Before you get started on your empanada filling, don’t forget to check out some common empanada mistakes that I’ve discovered along the way while perfecting my Argentinian empanada skills.

Contents

Ground Beef and Potato Empanada Filling

Filling Ingredients

  • 2 medium potatoes, boiled for 5 minutes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 Bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 5 green olives sliced
  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Grate the potatoes and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the ground beef and saute until brown, breaking it up as it cooks. Add potatoes, onion, bell pepper, olives, spices, salt and pepper. Cook until ingredients are soft. Let cool.
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Slow-Cooked Beef Empanada Filling

Preparation of Beef

  1. Soak 3-4 lbs of a beef roast in salted water for 5 hours
  2. In the water have one yellow onion quartered, 2 medium carrots in big pieces, 2 pieces of celery cut into big pieces, 6-8 cloves of garlic – smashed, 1 tbl mustard seed, 1 large bay leaf, 2 tbl salt, 1 tbl black pepper
  3. Slow-cook meat on low for 6-8 hours
  4. Remove meat and strain juices to keep for beef broth.

Filling Ingredients:

Makes 3 Cups of Empanada Filling:

  • 2 Cups of slow-cooked beef (see above) cubed
  • 1/4 Cup reserved beef broth
  • 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
  • 1 Small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 Large green onion, green and white part chopped
  • 1 Tbl dried oregano
  • 1 Tbl garlic powder
  • 1 tsp of cumin
  • 1 Tbl flour
  • 5 stuffed green olives coarsely chopped
  • 1 hard boiled egg chopped
  • 2 Tbl butter
  • 2 tsp salt and 1 tbl black ground pepper

Directions

  1. In a large pan with medium-high heat, saute the yellow and green onion in butter with the bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until soft.
  2. Incorporate garlic powder, cumin and flour until well mixed.
  3. Mix in the chopped beef and beef broth and let reduce until thick.
  4. Add salt and pepper and let cool.

    Also check out our chicken empanada, seafood empanada and pork empanada filling recipes.