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Crispy Beef and Olive Empanadas Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.4 from 27 reviews
  • Author: Taylor
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Dough Rest Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 0 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Frying
  • Cuisine: Latin American
  • Diet: Halal

Description

These Organic Beef & Olive Picadillo Empanadas feature flaky pan-fried pizza dough wrapped around a savory and sweet picadillo filling made with spiced ground beef, golden raisins, briny olives, and melty pepper jack cheese. Served alongside a refreshing side salad of baby lettuce, cucumber, and Southwest dressing, this dish offers a perfect balance of crispy, cheesy, and fresh flavors with every bite.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough and Coating

  • ½ cup flour
  • 1 unit pizza dough

Picadillo Filling

  • 10 ounce organic ground beef
  • 1 unit onion
  • 1 unit tomato
  • 1 ounce golden raisins
  • 1 unit green olives
  • ½ cup pepper jack cheese
  • 1 tablespoon fajita spice blend
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 unit beef stock concentrate
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • Cooking oil (for frying)

Side Salad

  • 1 unit baby lettuce
  • 1 unit mini cucumber
  • 1.5 ounce Southwest dressing
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dough: Sprinkle 3 tablespoons flour over a clean work surface. Remove the pizza dough from packaging and cut into four equal portions. Roll each piece in flour to lightly coat, shaking excess flour back onto the surface. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
  2. Wash and prep produce: While the dough rests, wash and dry all produce thoroughly. Halve, peel, and dice the onion into ¼-inch pieces; dice the tomato similarly. Roughly chop golden raisins and green olives.
  3. Cook the picadillo filling: Heat a drizzle of cooking oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until slightly softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it starts to brown, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Add remaining filling ingredients: Stir in diced tomato, raisins, fajita spice blend, garlic powder, and beef stock concentrate. Cook for 1-2 more minutes until beef is fully cooked. Drain excess grease if necessary. Transfer filling to a medium bowl and wash the pan.
  5. Roll dough circles: After the initial 15-minute rest, sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of flour on a clean surface and roll each dough piece into a rough circle. Set aside and let rest for 10 more minutes.
  6. Prepare the side salad: Trim root ends from lettuce and chop leaves into bite-size pieces. Trim and thinly slice cucumber into rounds.
  7. Combine filling ingredients: Once the beef mixture has cooled slightly, stir in chopped olives and pepper jack cheese until thoroughly combined.
  8. Shape empanadas: Stretch each dough circle to about 6 inches in diameter. Spoon 1/3 cup of filling onto the bottom half of each circle, leaving a ½-inch edge. Moisten the edges with water, fold the dough over the filling, and press edges together to seal. Crimp edges with a fork to secure.
  9. Fry the empanadas: Heat a ⅓-inch layer of cooking oil in the cleaned pan over medium heat. Test oil by sprinkling a pinch of flour; it should sizzle. Fry empanadas in batches (no more than two at a time), cooking each side for 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Adjust heat to prevent burning. Transfer cooked empanadas to a paper towel-lined plate.
  10. Alternative cooking methods: For baking, place empanadas on a baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit on the top rack for 13-18 minutes until golden brown. For air frying, lightly coat empanadas with nonstick spray and air fry at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
  11. Toss and serve the salad: In a large bowl, combine lettuce, cucumber, dressing, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
  12. Plate and enjoy: Divide empanadas and salad between plates and serve warm.

Notes

  • Ensure ground beef is fully cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit for safety.
  • For a different texture, try baking or air frying the empanadas as described in the instructions.
  • You can substitute pepper jack cheese with other semi-soft cheeses like Monterey Jack or mozzarella for a milder flavor.
  • If pizza dough is sticky, add additional flour to the work surface incrementally while rolling.
  • Feel free to adjust the spice blend to your taste or substitute with taco seasoning for a similar flavor profile.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 1120 kcal
  • Sugar: 23 g
  • Sodium: 1540 mg
  • Fat: 63 g
  • Saturated Fat: 18 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 40 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 95 g
  • Fiber: 8 g
  • Protein: 46 g
  • Cholesterol: 125 mg

Find it online: https://pepperyplate.com/crispy-beef-and-olive-empanadas-recipe/