Rice Free Easy Empanadas
These golden, hand-held pastries are the kind of thing that disappears fast at any table — flaky all-purpose flour dough wrapped around a deeply seasoned beef filling that's smoky, savory, and just a little briny from chopped green olives. The dough itself comes together with cold butter, a splash of white vinegar, and a beaten egg, giving you that tender, layered crust that shatters just enough when you bite in. The filling layers ground beef with smoked paprika, cumin, roasted red bell pepper, and garlic, then gets folded together with roughly chopped hard-boiled eggs for richness and body — a classic combination that makes every bite feel substantial. For anyone avoiding rice-based fillers or binders, this recipe is naturally free of them without any substitutions required; the filling holds together beautifully on its own. Baking at 400°F gives the egg-washed tops a deep, glossy brown that looks like you spent way more effort than you actually did. These are equally at home as a weeknight dinner, a party appetizer, or something you make on Sunday and eat cold straight from the fridge on Monday.
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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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