds up beautifully without any dairy-based additions beyond the butter itself — and since butter is naturally very low in lactose, it's generally well tolerated. Anyone who has scanned store-bought empanada ingredients looking for hidden dairy fillers or cheese-laden surprises will appreciate how clean and straightforward this recipe is. Everything gets baked at high heat until deeply golden, so you get that satisfying crunch without a drop of oil for frying. These are the kind of crowd-pleasing handheld bites that disappear fast at any table, and the filling can even be made ahead so assembly goes quickly when you're ready to bake.
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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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