Argentinian Empanada Pan Pie with Sweet and Spicy Beef

About This Recipe

Empanadas are Argentina's most iconic hand pie, filled with a well-seasoned beef mixture built on the classic combination of onion cooked down slowly, a touch of sweet paprika and cumin, raisins, green olives and hard-boiled egg. This pan pie takes that same beloved filling and bakes it as one large, open double-crust pie rather than folding it into dozens of individual pockets — a practical shortcut for feeding a group without the time-consuming crimping of traditional empanadas. The filling depends on cooking the onion down until it's completely soft and almost jammy, a step some home cooks call 'pochar' the onion, which builds the deep savory-sweet base that empanada filling is known for. A pinch of sugar and a handful of raisins add a genuine sweet edge, balanced by a good dose of chile flakes or ground chile for real heat — together the classic dulce y picante balance that defines the best versions of this filling. Baked until the pastry is deep golden and flaky, this pie is cut into wedges at the table rather than individually portioned, making it a fun, sharable centerpiece for a casual dinner that still delivers all the familiar empanada flavor.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 500 gground beef
• 3 tbspvegetable oil(divided)
• 2onions(finely diced)
• 2 tspsweet paprika
• 1 tspground cumin
• 0.75 tspchile flakes
• 1 tspsugar
• 1.5 tspsalt
• 0.33 cupraisins
• 0.5 cupgreen olives(pitted and chopped)
• 3hard-boiled eggs(chopped)
• 0.25 cupgreen onion(sliced)
• 2 sheetsstore-bought pie dough or puff pastry
• 1egg(beaten, for egg wash)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the onions down

   Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until completely soft and jammy.

2. 2

   Brown the beef

   Add ground beef to the pan, breaking it up, and cook until browned, 8 minutes.

3. 3

   Season the filling

   Stir in paprika, cumin, chile flakes, sugar and salt. Cook 2 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in raisins and olives. Cool completely.

4. 4

   Fold in the eggs

   Once cooled, gently fold in chopped hard-boiled eggs and green onion.

5. 5

   Assemble the pie

   Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Line a pie dish with one sheet of dough, add the cooled filling, and top with the second sheet, crimping the edges to seal. Cut a few vents in the top.

6. 6

   Bake

   Brush with egg wash and bake 35 to 40 minutes until deep golden brown. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Variations

• •

  Make individual hand pies instead of one large pan pie for the traditional empanada format.

• •

  Skip the raisins for a less sweet, more savory version.

• •

  Use ground chicken instead of beef for a lighter filling.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days; reheat slices in a 180C oven for 10 minutes to re-crisp the pastry rather than microwaving. Freezes well unbaked for up to 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions