Jump to Recipe·5 from 1 review

These beef and cheese empanadas are made with an easy seasoned 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 and Puerto Rican cuisine. 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 beef and cheese empanadas use classic Puerto Rican seasonings (sofrito, sazon & adobo) in the ground beef filling, plus a generous sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese that melts everything together in our favorite homemade empanada dough.

Be sure to also check out these apple empanadas and these guava cheese empanadas for a tasty dessert!

Instructions

sofrito in a pan
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat before adding the onion. Cook for a few minutes before adding bell pepper and garlic. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant then add ground beef.
seasoned ground beef in a pan
Season the meat with tomato sauce, sazon & salt and mix to combine everything. Cook until the beef is browned and fully cooked.
cheese sprinkling onto a raw empanada
Add a few scoops of ground beef to the center of an empanada dough disc and top with cheese.
a hand folding an empanada closed
Fold the empanadas closed and fold the edges over themselves or crimp with a fork.
a brush putting egg wash on an empanada
If baking: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F / 205 degrees C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat together the egg and water in a small bowl to make an egg wash. Arrange the empanadas on the baking sheet before brushing with the egg wash. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown all around.
baked empanadas on a sheet pan
If frying: Heat oil over medium high heat. Fry empanadas 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.
a beef and cheese empanada on a plate

Dipping Sauces

Some excellent empanada dipping sauces we love are:

5 Minute Puerto Rican MayoKetchup (Pink Sauce)

10 Minute Pique (Puerto Rican Hot Sauce)

Cilantro Lime Sauce with Greek Yogurt

Mojo de Ajo (Garlic Mojo Sauce)

Feel free to dip in salsa and/or sour cream too!

baked empanadas on a plate

More Empanada Recipes

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 seasoned 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
  • 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. Brown the meat while breaking it up with a spoon.
  2. Season the beef: Add the sazon, salt and tomato sauce to the meat and continue to brown until the beef is fully cooked.
  3. Fill the empanadas: Add a few tablespoons of the filling to the center of an empanada dough disc and top with a few slices of cheddar cheese.
  4. Close the empanadas: Add a dab of cold water to the outside of the dough disc then fold the empanadas closed. Seal the edges over themselves 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 degrees F / 205 degrees C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat together the egg and water in a small bowl to make an egg wash. Arrange the empanadas on the baking sheet before brushing with the egg wash. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown all around.
  6. If frying: Heat oil over medium high heat. Fry empanadas 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 degrees F / 205 degrees C until golden brown (usually about 10-15 minutes).

Enjoy this recipe?

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