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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Delicious Laylita, Thank you for the recipe, step by steps, and pictures….
I had empanadas many years ago while visiting Mendosa. So, when I came across this recipe, I started drooling like Pavlov’s dog. I rolled up my sleeves and got to it. That was a couple of years ago, and are now on my specialty list. Since then, I’ve made hundreds of these, and they are a big hit with everyone who has tried them. I made my own simple sauce by combining Tostitos medium salsa with some balsamic vinegar. That worked well with the flavours in the empanadas.
Wonderful!!!! The picadillo was great!!! The dough was right on the money! Girl you are gifted!!!!
Laylita, I just for back from a trip to Ecuador. I had empanadas de morocho and fell in love. Morocho is not something I’m familiar with and where I live I do not have access to many ingredients. I would love to try to make them. Do you have a recipe and a suggestion for a substitute of the morocho? Thank you!
Hi Melanie – You can find morocho style corn (it’s cracked hominy corn) at most Latin grocery stores. The main thing is that to make morocho empanadas you need to soak the corn for several days, then cook it/grind it to make the dough. I’m working on a recipe that will be included in my book.
Thank you Layla! I will look in the Latin store in my hometown. If not, I will probably check Amazon. Excited for your book! My husband and in laws are from Ecuador originally and I really enjoyed the food while we were able to visit! Love that you have made so many recipes available,
Awesome! And they definitely have the morocho corn on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Goya-White-Corn-Hominy/dp/B0000D16V0/
Hi Laylita, Great recipe! I’ll try the dough. In Argentina the only sauce for empanadas is a glass of good red wine, specially in Mendoza. We leave the chimichurry for the stakes!
I’m making these today for the second time in less than a month. We absolutely love them with your quick chimichurri sauce. Thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe!
do you need to use cold butter cut into small pieces or melted butter?
The butter can be either cold cut into small pieces or room temperature.
I don’t personally like olives. Is it okay if I don’t use them?
Of course, always feel free to modify based on your personal preference/taste.
Thank you so much for this recipe!!! I fell in love with these when I was in Argentina a few years ago. We stayed at the Sheraton Iguzu. On our walk out to the Falls, we went past a little store at the edge of the park that sells these and two other varieties. It was a very hot, very muggy day and these were hot out of the oven. They were the most delicious and satisfying things I had ever eaten in my life. This recipe comes the closest to what we tried. Now if I can only find a perfect medialuna recipe, which was my breakfast every day in Buenos Aires, I will be insanely happy!
Hi Laylita! My son was was assigned to write a paper about Argentina’s history, traditions, and food. Lucky for us we stumbled upon you website and loved it! We plan toile these empanadas as part of his project. My question is how far in advance can i prep and how much of the assembling process can I do without compromising the final product? My hope was to completely assemble them the night before and then pop them in the oven @ 6:00 a.m. Since he will need them for his 7: 40 a.m. Class. Is this possible and most importantly safe?
Thanks- mari and Justin
Hi Mari – That is perfectly safe, sometimes I make them for my co-workers and assemble them the night before and bake them in the morning. I do the same for parties, this way I can bake them and have them warm out of the oven when people arrive. The only thing is that I wait until right before baking them to brush them with the egg wash.
First, sorry for the misspelled words and errors in the previous message, not sure what happened there. As for the empanadas, I prepared them and they were a hit. Thank you for your response and most importantly for sharing. We have continued to explore your site and plan to prepare many more meals.
Justin and Mari
When I was 16, I met my boyfriend, husband now who is Puerto Rican, his ‘Gwella’ taught me
how to make pastelles, arroz con dules, bacaulou, all kinds of wonderful tasting Spanish foods.
I never got the chance to make empanadilla’s or the dough, pastelles were made more than empandillas.
I plan on making them today, I’m glad I found your website, your dough recipe sounds like something Gwella would make.
Thanks
Barbara
Hi Laylita,
I am from Switzerland and I appreciate very much your explanations and photos of your empanada!
I’ve never seen before such a well done explications. I’m very glad to find your website! I’ll prepare this empanada yet this week, it will be my first.
Thank you very much!!! :)