Argentine flaky beef empanadas with cumin, paprika, hard-boiled egg, and a single olive — the asado's perfect handheld companion.
Empanadas criollas are the most beloved empanada of Argentina — small half-moon parcels of buttery wheat dough filled with hand-chopped beef, slowly softened onion, paprika, cumin, and the signature surprise of half a hard-boiled egg and a single green olive in the center. They're traditionally baked (Buenos Aires style) but in some provinces (Tucumán, Salta) they're deep-fried. The repulgue — the decorative crimping along the seam — is so distinctive that each filling has its traditional crimp pattern, allowing diners to tell at a glance what's inside. Eaten standing at the asado with a glass of Malbec while the meat finishes on the grill, or carried as portable food for long bus rides across the pampas. Each Argentine province has its own variant.
Serves 12
Whisk flour and salt. Rub in cold tallow or butter until pea-sized crumbs. Mix water with vinegar; pour in. Knead just to combine into a smooth, slightly elastic dough. Wrap and chill 30 minutes.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide pan over high. Add chopped beef. Cook 4 minutes, breaking up, until just no longer pink. Lift out into a bowl, leaving fat behind.
Add remaining oil to the same pan. Add chopped onions and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium-low for 20 minutes, stirring, until soft, golden, and lightly jammy. The onion-to-meat ratio is the secret — Argentines use more onion than beef.
Off the heat, stir paprika, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper into the onions — bloom the spices in the residual heat. Return the beef and any juices. Stir in scallions. Cool the filling fully — warm filling tears the dough.
Cut dough into 12 pieces. Roll each into a 12 cm round, about 2 mm thick.
Place 2 tbsp of filling slightly off-center on each round. Top with 1 wedge of hard-boiled egg and 1-2 olive halves. Brush the edges with water.
Fold dough over the filling into a half-moon. Press the edges firmly closed. Starting from one end, fold the edge over itself in small overlapping pleats every 1 cm — the traditional repulgue. Continue around the seam.
Place empanadas on a parchment-lined tray. Brush tops with beaten egg. Bake at 220°C for 18-22 minutes until deep golden brown and the crimp is glossy.
Rest 5 minutes. Eat with the hands — but warning, the inside is molten. Serve with chimichurri, a glass of Malbec, and friends.
Hand-chop the beef with two knives or a sharp chef knife — never ground. The texture is the whole point.
Cool the filling fully before assembling — warm filling melts the dough and makes it stick.
More onion than meat is correct — don't reduce it. Three large onions to 500 g beef is the Argentine ratio.
Tucumán-style: deep-fried, with cumin-heavier filling. Use a beef-and-chorizo mix.
Salteño-style: with diced potato added for body, no olives.
Empanadas de pollo: replace beef with shredded poached chicken; add saffron to the onion sofrito.
Refrigerate cooked empanadas up to 3 days; reheat in a 180°C oven for 8 minutes. Freeze raw assembled up to 3 months; bake from frozen with 5 extra minutes.
Empanadas arrived in Argentina with Spanish colonizers in the 16th century, descending from the Iberian Moorish-influenced pastry tradition. Each region developed its own style; the criolla version is closest to the Buenos Aires tradition. The annual Festival Nacional de la Empanada in Famaillá, Tucumán, draws over 100,000 visitors.
Ground beef releases more juice that soaks the dough; hand-chopped pieces stay distinct and the filling has texture. Buenos Aires empanadas without hand-chopped beef are widely considered fake.
Tradition — and the surprise. Every bite delivers a small flavor pop. Don't skip; the Argentines will notice.
Per serving (140g) · 12 servings total
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