Beef Empanadas with Chimichurri Sauce
Pastry dough filled with meat? Deliciousness that fits in your hand? Yes please! This recipe yields about 2 dozen empanadas and is a party favorite for sure. Don’t forget the chimmichurri sauce because it honestly isn’t the same without it!
Ingredients:
Beef Empanadas:
1 package of pastry dough, 16 oz
1.5 pounds ground beef
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
3 hard-boiled eggs
1 raw egg
3 tablespoons oregano
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
Chimichurri Sauce:
2 bunches Italian flat-leaf parsley, stems removed
1 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
5 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
Empanada Instructions:
Flour your dry surface to roll out your pastry dough
Roll out your pastry dough to about 1/8 inch thick
Cut out circles to your preferred size (I recommend 5-inch diameters). You can use a cup or get these convenient empanada molds
Spread your discs on a baking tray and make sure you have flour between each disc
Cover with plastic and place in the fridge to chill while you begin working on the filling
Gently place 3 eggs in boiling water on high heat for 6 minutes, then drain, let cool
Peel and dice the hardboiled eggs, place aside
Place pan on the stove on medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil
Sweat onions until they begin becoming translucent, about 4 minutes
Add minced garlic, paprika, cumin, and cinnamon, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes
Add ground beef and brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes
Add oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper
Add hard-boiled eggs, stir until evenly combined, and remove from heat, let cool for 20 minutes
Pre-heat oven to 335 degrees
Crack an egg into a bowl and stir with a fork
Remove discs from the fridge
Add 2 scant tablespoons to the center of each disc
Form the empanada by folding your disc in half using a mold or your hands and press closed with a fork
Brush the top of the empanada with egg wash
Spread empanadas on an oil-sprayed baking tray and bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown on top
Chimichurri Sauce:
Thoroughly rinse parsely bunches and remove bottom end stems
Place parsley leaves in food processor
Add red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and half of the olive oil
Turn on food processor on high for 20 seconds
Scrape down the sides of the food processor
Process for an additional 20 seconds or until you reach a smooth consistency
Slowly add remaining olive oil until you reach desired consistency. If you prefer a thinner sauce, you can add water in place of remaining olive oil
