Pork 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 — built with cold butter, a splash of vinegar, and a touch of egg — bakes up beautifully crisp on the outside while staying tender enough to hold all that savory filling together. Ground beef gets layered with smoked paprika, cumin, and oregano, then finished with briny green olives and chopped hard-boiled egg for that classic, satisfying depth of flavor. Every component here is straightforwardly pork free, so there's no need to scrutinize labels or swap out ingredients — just cook and enjoy. The filling comes together in one skillet, the dough chills while you work, and the whole thing bakes at 400°F until deeply golden and irresistible. These are equally at home as a weeknight dinner, a party appetizer, or a meal-prep win you'll be glad you made.
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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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