Argentine empanada recipe

empanadas-1117284_640

Empanadas, the iconic street food of Latin America. Sold throughout the continent, these little pastries filled with meat and vegetables come in many forms. The empanada resembles something similar to a Cornish pasty, albeit smaller and with a distinct Latin American flavour. This recipe uses beef, but feel free to swap it out for chicken.

Serves: 24 empanadas
Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

Dough:
100g butter, plus a little extra, melted
750g plain flour
2 tps salt
500ml water

Filling:
700g minced beef
250g potato, peeled and diced
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
100g cured chorizo, roughly cut
2 hardboiled eggs
Handful of green olives, cut in half
1 vegetable or chicken stock cube
3 tbs tomato paste
20g butter
3 spring onions, chopped finely
Olive oil
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
Salt & pepper

Method

Begin with making the dough. This can be done a day or two in advance if you wish. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the salt. Make a well in the centre, add the melted butter and water and gently mix everything together into the smooth dough. Leave to cool to room temperature and put in the fridge wrapped in cling film.

Heat the oil olive to a medium temperature and sweat the onions gently until soft. Turn up the heat and add the beef frying until browned. Add the potato, chorizo, garlic, cumin, paprika and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes or so. Stir in the tomato paste and stock and reduce for 10 minutes or so. The mixture should not be dry, nor should it be sloppy. Stir in the spring onions and leave in the fridge to cool.

Take the chilled dough and divide into approximately 24 equal balls. Press each one and then roll to create circular discs. Dust with flour. Wet the circumference with a little water and fill with a tablespoon of the filling. Add a little green olive and hard cooked egg and wrap the dough in half, pressing down the edges. Take a fork and crimp the edges all the way around. Repeat the process until all are completed.

Put the empanadas on a baking tray and brush the tops with melted butter. Bake in a hot oven for around 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

RELATED: 10 classic things to do on your first time in Peru

Share this page:

"What a well balanced holiday. Thank you for all your hard work and input"

D. Edwards

"Such a great trip. Thank you so much"

J. Bennett

"Riding the copper canyon was absolutely amazing"

A. Ruffell

Share this page:
Scroll to Top