Xanthan Gum Free Easy Empanadas
Flaky, golden, and packed with a boldly spiced beef filling, these baked empanadas are the kind of hand-held comfort food that disappears fast at any table. The dough comes together with pantry staples — flour, cold butter, egg, and a splash of white vinegar — and that vinegar is the quiet hero here, keeping the crust tender and workable without any specialty binders or additives. For anyone navigating a sensitivity to xanthan gum, that's genuinely good news, because so many store-bought pastry doughs and gluten-free blends lean on it heavily. This recipe sidesteps all of that naturally, using a classic laminated-style dough technique that delivers real, satisfying flakiness straight from your own kitchen. The filling is where things get seriously good — smoky paprika, cumin, sweet bell pepper, briny green olives, and chopped hard-boiled eggs come together in a way that feels deeply traditional and layered with flavor. A hot 400°F oven gives them that deep amber crust and firm, satisfying snap when you bite in. Make a batch on the weekend and you'll be reaching for them all week long.
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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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