Fried Pastéis with Ground Beef and Seasoned Vegetables
Golden, crispy Brazilian pastries filled with a savory mixture of ground beef, onions, and spices, perfect for street-style snacking. This Brazilian-inspired street-food recipe, ready in about 35 minutes, pairs pastel dough sheets, ground beef, yellow onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 210 calories and feeds 10, 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
- 10 pastel dough sheets
- 12 oz ground beef
- 1 small, finely chopped yellow onion
- 1, minced garlic clove
- 1 small, diced tomato
- 1/4 cup, chopped green olives
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- for frying, about 4 cups vegetable oil
The pan we’d use for this → Best Nonstick Cookware for 2026: Top 5 Skillet Picks + Buying Guide
Affiliate disclosure: AislePrompt may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through Amazon links, at no additional cost to you. See our policy →
Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 12 oz ground beef, cooking until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes.
- Step 2: Add 1 finely chopped yellow onion and 1 minced garlic clove to the beef, sauté for 3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Step 3: Stir in 1 diced small tomato, 1/4 cup chopped green olives, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper, cooking for another 4 minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Step 4: Place a spoonful (about 2 tbsp) of the cooled filling onto the center of each of the 10 pastel dough sheets.
- Step 5: Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon shape and seal the edges tightly by pressing with a fork.
- Step 6: In a deep pot, heat 4 cups vegetable oil to 350°F. Fry the pastéis in batches for 3-4 minutes each until golden and crisp, turning once.
- Step 7: Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels before serving warm.







