Argentine Beef Empanadas: Baked Hand Pies with Olives and Egg That Freeze for Snack Time

Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the onions and bell pepper over medium heat for 8 minutes until soft.

Serves 12 (24 empanadas)

Ingredients

• 24 store-bought empanada discs (tapas para empanadas), thawed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1/3 cup green olives, chopped
• 1 egg, beaten, for glazing

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the onions and bell pepper over medium heat for 8 minutes until soft.
2. Add the beef, paprika, cumin, pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, breaking it up, until browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in the green onions.
3. Spread the filling on a tray and chill at least 1 hour; cold filling keeps the dough from tearing and gives juicier empanadas.
4. Heat the oven to 400F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
5. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling onto each disc and top with a little chopped egg and olive.
6. Brush the edge with water, fold into a half-moon and seal by pressing, then crimp with the traditional repulgue twist or a fork.
7. Arrange on the sheets, brush with beaten egg and bake 18 to 20 minutes until golden.
8. To freeze, freeze unbaked empanadas on a tray, then bag them. Bake straight from frozen, adding 6 to 8 minutes, for an easy after-school snack.
9. In Argentina every province claims its own empanada, but the juicy beef version from Tucuman and Salta, studded with egg and olive, is the most famous. Families fold dozens at a time on weekends, and the crimped edge, called the repulgue, often signals which filling is inside, which is how bakeries keep their trays straight.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 260 kcal
• Protein: 11g
• Fat: 13g
• Carbohydrates: 24g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 2g
• Sodium: 410mg