This past weekend was a nice and lazy weekend (there’s no other kind for us. :)). Chris and I didn’t do a whole lot except eat, drink and relax. We have some organizing we needed to do but never got around to it (we’re procrastinators). We munched on some empanadas and crab dip (recipe to come this week) while sipping on wine and beer. It was pure delight!
These empanadas were tasty for my first try. I based the filling off of my picadillo recipe. I am not a dough making person (yeast and kneading terrifies me!) so I used store bought pie crust instead. These would be fabulous for entertaining. And you can make these ahead of time too (you gotta love that!). Have a stellar week!
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of ground beef
- olive oil for cooking
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 6 pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced
- 1/4 cup of raisins (I used golden raisins)
- 1/2 cup of dry sherry
- 2 boxes of refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on the box
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
Preparation:
In a large skillet over medium high heat add a little bit of olive oil and ground beef. Crumble and brown meat. Once cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer meat into a bowl. Set aside. Remove any grease left in the pot.
Drizzle in olive oil and add onions and garlic. Cook until onions soften then add ground cumin, chili powder, and dried oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Then add cooked meat back into the pot, along with tomato paste, olives and raisins. Stir to combine. Pour the sherry and simmer until the liquid has nearly evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheet/pan with parchment paper or Silpat.
Remove pie crust from the pouch and unroll on a lightly floured surface one at a time. Using a rolling pin, roll pie crust into a 14-inch circle. Cut dough using a 4-inch diameter cookie/biscuit cutter, stamping out as many rounds as possible. Roll out any dough scraps and cut out additional rounds if possible. Continue to do this with the rest of the pie crust. Mine rendered 15 rounds per box of pie crusts (30 total for both boxes).
Working with 1 round at a time (keep the rest covered in plastic wrap or moist paper towel), spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling onto half of each circle. Moisten the edge with water and fold in half; press the edge with a fork to seal. Continue to do this with all the rounds and place the empanadas on a lined baking sheet/pan.
Brush the top of the empanadas with egg mixture and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.
uni homemaker 
These empanadas look perfect! The filling looks very flavourful.
Thanks Angie! 🙂
Ooh yes! A glass of wine and a couple of these empanadas sounds like heaven. Great recipe.
Thanks Claire! 🙂
I’ve never tried making empanadas at home … we usually just get them sometimes when we go out! I’m thinking I need to try making them though – these sound delicious!
Thanks Ashley! 🙂
I loved the raisins in these, it gave it a hint of sweetness. I couldn’t stop eating these!
Yay!!! So glad you enjoyed it. Aren’t they fantastic? 🙂
These look so impressive! I love empanadas, but I’ve never made them. Delicious!
Thanks Marcie! 🙂
What a tasty combination of flavors and textures in these empanadas. They look perfect!!!
Thanks Pam! 🙂
Anne, I have wanted to make empanadas for ages but never have. This is a great inspiration. Yours clearly turned out wonderfully.
Thanks Monica! And thanks for taking the time to comment today. 🙂
I have never made empanadas, but I love this idea.. plus the added olives!
Thanks so much Pamela! 🙂
Wow great life!!
Haha.. 🙂 Thanks for commenting Massi. Hope you had a good trip!
I have had empanadas a long time ago and they reminded me of little Indian samosas. These look great! So flavorful with the meat and olives!
Thanks Asmita!
Lazy weekends are my favorite! I have never tried making empanadas so this is so inspiring. Yours turned out perfect and sound so delicious!
Thanks Kelly! 🙂 Always a pleasure to hear from you. Hope you’re having a great birthday!!!
Wow, what a great combination of sweet, earthy and salty flavors in these fabulous empanadas. Wonderful recipe, Anne! They look scrumptious!
Thank you so much Georgia! Have a great rest of the week. 🙂
i LOVE these
Thanks Jen!
You know….these look fabulous. Just yesterday I went to our neighborhood farmer’s market and there was a little booth selling empanadas. They looked lovely and hot so I purchased one and was a bit disappointed. They were watery on the inside…a bit mushy. 😦 Well, I wish I could of had one of yours! I love empanadas. Great post.
Thanks so much for the lovely comment. 🙂 Wow, I wonder how the filling got so watery? Odd!
Such perfect, savory, hand pies! Beautifully done!!!
Thanks Liz!
There’s just something about hand pies that I really enjoy and empanadas are the perfect size. Love that you included a little olive and some raisins into the filling, giving these pies some great flavors.
Thanks so much John! 🙂
Your empanadas look so pretty, and I like the idea of beef and raisins, although I never had this combination, but can imagine how nice it is with a touch of sweet.
Have a lovely week ahead Anne 😀
Thanks Juliana! 🙂 Have a great week yourself.
Aw….I love all the spice in this recipe and the dry sherry! I can imagine all that flavour within the pastry! We call this a puff over here. Beautiful!
Thanks Danny! 🙂
These look really tasty! I love the combination of spices and raisins.
Thanks Stephanie! 🙂
Ooooh! Beef empanadas from the shops can be a bit dry and dull, but I can tell how those ingredients will pack heaps of flavour into those little parcels 🙂
Thank you so much!
LOVE the raisins in this recipe. And you have mad skills in making empanadas. So beautiful 🙂
You’re so sweet Kiran, thank you! 🙂 xx
Love the addition of olives, not sure about the raisins (not much of a raisin fan) would probably add a few more olives, love them.
You can definitely leave out the raisins. Although I prefer the balance of salty and sweet. Thanks for stopping by Norma.
I need to try making empapnadas one day. I always love the homemade look. Olives and raisins are such a fun ingredient to be found in empanadas! Looks so delicious!!
Thanks Nami! 🙂
Empanadas make my heart go pitter patter! These are nothing short of perfection! I’d love one. . .or five heehee. Hope your week is going good Anne!
I’ll beam some over Reeni! 😉 Thanks for taking the time to comment today.
Oh Anne, they’re gorgeous! And I bet they taste amazing too!
They were tasty, thanks Lidia!
My friend from puerta rico just taught me how to make empanadas recently. Yours look soooo great!!
Thanks Ashley! 🙂 Have a great rest of the week!
It’s things like this where I could eat the whole plate! Looks amazing..
Thanks Gerry!
Your empanada filling sounds delicious. My dear friend is from Argentina and she makes the best empanadas. I will try your little secret of using refrigerated pie crusts and see if next time she notices if I make them for her. (shhh) A great time saver. I am glad you had a relaxing weekend. Its hump day here in HK and wishing you a super week. Take Care, BAM
I hear refrigerated pie crusts has a better outcome for empanadas than biscuits or crescent rolls. But I have yet to try them. Thanks Bobbi for commenting. Hope you’re having a great day! 🙂
These empanadas look delicious! Every time I read your posts I always find very interesting and yummy recipes.
Have a nice day
Thanks Anto! And thanks for taking the time to comment today.
I just love savory pastries like these. The recipe for the filling sounds great – and looks so rich and delicious.
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