Cheesy Ground Beef Empanadas

Cheesy Ground Beef Empanadas packed with veggies and meat and wrapped in flaky pie crust make for an irresistibly fun and filling meal the whole family will enjoy. We’ve now updated this popular post to include all your FAQS and tips for making ahead and freezing empanadas.

If you enjoyed these, you’ll also want to try our Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas!

Ground Beef Empanadas: Perfect for Lunch or Dinner

I’ve already determined I’ll be the mom sending my kid to preschool with a lunch box full of empanadas and guacamole. I’m going to keep feeding him Mexican food as long as he’ll let me.

These cheesy ground beef empanadas are perfect for a school lunch or a quick dinner. Everything you need is right there in a flaky little pocket: protein, veggies, and of course, cheese.

To keep these kid friendly, I kept the spice to a minimum and added a spoonful of shredded cheese. the whole family loved it, and I think yours will too!

Ingredients:

• Ground beef– You can use 80/20 or a leaner ground beef for this recipe.
• Garlic and onion
• Jalapeno– I seed the jalapeno, but if you prefer more heat leave some or all of the seeds in.
• Bell Pepper– green, red, or yellow works fine.
• Canned tomato sauce– This is plain tomato sauce, not spaghetti or marinara sauce.
• Oregano, paprika, and chili powder, to season the filling.
• Mexican cheese blend– Cheddar also works well if you prefer.
• Pie crust + Egg Wash– You can use any store bought refrigerated pie crust or my favorite Buttermilk Pie Crust recipe.

How to Make Ground Beef Empanadas

1. Prep. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Saute the ground beef and vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef and cook until browned, crumbling the beef as you go. Add the garlic, onion, jalapeno, and pepper and saute until softened. Drain off any excess oil, then season the beef with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add the rest of the filling ingredients. Stir in the tomato sauce, oregano, paprika, and chili powder and cook until mixture is slightly thickened and heated through, 2-3 minutes. Add additional salt if necessary, then remove from heat.
4. Prepare the crust. Roll the pie crusts out on a lightly floured surface or piece of wax paper so that they’re slightly larger and thinner than the traditional pie crust. Use a 4 inch round bowl or cookie cutter dusted in flour to cut circles out of the pie dough.
5. Fill and fold the crust. Put about 2 heaping Tablespoons of the beef mixture on one half of each of the circles. Sprinkle with a small handful of cheese. Fold the other half over the beef then use a fork or crimp to seal the edges. If you’re having trouble getting them to stick, put a little water along the edge with your finger. Gather up any scraps and re-roll and cut circles until no dough remains.
6. Bake. Place all of the empanadas on the sheet pan. Whisk together the egg with a Tablespoon of water and brush the tops of the empanadas. Place in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden and crisp on the edges.

What to Serve with Empanadas

We enjoy eating these with salsa, but they’re also good plain or with a dollop of sour cream.

Other sides include Black Bean and Corn Salsa with Air Fryer Tortilla Chips, Mexican Rice, guacamole, or Tomato Cucumber Salad.

Make Ahead and Freezer Directions

The recipe makes 10-11 beef empanadas, and they can be made ahead and frozen if you want to save them for busy weeks.

To make ahead of time, assemble the empanadas completely, omitting the egg wash. Place on the prepared baking sheet and cover with saran wrap. They can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking.

To freeze, bake the empanadas, then allow to cool. Wrap in saran wrap then place in a ziplock bag. Reheat from frozen at 400 degrees, for about 20 minutes.

Alternatively, you can freeze the unbaked empanadas. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and flash freeze for 1 hour, then place in a freezer bag or container, with parchment paper between any stacks. Bake from frozen as per the instructions, adding a few minutes to the baking time.

More FAQS

Can I use tortilla shells, biscuit dough, or crescent dough for empanadas?

Tortilla shells are not strong enough to support the empanada filling.

I have not tried this with biscuit dough, but a commenter said this worked well for them. Be sure to roll it out to 1/4 inch thick.

I don’t recommend using crescent dough.

Can I use Goya empanada dough?

Yes! This is a great short cut.

Can I air fry empanadas?

Yes! Air fry them at 390 degrees for about 10 minutes.

More Mexican Beef Recipes

If you’re craving more meaty Mexican meals, try our Crock Pot Barbacoa Tacos and Mexican Beef Stew.

This Taco Tater Tot Casserole and Doritos Taco Salad are both great kid friendly dinners. And don’t forget everyone’s favorite Walking Tacos!

Of course, you can’t ever go wrong with a classic Ground Beef Taco recipe, but if you want to mix things up a bit, try our Taco Spaghetti or Mexican Cornbread Casserole.

Cheesy Ground Beef Empanadas

Cheesy ground beef empanadas are the perfect hand held dinner or lunch. Serve with a side of sour cream and salsa for a family friendly weeknight meal.

4.5 from 204 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time: 45 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings: 10

Calories: 327kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/2 yellow onion (diced)
• 1 jalapeno (seeded and diced (optional))
• 1/2 bell pepper (diced)
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
• 2 refrigerated pie crusts
• 1 egg

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef and cook until browned, crumbling the beef as you go. Add the garlic, onion, jalapeno, and pepper and saute until softened. Drain off any excess oil, then season the beef with salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir in the tomato sauce, oregano, paprika, and chili powder and cook until mixture is slightly thickened and heated through, 2-3 minutes. Add additional salt if necessary, then remove from heat.
• Roll the pie crusts out on a lightly floured surface or piece of wax paper so that they're slightly larger and thinner than the traditional pie crust. Use a bowl that's about 4-5 inches in diameter to cut circles out of the pie dough. Put about 2 heaping Tablespoons of the beef mixture on one half of each of the circles. Sprinkle with a small handful of cheese. Fold the other half over the beef, then use a fork or crimp to seal the edges. If you're having trouble getting them to stick, put a little water along the edge with your finger.
• Gather up any scraps and re-roll and cut circles until no dough remains. You should be able to get 10-11 empanadas. Place all of the empanadas on the sheet pan. Whisk together the egg with a Tablespoon of water and brush the tops of the empanadas. Place in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden and crisp on the edges.

Notes

• Using boxed pie crust is a perfect shortcut! If you have a favorite homemade recipe feel free to use that instead.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword ground beef empanadas

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 373mg | Potassium: 275mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 521IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 2mg

Did You Make This Recipe?Leave a review, Mention @NeighborFoodie, or tag #neighborfoodies!

I’m keeping this story from the original post here, as a reminder to myself of this season of life:

The last few months could be titled “The Summer of the Un-schedule” for our family. We’ve bent the routine almost to breaking, squeezing fireworks and festival trips into the time slot that used to be reserved for bedtime.

We’ve eaten at least half of our meals outside, with little P eating two bites of whatever comes off the grill before begging to return to the important work of digging and building in his sand pile. We’ve stayed up until the fireflies appear and we’re smacking mosquitos off our legs, then slept until an hour that can only be described as “brunch.”

It’s been a fun season. I’ve always considered myself a summer girl, and P seems to be the same. I love spending my days outside, coming in late smelling like sunscreen and chlorine and bonfire smoke. I love grilling burgers and Mexican chicken and basically living off garden veggie sandwiches.

I like bending the rules a bit to make memories. After all, an 8 PM bedtime can never give me the sight of Patrick’s face mesmerized by a sky lit up with fireworks, or him yelling “Boom boom, pow, boom!” for the next month straight.

And yet. Every year, at about this time, I find myself craving a return to something a little more normal. I look forward to eating around a dinner table like civilized human beings and turning in before the clock rolls past 10 PM. Suddenly menu planning feels more like a refreshing bit of structure and less like a pointless chore I’ll just put off another week. Then I start dreaming of stews and casseroles and I know. Back to school time is almost here.