Stuffed fried dough pockets with beef, onion, and garlic are a tasty pillowy treat wrapped in a delicious homemade masa dough.
You may buy the wrappers premade in the supermarket or make our homemade recipe.
I have made these by hand using a round large cutter and fork and not invested in an empanada plastic maker to make them even easier you can see in the first photo.
Our super easy-to-make casserole will be a big hit with kids who love these flavors plus this is a great potluck and Cinco De Mayo meal on May 5th.
Setting up a garnish bar is fun plus you can add all your family and friends' favorite toppings with a little of all our suggestions below to build their own meal and also just perfect when hosting a party.
The recipe and ingredients are all in a printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Step by Step
- make the dough
- saute the meat with all the ingredients just until the meat is no longer pink and drain
- roll out the dough, cut it out, fill, and seal with fork tines of an empanada maker.
- fry in heated oil at 350 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes
If you're not a beef lover, substitute tequila shrimp, ground turkey, or even roasted leftover boneless cooked pork or boneless cooked chopped chicken breast.
Garnish Suggestions:
- sliced olives
- sour cream
- avocado
- jalapeno peppers
- shredded lettuce
- salsa mild or hot
- diced tomatoes
- finely chopped onions
- crushed tortilla chips
- Side dishes:
- avocado guacamole dip
- corn on the cob
- rice and beans
Tips for making Empanadas from scratch
- add just enough water for the dough to hold together
- keep it covered in plastic wrap while rolling out all of them
- keep them on a cooling rack with paper towels to drain the oil when removing them from the frying pan
- if the dough is sticky you've added too much water
- brush with beaten egg wash if you want them shiny before frying
- these will freeze raw for up to 3 months on a cookie sheet then placed in freezer bags and fry when needed
- if the dough is too dry as you're rolling them out sprinkle it with water
- below photo is without an empanada maker dough press
Shopping List
- corn masa
- flour
- tomatoes
- ground chuck beef
- garlic
- melting cheese
- onion
- cumin
- granulated garlic powder
- parsley
- oil
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Easy Empanadas and Fillings
We love Mexican food and all kinds of foods and love to celebrate May 5 for Cinco De Mayo with these in the festivities.
These are as much fun to make as eat and you can really mix and match any filling.
The empanadas can be filled with other meats, just cheese, or all vegetables for a variety to please everyone.
These easily freeze well filled on a cookie sheet raw and fry when needed!.
Fried Beef Empanadas
Yield: 12
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 20 Min
This is the homemade empanada dough and filling to make a deep-fried beef empanadas recipe
Ingredients
- Empanada Dough
- 1 pound of Corn Masa
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups oil to fry with we prefer vegetable oil
- Filling using beef:
- 1-pound ground chuck
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 3 cloves of finely minced garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 plum tomato chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- black pepper to taste (optional)
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Note For an all Cheese filling empanada use Queso cheese or a good-tasting cheese that melts easily
Instructions
- Made the dough in a bowl and add the water until it comes together and doesn't break apart.
- Note: sometimes you may need more water a teaspoon at a time to reach the dough consistency correctly.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap while making each one so as not to dry out the dough.
- Fry the beef with all the above ingredients added to the filling until all the pink is gone from the beef then drain or blot the grease with paper towels.
- Roll out the dough thinly around a 1/4 inch thick into a round circle.
- Fill with filling and crimp edges with fork tines (or if you can make these using an empanada press).
- In the meantime heat the oil to around 350 degrees ( I use a deep fryer)
- Deep fry for around 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve with various assorted toppings.
Notes
Tips for making Empanadas from scratch
- add just enough water for the dough to hold together
- keep it covered in plastic wrap while rolling out all of them
- keep them on a cooling rack with paper towels to drain the oil when removing them from the frying pan
- if the dough is sticky you've added too much water
- brush with beaten egg wash if you want them shiny before frying
- these will freeze raw for up to 3 months on a cookie sheet then placed in freezer bags and fry when needed
- if the dough is too dry as you're rolling them out sprinkle it with water
Garnish Suggestions:
- sliced olives
- sour cream
- avocado
- jalapeno peppers
- shredded lettuce
- salsa mild or hot
- diced tomatoes
- finely chopped onions
- crushed tortilla chips
- Side dishes:
- avocado guacamole dip
- street corn on the cob
- rice and beans
Nutrition Facts
Calories
609.29Fat (grams)
46.39 gSat. Fat (grams)
9.14 gCarbs (grams)
38.08 gFiber (grams)
2.98 gNet carbs
35.11 gSugar (grams)
0.37 gProtein (grams)
11.94 gSodium (milligrams)
433.99 mgCholesterol (grams)
29.34 mg
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More Recipes To Try:
Just whip up your favorite guacamole bruschetta and salsa recipes and a big pitcher of strawberry margaritas on the rocks for a fun and festive menu for Cinco De Mayo, or for any time you're party planning.