Weeknight Ground Beef Empanadas Recipes

PORTUGUESE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chorizo, ground beef, onions, garlic, tomatoes, bay leaf, salt and pepper and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Remove the pan from the heat, discard the bay leaf and set aside while you make the sauce mixture.
• Melt the butter in a small pot over medium high heat; then add flour to form a roux. Next, add milk, parsley, lemon juice, ground nutmeg and cream cheese. Whisk until the cheese is melted and the sauce is silky; then add the meat mixture and mix well.(You can prepare this mixture the day before; then refrigerate until ready to make your empanadas.)
• Start by bringing your pie crust to room temperature and preheating the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray some cooking spray on two sheet pans; then make a space to roll out the dough and fill the patties.
• Working with one dough at a time, roll out the dough with a rolling pin so that it's flat. Using a 3 1/2-inch cookie/biscuit cutter, cut out circles. (You will have to re-roll out the dough to cut more circles out per dough sheet and will have a little waste.)
• Using a small spoon, add a dollop of the meat mixture on top of the dough circle. Fold the dough in half; then pinch the ends to seal the dough and place on the baking sheet. (They won't spread when cooking so you can place them close together.)
• Repeat for all empanadas; then make an egg wash by mixing the egg with a little water and brush it on top of the empanadas. Bake the empanadas for 10-12 minutes until the dough is cooked and golden brown; serve hot

WEEKNIGHT GROUND BEEF EMPANADAS

Steps:

• In food processor, add diced peppers, juice of lime, entire can of Rotel, and salt. Mix until all green serrano peppers are small, with no large chunks. Set aside.
• In large skillet, brown ground beef until done. Drain and set aside.
• In same skillet, add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add onions, red bell pepper, and garlic cloves. Sauté 3 minutes.
• Add chili powder, seasoning salt, cumin, and black pepper. Sauté 1 minute. Add cider vinegar and cook 3 minutes.
• Add cooked ground beef, puree from food processor, and bring to a boil.
• Turn down to a simmer, and add cilantro. Simmer 5-10 until desired consistency.
• When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.
• Roll out refrigerated dough and make a bit thinner with rolling pin. Use a round cookie cutter, or a drinking glass, and cut out round pieces. Re-roll scraps and cut out more circles until gone.
• Place 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons meat mix in the middle of each circle and fold in half. Seal edges with fingers. Crimp the edges with a fork.
• Place on foiled baking sheet and cook at 400°F for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Serve with salsa and sour cream for dipping.

ARGENTINE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
• Add garlic and diced red pepper. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often. Add chili powder, cumin, sweet paprika, and oregano. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium and add the ground beef. Season with salt and pepper and cook, crumbling into small pieces, until browned. Stir in beef boullion.
• Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a bowl to cool for 10 minutes. Then, stir in green onion, olives, parsley, and hard-boiled eggs.
• Cover and chill mixture for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days (depending on freshness of ingredients). It's important that the mixture is chilled before filling the empanadas.
• Add flour and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add egg and butter and stir well to combine. Add oil and warm water and stir until the mixture starts to come together into a dough ball. Add more water if it's too dry.
• Place dough in clean greased bowl and cover tightly. Allow to rest at room temperature for 1 hour. (Or, refrigerate for up to 1 day, removing from the fridge 20 minutes before using.)
• Divide the dough into two pieces. On a greased countertop roll each piece into a very large circle, about 1/8in thick (not so thin that it might break when filling or baking).
• Use a small bowl or round cookie cutters to cut the dough into circles about 6in in diameter for regular size empanadas or 3 inch for mini empanadas (empanaditas).
• Remove the excess dough from around the cut circles and keep the circles where they are for filling them (so they hold their perfect circle shape). Leftover scraps can be re-rolled to make more dough to cut out.
• Place about 2 tablespoons of filling (for regular size empanadas) in the center of each circle, leaving plenty of space around the border. Moisten the edges of the circle with water, then fold the dough over and match the ends together to form a semi-circle.
• Pinch the edges together and then seal the ends by crimping them with a fork or pinching and twisting/folding it over.
• Baked Empanadas: Place empanadas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with a little bit of egg wash and bake at 375° For 25-30 minutes until golden brown and fully cooked.
• Fried Empanadas: (I've found it best to refrigerate the empanadas for 20 minutes before frying to help the dough firm up and hold its shape before placing in the hot oil). Add several inches of hot oil to a pot and heat to about 365° F. Fry one or two empanadas at a time, flipping once, until golden on both sides (1-2 minutes per side). Place on a paper-towel lined plate.

GROUND BEEF EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Heat vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute onion, garlic, and sofrito in the hot oil for about 2 minutes. Add ground beef, sazon, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and cumin; cook and stir until beef is browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Add olives and sprinkle with adobo to taste. Remove from heat.
• Place empanada discs on a flat surface that has been lightly dusted with flour. Roll the sides of the discs out slightly. Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of the meat filling into the center of each disc. Wet the edges of the discs with water and fold each into a half-moon shape. Pinch the sides of the empanadas closed using a fork.
• Deep-fry empanadas in the hot oil until golden brown, working in batches if needed, about 4 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.