Paraben Free Easy Empanadas
Flaky, golden, and stuffed with a boldly spiced beef filling, these baked empanadas are the kind of hand-held meal that disappears fast at any table. The homemade dough comes together with pantry staples — flour, butter, egg, and a splash of white vinegar that keeps the crust tender and easy to work with. Inside, ground beef gets layered with sautéed onion, red bell pepper, garlic, smoked paprika, and cumin, then finished with briny green olives and chopped hard-boiled egg for that classic, satisfying bite. For anyone navigating paraben sensitivities, cooking from scratch like this is the real advantage — every single ingredient is straightforward and recognizable, with no preservatives or synthetic additives hiding in a store-bought shell or pre-made filling. The whole process is more approachable than it looks: chill the dough, brown the filling, fold and crimp, then bake until deeply golden. That egg wash gives the crust a gorgeous sheen that makes them look like they came straight from a Latin bakery. Serve them warm out of the oven or pack them up — they travel beautifully and taste just as good at room temperature.
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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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