Baked Empanadas de Carne with Green Olives and Raisins

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-10-15 · Updated 2026-10-15

Golden baked turnovers filled with hand-cut beef, onion, green olives and raisins seasoned with cumin and paprika, then crimped with the traditional repulgue fold. This Uruguayan-inspired beef recipe, ready in about 100 minutes, pairs all-purpose flour, beef tallow or lard, cold, warm salted water for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 540 calories and feeds 8, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup beef tallow or lard, cold
• 3/4 cup warm salted water
• 1.5 lb beef chuck, finely hand-diced
• 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 4 scallions, sliced
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup pitted green olives, chopped
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• to taste salt and black pepper

The sheet pan we’d roast this on → Best Sheet Pans in 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide

Instructions

1. Step 1: Make the dough: rub the cold tallow into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add the warm salted water a little at a time and knead into a smooth, soft dough. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
2. Step 2: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions and bell pepper for 8-10 minutes until soft and translucent.
3. Step 3: Turn the heat to medium-high, add the diced beef and brown it, breaking up any clumps, for 6-8 minutes. Stir in the cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute more.
4. Step 4: Off the heat, fold in the scallions, olives and raisins. Spread the filling on a tray and chill completely, about 1 hour. Fold in the chopped eggs once it's cold.
5. Step 5: Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Roll the dough 1/8 inch thick and cut out 5-inch rounds. You should get about 16.
6. Step 6: Put 2 heaping tablespoons of filling on each round. Fold it into a half-moon, press the edges to seal, then crimp them with the repulgue: pinch and fold the edge over itself all the way around.
7. Step 7: Set the empanadas on parchment-lined baking sheets and brush them with egg wash.
8. Step 8: Bake 20-25 minutes, until deep golden. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.