Argentinian Empanadas

Method

1. Make the dough — combine flour and salt, then cut in the cold beef tallow using your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add warm water and egg yolk, mixing until a smooth dough forms. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The cold rest firms the fat and relaxes the gluten, making the dough easier to roll and flakier when baked.

2. Cook the filling — heat tallow in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned. Stir in paprika, cumin, and chili flakes — the spices should bloom in the hot fat for 30 seconds before you add anything else. Season with salt and pepper. Let the filling cool completely, then fold in the olives, chopped eggs, and scallions.

3. Roll the dough to about 1/8-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut into 5-inch rounds. You should get 12-14 discs. Gather and re-roll scraps once — more than that toughens the dough. Each disc should be thin enough to fold but thick enough to hold the filling without tearing.

4. Fill each disc with about 2 tablespoons of cold filling, placed slightly off-center. Don't overfill — leave a 1/2-inch border for sealing. Brush the edges with water, fold the dough over into a half-moon, and press firmly to seal. Crimp the edge with a fork or create a traditional repulgue by folding the edge over itself in small pleats.

5. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush each empanada with beaten egg. The egg wash creates a glossy, golden-brown crust. Cut a small vent in the top of each one — steam needs to escape or the empanada puffs up and can burst at the seams.

6. Bake at 425°F for 18-22 minutes until deeply golden brown. The crust should be crispy and flaky, the filling hot and aromatic. Let them cool for 5 minutes — the filling is molten inside. Serve with chimichurri on the side. In Argentina, empanadas are eaten by hand, standing up, often with a glass of Malbec.

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl Recommended: Vollrath 13-Quart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
• Rolling pin Recommended: J.K. Adams Maple Rolling Pin
• 5-inch round cutter or small plate
• Baking sheet lined with parchment Recommended: Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Half Sheet Pan
• Pastry brush for egg wash Recommended: OXO Good Grips Silicone Pastry Brush · Also good: Winco Pastry Brush

Chef Notes

• The most important thing: The filling must be completely cold before you assemble the empanadas. Warm filling melts the fat in the dough, making it impossible to seal properly and causing blowouts in the oven. Make the filling the night before if possible.
• In Argentina, every province has its own empanada style. This is the Salta-style filling — cumin-forward with olives and egg. Tucumán uses hand-cut beef and no olives. Both are correct.
• Beef tallow in the dough creates a flakier, more savory crust than butter. If you can't find tallow, lard is the next best option. Butter works but changes the character.
• The repulgue (crimped edge) isn't just decorative — it seals the empanada and traditionally indicates the filling inside. Each fold pattern corresponds to a different filling.
• Bake at high heat (425°F) for a crispy, golden crust. Frying is traditional in some regions but baking is more common for home cooking.

Common Substitutions

Ingredient	Substitution	Notes
Ground beef	Ground turkey or plant-based ground	Turkey is leaner — add 1 tbsp oil. Plant-based works for texture.
Butter	Ghee or olive oil	Ghee for similar richness. Olive oil for dairy-free.
All-purpose flour	Gluten-free 1:1 flour blend	Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur GF blends work best.
Scallions	Chives or thinly sliced leek greens	Chives are milder. Leek greens are closest in flavor.
Cumin	Coriander + pinch of chili powder	Coriander is lighter — chili adds the warmth.
Paprika	Ancho chili powder or cayenne (use ¼ amount)	Ancho is smoky-sweet. Cayenne is much hotter.

What You're Practicing

Empanadas teach you the fundamentals of hand-pie construction — making a sturdy dough, building a flavorful filling, and sealing everything so it survives the oven. These same skills transfer to Cornish pasties, samosas, pierogi, and any filled pastry. The principle of cold fat in dough creating flaky layers is the same science behind pie crust and puff pastry. See Pastry Foundations for more on fat-in-dough techniques.

The filling demonstrates how spices bloom in hot fat — adding paprika and cumin to the rendered beef fat extracts their fat-soluble flavor compounds far more effectively than adding them dry. This blooming technique is universal: it's the same principle behind Indian tadka and Mexican toasting of chili powder. See Spice Blends for more on spice blooming.