Air Fryer Beef and Cheese Empanadas

Hello and welcome to Djalali Cooks! Today I have a great recipe for the air fryer – but these empanadas work well baked in the oven, too. No air fryer, no problem! Handheld pastries are a treat for sure, whether sweet or savory, they’re always a fun snack or meal. Perfect for toting to work for lunch, or for a quick bite on the go. Today’s Air Fryer Beef and Cheese Empanadas are made with taco-seasoned ground beef, a little pepper jack cheese, fresh jalapeño slices and store-bought Empanada dough. Let’s get right to it!

The air fryer makes this a quick and simple recipe, but the other thing that makes this empanada recipe simple is store bought empanada dough. Like the wonton wrappers you can find at the grocery store, the pre-made, frozen empanada dough takes this recipe from several steps to a few simple steps.

You will find the empanada discs in the freezer section, so you will need to let them defrost overnight in the fridge. Or you can let them sit out for an hour or so on the counter.

Taco-Seasoned Ground Beef

Instead of using a packet of taco seasoning, we will mix up our own seasoning blend. This recipe will mix enough to use for this recipe, and to save for another (taco night, perhaps!). In a small jar, shake together black pepper, kosher salt, crushed red pepper, ground cumin, onion powder, chili powder, dried oregano, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Set the jar aside.

I am starting with 1 pound ground beef. Place the raw ground beef in a mixing bowl. Mix a slurry of 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 2 tablespoons water. Pour the slurry on the beef and add a pinch of kosher salt. Gently toss the beef in the slurry and salt to coat. This baking soda slurry helps the ground beef retain its moisture as we brown it. If you haven’t tried this trick before, you will be surprised at how effective it is.

Heat a tiny drizzle of grapeseed oil in a large skillet. Add the ground beef and break it up as it cooks. Once the beef is mostly browned, start with one tablespoon of the taco seasoning mixture. Stir in the seasoning and add one more tablespoon. Stir well to coat the beef in the seasoning. When the beef is cooked through and browned, use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked beef to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Building the Beef and Cheese Empanadas

These Goya empanada dough packages have 10 discs in each package, so we will make 10 empanadas, with some of the beef mixture leftover to use however you like. I have a few slices of pepper jack cheese that I will just break up into little strips for each empanada. I also have a fresh jalapeño that I am just slicing into thin round slices, then halving those rounds. This is optional. So is the cheese for that matter. You can leave out the cheese, if you prefer.

Set up a little empanada-making station with your filling. Get a sheet tray with wire cooling rack set inside, a fork and a small dish of egg white wash (egg white whisked with water) and a brush. We will roll each dough disc slightly, just to make it more pliable and a tiny bit larger. Place about 2 tablespoons of beef on one side of the empanada dough, leaving a small border around the bottom.

Then place the jalapeño slices on the beef. Add a few small pieces of cheese on top. Now, fold the top part of the dough disc over the filling and press the edges together. The dough sticks to itself quite well, without brushing the edges with water. Use the tines of your fork to seal up and crimp the edge. Transfer the empanada to the wire rack set inside the sheet tray and repeat with the remaining empanada discs.

Once all of the empanadas are filled and folded, brush the tops with the egg white wash.

Air Fry The Beef and Cheese Empanadas

Spray the inside of the air fryer basket with olive oil cooking spray. Place the empanadas in a single layer in the air fryer basket. I was able to fit four empanadas. So I ended up doing three batches. Set the temperature for 350 and the timer for 4 minutes. At the four minute mark, flip the empanadas and air fry at 350 for another 4 minutes.

After the second four minutes, transfer the empanadas to the wire rack placed in the sheet tray and repeat with remaining empanadas.

And that’s it – Beef and Cheese Empanadas! I am serving these with a tomatillo salsa for dipping. Beautifully golden, air-fried savory hand pies; richly flavored with our tender, juicy taco-seasoned beef; a little bit of richness from the pepper jack cheese and a little heat from the fresh jalapeño. A perfect handheld snack!

You can still make these without an air fryer. Bake them on a lightly oiled sheet tray at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope you give these Beef and Cheese Empanadas a try. They are delicious, and a great thing to make as an appetizer, work lunch or as a game day snack. Give them a go and let me know what you think! You can can always leave a comment, or send me a message through my Say Hello Page. Take care and be well, xo Kelly

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Beef and Cheese Empanadas

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Side Dish, Appetizer, Snack – Latin

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: Makes 10 Empanadas

Prep Time: 30 Minutes – Cooking Time: 8 minutes per batch – Total Time: ~1 Hour

Richly flavored, taco-seasoned ground beef with pepper jack cheese and fresh jalapeños, folded in empanada dough and air-fried to golden brown.

Ingredients

• Taco Seasoning
• 1 tbsp. Chili Powder
• 1.5 tsp. Ground Cumin
• 2 tsp. Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Ground Paprika (smoked or regular)
• 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4 tsp. Dried Oregano
• Empanadas
• 1 lb. Ground Beef
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 2 tbsp. Water
• Pinch of Kosher Salt
• Drizzle of Grapeseed Oil
• 1 Package Goya Empanada Dough Discs (10 discs), defrosted
• Pepper Jack Cheese
• Fresh Jalapeño, thin slices
• 1 Large Egg White
• 1-2 tsp. Water

Instructions

Taco Seasoning

1

In a small jar, shake together black pepper, kosher salt, crushed red pepper, ground cumin, onion powder, chili powder, dried oregano, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Set the jar aside.

Empanadas

2

Place the raw ground beef in a mixing bowl. Mix a slurry of 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 2 tablespoons water. Pour the slurry on the beef and add a pinch of kosher salt. Gently toss the beef in the slurry and salt to coat.

3

Heat a tiny drizzle of grapeseed oil in a large skillet. Add the ground beef and break it up as it cooks. Once the beef is mostly browned, start with one tablespoon of the taco seasoning mixture. Stir in the seasoning and add one more tablespoon. Stir well to coat the beef in the seasoning. When the beef is cooked through and browned, use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked beef to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

4

Set up a little empanada-making station with your filling. Get a sheet tray with wire cooling rack set inside, a fork and a small dish of egg white wash and a brush. We will roll each dough disc slightly, just to make it more pliable and a tiny bit larger. Place about 2 tablespoons of beef on one side of the empanada dough, leaving a small border around the bottom.

5

Then place the jalapeño slices on the beef. And a few small pieces of cheese on top. Now, fold the top part of the dough disc over the filling and press the edges together. Use the tines of your fork to seal up and crimp the edge. Transfer the empanada to the wire rack set inside the sheet tray and repeat with the remaining empanada discs.

6

Once all of the empanadas are filled and folded, whisk the egg white with water and brush the tops with the egg white wash.

7

Spray the inside of the air fryer basket with olive oil cooking spray. Place the empanadas in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Working in batches as needed. Set the temperature for 350 and the timer for 4 minutes. At the four minute mark, flip the empanadas and air fry at 350 for another 4 minutes.

8

After the second four minutes, transfer the empanadas to the wire rack placed in the sheet tray and repeat with remaining empanadas.

Notes

You can still make these without an air fryer. Bake them on a lightly oiled sheet tray at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

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