Empanadas Mendocinas (Argentinian Beef Empanadas)
Empanadas mendocinas are traditional Argentinean baked empanadas filled with beef, onions, paprika, hot pepper powder, cumin, oregano, hard-boiled egg and olives.
Back when I first started this blog, there was a blogger name Rebecca and her blog From Argentina With Love had an Empanada of the Month event. This is where I learned about these empanadas mendocinas from the Mendoza region in Argentina (also known for great wines). While empanada mendocinas are very famous, it was my first time preparing them. It was the perfect opportunity to learn what makes them different from other meat filled baked empanadas in South America.
I started with Rebecca’s recipe for the meat filling or picadillo. I adjusted the spice quantities a little bit, just based on my personal taste, and added fresh oregano and green onions. I also halved the quantity of meat (from 2 lbs to 1 lb) and had more than enough for ~~20 small to medium sized empanadas.
In Argentina, beef empanadas can be filled with either ground beef or chopped beef. The filling for these empanadas mendocinas uses a ground beef picadillo for the the filling. This variation is also known for not using raisins- which are common in other types of empanadas.
Another distinctive factor is the use of smoked paprika and picante or hot chili pepper. In addition to the flavor, these spices give the meat a bright red coloring that is considered a distinguishing factor for empanadas mendocinas.
The other thing that differentiates these empanadas is the dough, I was planning on making my standard baking empanada dough recipe for these or even using the store bought discs, but as I did my Google research I found out that the dough for empanadas mendocinas is unique because it is made with milk which give it a creaminess and softness that the standard empanada dough doesn’t have, so I adapted and translated the recipe for the dough from Recetas Ya and Club Gourmet.
The recipes all called for making the dough by hand, but of course I took the food processor shortcut and made a few conversions. If you have the time I really recommend making the dough from scratch (but with a food processor), it made such a difference and my empanadas just baked beautifully. This is my new favorite baking empanada dough recipe, most of the time I experiment with different fillings, and this time it was so much fun to try a different way to prepare the dough.
Another important part of these empanadas – and empanadas in general – is the churito or repulgue – ie the curvy ornate seal. I confess that the first times I made empanadas I was afraid of not being able to make that nice perfect repulgue. However, I quickly learned that it is one of those things that improves with practice.
Of course you can also use the edge or tip of a fork to press down and seal the empanadas, but I highly encourage you to practice making a repulgue style seal for the empanadas. It gives them a much more authentic and traditional look than using a fork.
The day before I made these empanadas I just happened to be reading Ines del Alma Mia by Isabel Allende. The main character in the book is a woman from Spain who travels to South America (and helps establish a Spanish colony in Santiago, Chile). The book is part fiction part history, but one of her talents is making empanadas, which helps her and others survive during situations of limited food availability.
I have to admit that I didn’t really know a whole lot about the history of empanadas, but for some reason I thought that their origin was Argentinean or Chilean. However, at least based on this book it seems they came from Spain (and probably before that from the Middle East). Latin Americans have done a great job of perfecting the empanada and preparing so many regional variations of empanadas.
Finally, I had to make a couple of dipping sauces and made two slightly different chimichurri sauces for these. The first one is a blended sauce with a little bit of white wine vinegar and for the second sauce I chopped the herbs instead and used balsamic vinegar. I especially love the contrast of the balsamic chimichurri with the meaty empanadas. An aji criollo type hot sauce or tree tomato hot sauce would also go well with these delicious empanadas.
Balsamic chimichurri sauce
Quick chimichurri sauce
Aji criollo hot sauce
Tamarillo or tree tomato hot sauce 
Empanadas Mendocinas (Argentine Beef Empanadas)
Ingredients
Dough for empanadas mendocinas – makes about 20 medium or 30 small empanadas:
- 3 cups flour
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup of grasa – lard or butter or mix of both
- ¾ to 1 cup of warm milk
- ½ tsp salt
Beef picadillo filling
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 white onions diced, about 3 cups
- 1/2 cup lard or butter
- 2 tbs smoked paprika
- 2 tsp chili powder or any ground hot pepper adjust to taste
- 1 tbs finely chopped fresh oregano
- ½ tbs ground cumin
- 1 bunch green onions finely chopped
- 3 hard boiled eggs sliced
- ¼ cup sliced green olives
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg white and yolk separated and lightly whisked
Instructions
Empanada dough
- Mix the flour and salt in a food processor, pulse until well combined.
- Add the lard or butter, blend well.
- Add the egg yolk and the milk in small amounts, pulse until small dough clumps start to form.
- Make a couple of balls, flatten into disks and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into a thin sheet and cut out round disc shapes for empanadas (use round molds or a small plate).
- Use the empanada discs immediately or store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.
Beef picadillo filling and empanada assembly:
- Combine the ground beef, paprika, red pepper, cumin, salt and pepper in a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together and chill until ready to use.
- Melt the lard in a large frying pan or sauté pan, add the onions and salt, cook until the onions are soft, about 8 minutes.
- Add the meat mixture to the onions and cook on medium heat until the meat is done, stir frequently.
- Let the meat mixture or picadillo cool down, and then mix in the chopped green onions and chopped oregano.
- To assemble the empanadas add a spoonful of the meat mixture on the center of each empanada disc, add a slice of egg and sliced olive.
- Brush the edges of the empanada discs with the egg whites, you can also use water but the egg white is a good natural “glue” that helps seal the empanada.
- Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges gently with your fingers, twist and fold the edges of the empanadas with your fingers, as a final step use a fork to press down and finish sealing the empanadas.
- Lightly brush the top of the empanadas with the egg yolk; this will give them a nice golden glow when they bake.
- Let the empanadas rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until ready to bake.
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 F and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until golden on top.
- Serve warm with chimichurri sauce or other dipping sauces.
Nutrition
Step by step preparation photos for Argentinian empanada mendocina dough:
Step by step preparation photos for the Argentinian beef picadillo filling and empanada assembly:
Additional Empanada Recipes to Try:
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I have been looking for an Empanada recipe similar to the ones I had in the Philippines when I was little. The ones I see in my area of Spain bear no resemblance to the ones I remember, but yours sounds much more similar. :D
Thank you for your reply! We have since made several recipes from this site and were very very pleased w/ the results! (Ok, so we didn’t make our own dough rounds – time is of essence when hunger gets in the way!) Though there are two of us, somehow there are rarely enough leftovers to share and/or had to really be good about not eating those set aside for my folks!
swatson
Wonderful site! Incredibly beautiful photography as well as fantastic recipes I am looking forward to trying out.
Q: Do you ever freeze your empanadas? If so, what are your recommendations for freezing/thawing/cooking.
Thank you!
swatson
Hi Swatson – Thank you for the comments, yes I sometimes freeze the empanadas, you can bake them from frozen just as you would bake them if they were fresh (oven at 375 F – 400 F) for about 25-30 minutes. Of course, they always taste much better when they’re freshly baked, but it can be very convenient to have already frozen and ready to bake when needed. I haven’t ever tried freezing them once they’re baked though and have no idea how that work (freshly baked empanadas don’t last too long around here)
Muchas Gracias!!! Your pictures of the wonderful comida are making my stomach growl!! Um-m-m-m good!!! I am leaning toward making empanadas for our Fearless Foodie January 17th Meeting. My husband and I ate at a Columbian restaurant in Austin recently and had empanadas. I have mainly eaten the pumpkin empanadas of Texas.
My 15 year old daughter needed to make a Argentinian dish for school. These Emanadas were so easy & fun to make with her. I enjoyed it & so did my daughter. Thanks again Laylita :)
yummmm, I always fry mine (Puerto Rican style) but I am looking for a lighter version and this is perfect!
Layla,
Grazie. Gracias for being a giver and sharing your gift. I absolutely LOVE your website. Today, after Google-ing for Empanadas, I fell into your wonderful web of beautiful photos and inspiring recipes. Your Empanada recipe inspired me so much, I went to the market, got the ingredients and now…I find myself amidst the dough and the filling(which is fantastic)…and I am just about to roll and fill! I’m afraid that after I eat so many of them, I may turn into one big Empanada!
Thank you again,
Keep sharing and inspiring,
Lizette R. (Orange County, CA)
Laylita,
Thanks, nice blog and recipes, I’m Peterson from Taiwan and planning to put up an empanada store, and luckliy I found your website, an empanada haven… I’d like to know how thick will the disks be? and I was planning to make more and store the disks, will freezing the disk make them last longer? thanks
Hi Peterson – The discs are usually about 1mm thick, you can freeze them, but I’m not sure how long they will last, maybe a couple months.
Hi Rusen – I’m glad to hear to that the recipe worked out for you, here are some answers to your questions:
– not sure about the thickness (Is there a guideline?) The dough should be rolled very thin (about 1 mm)
– I am planning on cooking the rest tomorrow. Can I keep them in the refrigerator till then? And if I want to make more and save them uncooked, would freezing work?
Yes to both questions.
– Also is there a particular level in the oven that you cook them? I cooked mine on top shelf first but then switched to bottom when I saw they had gotten golden brown quickly. also was not sure whether to brush the oven tray with cooking oil or not.
I usually put the rack in the middle or lower middle. I also put the empanadas on parchment paper instead of putting them directly on the baking sheet, but definitely grease the baking sheet with oil if you are not using parchment paper.
– I am also not sure about cooking the filling. How long do you cook the beef? I was a bit scared that the meat will be overcooked (considering it will be cooked again in the oven).
My fillings are usually completely cooked, don’t worry about overcooking the meat.
I hope that answers your questions.
Take care,
Layla
Layla,
Thanks very much! I was ecstatic to have run into your blog while looking for a step-by-step empanada recipe. I am Turkish but my boyfriend is an Argentine who loves empanadas and I want to surprise him with them.
I followed your recipe diligently, even made the dough from scratch. And now I am tasting the very first one out of the oven and I must say it is yummy! Even I’m impressed by my cooking skills (thanks to you). Rolling the dough was hard though. It required strength and time. I also was not sure about the thickness (Is there a guideline?). Next time I may try to use frozen dough rounds.
I am planning on cooking the rest tomorrow. Can I keep them in the refrigerator till then? And if I want to make more and save them uncooked, would freezing work?
Also is there a particular level in the oven that you cook them? I cooked mine on top shelf first but then switched to bottom when I saw they had gotten golden brown quickly. also was not sure whether to brush the oven tray with cooking oil or not.
I am also not sure about cooking the filling. How long do you cook the beef? I was a bit scared that the meat will be overcooked (considering it will be cooked again in the oven).
anyway.. Whatever I did, I must have done right, because these taste heavenly!
Thank you,
Rusen (from Washington DC)