Pan-Fried Empanadas with Spiced Beef Filling

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-05-22 · Updated 2026-05-22

Golden pan-fried empanadas stuffed with a warmly spiced ground beef filling, perfect for a flavorful appetizer or snack. This latin american-inspired street food ready in about 65 minutes pairs all-purpose flour, cold and cubed unsalted butter, cold water for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 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

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 tbsp, cold and cubed unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium, finely diced onion
• 3, minced garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/4 cup beef broth
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1, beaten for egg wash egg

Instructions

1. Step 1: To make the dough, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour with 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Cut in 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter using your fingers or a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly add 1/3 cup cold water, mixing just until dough forms. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Step 2: Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 medium finely diced onion and 3 minced garlic cloves, cooking for 4 minutes until translucent and fragrant. Add 1 lb ground beef, breaking it apart with a spoon; cook until browned, about 6 minutes.
3. Step 3: Stir in 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, and 2 tbsp tomato paste. Pour in 1/4 cup beef broth and simmer for 5 minutes until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Step 4: Preheat a skillet over medium heat. On a floured surface, roll chilled dough to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into 5-inch circles. Place 2 tbsp of beef filling in the center of each circle. Brush edges with beaten egg and fold dough over filling, pressing edges with a fork to seal.
5. Step 5: Add a little oil to the skillet and pan-fry empanadas for 3-4 minutes per side until golden and crisp. Serve warm.