Golden Argentinian Empanadas served on a rustic plate

Argentina • Regional Dish • Snack

Argentinian Beef Empanadas

Argentinian empanadas are one of those foods that make restraint difficult. You plan on two.

Servings12
Prep Time35 min
Cook Time30 min
DifficultyModerate
Print Recipe

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until softened and lightly golden.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the beef and break it up with a spoon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the meat loses its raw color and the pan looks mostly dry.
  3. Stir in the paprika, cumin, chili flakes, salt and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute more so the spices bloom and the filling smells deeply savory.
  4. Transfer the filling to a bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped egg, olives and spring onion. The mixture should be moist but not wet. If it looks juicy, chill it for a few minutes so it firms up and behaves itself.
  5. Heat the oven to 220°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  6. Lay the pastry discs on a work surface. Spoon about 2 heaped tbsp filling into the center of each one. Fold over into half-moons, press out any trapped air and seal the edges firmly with your fingers or a fork.
  7. Arrange the empanadas on the tray and brush the tops with beaten egg. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning the tray once, until golden and crisp.
  8. Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving. Eat warm, ideally before someone hovers near the tray and claims they are just “testing one.”

Cultural Context

Empanadas are a staple across Argentina, but the details vary by region. Salta is famous for juicy beef empanadas, while other areas feature different shapes, spice levels or add-ins. Common threads include a savory meat filling, onion, warm spices and the kind of pastry that flakes onto your shirt and makes you stop caring.

Fun Fact

In Argentina, empanada fillings are often used as a quiet marker of regional identity. One province adds potato, another swears by spring onion, another argues for raisins, and suddenly lunch has become a constitutional debate.

Cook’s Tip

For a more traditional texture, many Argentine versions use beef cut by hand into small pieces rather than standard ground beef, and fillings often include onion, cumin, paprika, olives and hard-boiled egg. Some regional styles add spring onion, raisins or potato, but not every province is trying to start the same family argument. Using ready-made pastry discs keeps this home-cook friendly. If you have access to Argentine-style empanada discs, use those. Otherwise, choose pastry rounds meant for baking, not frying.

Trivia

Traditional Argentine empanadas are usually baked, and many versions are sealed with a decorative hand-folded edge called a repulgue.

More Argentina Recipes

Keep cooking Argentina

View all Argentina recipes →