Do you want to serve beef empanadas? Then here you can pick your favorite beef empanada filling. We show you for ways to stuff your empanadas, pastelitos, and pastelones with this juicy, tasty minced beef filling, with some simple changes to the classic ground beef stuffing.
Why we ❤️ it
We use this Minced Beef Filling in a variety of dishes, from empanadas and pastelitos to pastelones and assorted picaderas. I use it so much that I decided to save myself time and just create a separate recipe for later use.
It can also be served on its own, or just get creative with it.
Plain minced meat
And by plain, I don't mean "ordinary"; I mean without one of the optional ingredients you'll see below. You can use it to stuff almost every pastelón in our collection, as well as many of the picadera recipes. You can add some chopped pitted olives to if if you like them.
Remember that we also have a great recipe for minced beef with vegetables a la dominicana that is perfect for dinner or lunch.
Minced beef with raisins
Love it or hate it, everyone has a strong opinion on raisins, but I am a fan. The combination of this juicy, savory meat dish goes great with the subtle sweetness of raisins.
You can use this to make kipes, pastelitos, pastelón de harina de maíz.
Minced beef with potato
This one is a classic; potato and minced meat go great together. You can use this filling for empanaditas, with cativias. It also can be served as a standalone dish.
Minced beef with ripe plantains
This is not a traditional combination, but it works wonderfully together, as ripe plantains do with almost anything. I used it to make my mixed yaroa, but you can get creative and try it with other dishes.
How to make beef empanadas
You can make beef empanadas and use any of these meat fillings to make homemade empanadas. You can either buy pre-made frozen empanada discs, or you can make homemade empanada dough with any of these recipes. Some are for frying, and one is cooked in the oven:
Top tips
- You can combine plain beef empanada filling with cheese to stuff your empanadas. Ground beef and Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese mixture are amazing. The cheese will melt and make a juicy, flavorful cheese and beef empanada recipe.
- You can make the filling well in advance to save time the day you'll serve it. Place the cooked beef filling in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.
- Unbaked empanadas can also be frozen, but that's a far-second option for me, as they can sometimes break.
- If you plan to freeze the empanadas before baking, make sure that all of the liquid in the beef filling has evaporated. Pain the inside of the empanada disc with egg-wash before stuffing, then, after you fold them and seal the edges well by pressing with a fork. Dust them lightly with flour, then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover them tightly with plastic wrap, and put the tray in the freezer inmmediately. They last up to a week in the freezer.
- To fry previously frozen empanadas, let it thaw in the fridge for about 5-6 hours before frying. Then proceed with frying as specified in the recipe until the pie crust turns a nice light golden brown.
About our recipe
This is quite a versatile little recipe, you have it combine with potatoes (perfect for empanadas), raisins (perfect for kipes), and, my own crazy idea: with fritos maduros (Fried Ripe Plantains), which would go so well in so many things.
I bet you have many more ideas, and I'd love to hear them.
Video
Recipe
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Beef Empanada Filling [Recipe + Video] Ground Beef 4 Ways
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, [20g]
- 1 red onion, (medium-size, minced [65 g]
- 3 cloves garlic, [20g]
- 1 pound minced beef, [454g]
- 1 cup tomato sauce, [115g]
- 1 bell pepper, (diced [76g]
- 1½ teaspoons salt, (or more, to taste)
- ½ teaspoons pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground)
- 1 sprig cilantro, (chopped)
Optional additions (pick one)
- ⅓ cup raisins, [35g]
- ½ cup fritos maduros, (diced)
- ½ cup diced boiled potatoes
Instructions
Cook meat
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Stir in onion and cook and stir until it turns translucent. Add garlic and cook and stir for a minute.Add minced meat and cook and stir, breaking it into small clumps until it browns.
Season
- Pour in tomato sauce. Add bell pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir and cover. Simmer for 3 minutes.
Add extra ingredient
- Uncover and mix in the optional ingredient of your choice, or none at all if you so prefer. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste if needed. Remove from the heat.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
FAQs
You can bake empanada discs meant for frying, but they are not going to be the best substitute, and won't have the same texture and crispiness as fried ones, or as empanadas meant for baking. For best results, use the right empanada disc for the job.
Empanada dough and puff pastry are very different. While you can bake stuffed puff pastry discs stuffed with filling of your choice, they won't be empanadas.
Empanada dough can be bought as "empanada discs", and is called "masa de empanada" in Spanish.
Published Apr 6, 2017, revised
