Peruvian Beef Empanadas

For our geography studies in homeschool, we have ended our virtual “travels” to South America with these delicious Peruvian Beef Empanadas. These beef empanadas are sweet and savory and bursting with flavor! Because they are made with beef, raisins, and boiled eggs, they have so much going on and it works beautifully together! If you’ve never tried Peruvian empanadas, you must try these!

Since there were many parts to this particular recipe, there were plenty of things for all of my kids to help with. This doesn’t always happen, and someone usually ends up feeling a bit left out when we are busy making something. Mostly inevitable in a large family with 8 kids at home. Needless to say, I was quite happy to be able to give everyone a part to help with.

How to let your kids help with empanadas

For this recipe, there is the beef filling, which is a lot of chopping with knives and then cooking up and sauteing over a hot stove. This was the perfect job to give to my teenagers to help with. They decided between themselves who would chop the onions and garlic. Then the olives and eggs. Then they sautéed the onions and garlic and cooked up the beef.

While they were busy chopping and cooking, a few of the younger ones each got a bowl and helped make up their own bowl of dough. (We actually tripled this recipe for our large family. Although in hindsight, doubling would have sufficed!) This was a perfect thing for the younger ones to help with because it was simple, and they just mixed the dough using their hands. A wonderful tactile experience for kids!

Eventually the toddlers made their way in and helped cut circles out of the dough. Then they were also able to help with filling a few empanadas along with the teenagers. Kids are almost always more willing to try a recipe or food that they had a hand in helping make!

What INGREDIENTS are needed for Peruvian beef empanadas?

FOR THE FILLING:

• Ground beef
• Onion
• Garlic
• Oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cumin
• Oregano
• Beef stock
• Currants
• Bay leaf
• Olives (Kalamata or Black)
• Boiled eggs

THE DOUGH:

• Flour
• Butter
• Salt
• Egg yolks
• White wine vinegar (optional)
• Water

FOR THE GLAZE:

• Egg yolk
• Water

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR SERVING: (ALL OPTIONAL!)

• Powdered sugar (optional)
• Limes (optional)

How to prepare Peruvian empanadas?

TO PREPARE THE BEEF FILLING:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Now you’ll prepare the beef filling by first sautéing the onions and garlic in a skillet with oil. over medium to high heat.

Then add in your seasonings, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and sauté until onions are translucent.

Next mix in the ground beef and cook until browned.

Then add in the beef stock, currants, and bay leaf, and simmer until liquid is reduced.

Now remove from heat and allow to cool.

For the Dough:

First, you’ll sift the flour into a bowl. Add in the salt, butter, white wine vinegar, egg yolks, and mix by hand.

Then add in water a few tbsps. at a time and continue mixing until it forms a firm ball. Adding more flour or water as needed.

Now allow the dough to rest and chill in fridge for about 5 minutes.

Then transfer dough to a well-floured surface. Roll out to about 1/10 of an inch thick, adding flour as needed.

Finally, cut 12 circles with a 6″ round dough cutter.

For assembling and baking the empanadas:

To begin. scoop a heaping tbsp. of beef filling to center of each dough circle. Add a spoonful of chopped boiled egg and about 1 tsp. pf chopped olives.

Then brush the edges of each dough circle with water.

Finally, fold the dough circle in half and then seal the edge by pressing firmly with your fingers or a fork. You can also fold edge over in sections, pressing firmly.

Now place empanadas on a parchment lined baking sheet. Prick each empanada with a fork and brush tops with egg glaze.

Then bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Now remove from oven and dust tops with powdered sugar! (Optional)

Then serve with sliced limes and enjoy!

If you give these Peruvian Beef Empanadas a try, let me know how you like them in the comments below!

Peruvian Beef Empanadas

Print Recipe

These Peruvian Beef Empanadas are sweet and savory, and bursting with flavor! Made with beef, raisins, and boiled eggs, they have so much going on and it works beautifully together! If you've never tried Peruvian empanadas, you must try these! I have adjusted this recipe to be easy for kids to help make. Kids are much more willing to try recipes when they've had a hand in helping!

Prep Time:30 minutes mins

Cook Time:30 minutes mins

Total Time:1 hour hr

Equipment

• 6" round dough cutter you could also use a cereal bowl upside down for cutting.

Ingredients

FOR THE DOUGH ~

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar optional
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup flour for rolling the dough

FOR BEEF FILLING (SOFRITO)~

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 onion yellow or white
• 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1/4 cup currants
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 jar Kalamata olives chopped (you can also use black olives)
• 8-10 hard boiled eggs cut into small pieces

FOR THE GLAZE ~

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp. cold water

FOR SERVING (OPTIONAL) ~

• powdered sugar for dusting tops
• sliced limes

Instructions

TO PREPARE BEEF FILLING (SOFRITO) ~

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
• First,prepare the beef filling (Sofrito) by sautéing onions and garlic in a skillet with olive oil over medium to high heat.
• Then season with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano and sauté until onions are translucent.
• Now mix in ground beef and continue to sauté until the beef has browned.
• Finally, add in the beef stock, currants, and bay leaf, and simmer until liquid is reduced.
• Now, remove from heat and allow to cool.

TO PREPARE THE DOUGH ~

• First sift the flour into a bowl. Add the salt, butter, white wine vinegar, egg yolks, and mix by hand.
• Then add water a few tbsps. at a time and continue mixing and shaping until it forms a firm ball. Adding more flour or water as needed. (we ended up using the full cup of water)
• Now, allow the dough to rest and chill in fridge for about 5 minutes. (we actually skipped this part and it turned out fine. We saved some dough in fridge and baked it the next day with the same results)
• Then transfer dough to a well-floured surface. Roll out to about 1/10 of an inch thick, adding flour as needed.
• Finally, cut 12 circles with a 6" round dough cutter.

FOR ASSEMBLING AND BAKING EMPANADAS ~

• To begin, scoop a heaping tbsp. of beef filling to center of each dough circle. Add a spoonful of chopped boiled egg and about 1 tsp. of chopped olives.
• Then brush the edge of each dough circle with water.
• Next fold the dough circle in half and then seal the edge by pressing firmly with your fingers or a fork. ( You can also fold edge over in sections, pressing firmly.)
• Now place empanadas on a parchment lined baking sheet. Prick each empanada with a fork and brush tops with egg glaze.
• Then bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Now remove from oven and dust tops with powdered sugar! (optional)
• Finally, serve with sliced limes and enjoy!

Notes

I let my teenagers help with preparing the beef filling. They were able to do the chopping of onions and garlic and cooking over a hot stove.

My littles were able to help make the dough, which they loved! They just had to mix, using their hands, which is a wonderful tactile experience for kids!

Everyone then helped to assemble! It’s great fun for your entire family to get involved!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Peruvian

Keyword: Baked, Beef, Empanadas, Peruvian

Servings: 12 empanadas