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These beef and cheese empanadas are made with an easy sazon spiced ground beef filling, topped with cheddar cheese, and wrapped in a flakey homemade empanada dough. You can bake or fry them and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce!

a beef and cheese empanada on a plate

Empanadas are a staple in Latin cuisine and in my family. Whether I’m cooking with my Puerto Rican mom or my Argentinian cousins, empanadas are almost always on the menu.

With a wide variety of fillings, both sweet and savory, stuffed into pockets of flakey pastry dough, it’s no wonder why the world loves them!

These empanadas feature a sazon spiced ground beef filling, plus a generous layer of melty cheddar cheese, all wrapped in a flakey, buttery dough.

Serve with a side of your favorite dipping sauce (we love a good homemade mayoketchup or a fresh, herby chimichurri) and enjoy!

Instructions

sofrito in a pan
Cook the veggies and ground beef with sazon and salt for lots of flavor.
seasoned ground beef in a pan
Simmer the beef with tomato sauce and cilantro until fully cooked.
cheese sprinkling onto a raw empanada
Fill the empanada dough discs with the ground beef filling and cheese.
a hand folding an empanada closed
Braid or crimp the empanadas shut tightly.
a brush putting egg wash on an empanada
If baking: Brush with an egg wash before baking at 400°F until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
baked empanadas on a sheet pan
If frying: Fry in 350°F oil until golden brown all around.
baked empanadas on a plate

More Empanadas

Empanadillas (fried Puerto Rican turnovers)

Cheesy Chicken Empanadas with Homemade Filling

Apple Empanadas Dessert (Baked or Fried)

5 Ingredient Guava Cheese Empanadas

Buen provecho,

Salima written in cursive
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a beef and cheese empanada on a plate

Easy Ground Beef and Cheddar Cheese Empanadas

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 16 empanadas 1x
  • Category: Appetizer, Dinner, Entree, Lunch, Main Dish, Snack
  • Method: Baked, Fried
  • Cuisine: American, Latin, Puerto Rican
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Description

These beef and cheese empanadas are made with an easy sazon spiced ground beef filling, topped with cheddar cheese, and wrapped in a flakey homemade empanada dough. You can bake or fry them and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 2 tsp sazon seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, minced
  • 1/2 lb cheddar cheese, sliced roughly
  • 16 empanada dough discs

If Baking

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp water

If Frying

  • 2 cups canola or vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Start the filling: Heat oil in a pan over medium heat before adding the diced onion. Sauté for 3-4 minutes before adding the bell pepper and minced garlic. Cook until the garlic is fragrant then add ground beef, sazon and salt. 
  2. Finish the beef: Brown the meat while breaking it up with a spoon before adding the tomato sauce and cilantro. Mix, cover and cook another 10 minutes, or until the beef is fully cooked.
  3. Fill the empanadas: Add a few spoonfuls of the filling to the center of an empanada dough disc and top with cheddar cheese.
  4. Close the empanadas: Add a dab of cold water to the perimeter of the dough disc then fold the empanadas closed. Braid the edges shut or crimp with a fork. Continue steps 3-4 until all of the filling and/or empanada dough is used.
  5. If baking: Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush with egg wash and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown all around.
  6. If frying: Fry empanadas in 350°F oil in batches for a few minutes on each side, or until crispy and golden brown all around. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil before serving.

Notes

If air frying: Do not use an egg wash. Simply spray basket with a non stick spray and bake at 400°F until golden brown (usually about 10-15 minutes).

Enjoy this recipe?

If you tried this recipe, please consider leaving a review in the comment section. I love hearing feedback and your review helps to keep Salima’s Kitchen going!