Filipino Beef Empanada Recipe

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Empanada is pastry stuffed with different ingredients such as pork, chicken, beef and an assortment of vegetables.

This empanada recipe has different versions from all over the world and each version is different from the other.

With the Philippines being a Spanish colony for almost four hundred years, it is with the great possibility that the culinary traditions were also passed on from the Spaniards to the Filipinos and even from the Mexicans to the Filipinos via the Galleon trade.

Other countries and regions which have their own version of the Empanada recipe include the countries in Central and Latin America, Spain, and Portugal.

Filipino Beef Empanada Recipe

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Filipino Beef Empanada Recipe Tips

The Filipino Beef Empanada recipe, with its usual ingredients such as meat and vegetables, depends heavily on where a particular version originates and who happens to be cooking it, again marking the creativity of the Filipinos.

Filipino empanadas are commonly sold along the sideways as street food or in the malls as snacks, often at the same vendors as kikiam, another popular Filipino snack.

Though usually served as an appetizer, main course and dessert in other countries, in the Philippines, it is also usually served as midday or mid-afternoon snacks with a dip of ketchup or vinegar.

The allure of the empanada is that being a snack, it proves to be a very handy yet very filling snack, enough to satiate one’s hunger before a big meal such as lunch or dinner.

Also read: learn to cook Pinoy beef steak “bistek”

Beef Empanada Ingredients

2 Types of Empanada Recipe

There are two major versions of Empanada recipe in the Philippines.

  1. One is the Sweet Wrap Empanada which is what is more commonly known and is usually found in the Central Tagalog region.
  2. The other version is the Ilocos Empanada which has a different wrap which is made of rice flour colored with atsuete and a stuffing made up of potatoes, munggo beans, Vigan Longganisa, Green Papaya, and yolks.

Ilocos empanada is also served as a sort of pasalubong for travelers and also marketed as a province delicacy.

Beef Empanada Ingredients

Filipino beef empanada recipe

Joost Nusselder
The Filipino Beef Empanada recipe, with its usual ingredients such as meat and vegetables, depends heavily on where a particular version originates and who happens to be cooking it, again marking the creativity of the Filipinos. 
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine Filipino
Servings 12 pcs

Ingredients
  

crust

  • 8 ounces (2 sticks) butter
  • cups flour
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • cup ice water

meat fillings

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • ½ small onion peeled and chopped
  • 1 clove garlic peeled and minced
  • ½ pound ground beef
  • ½ cup tomato sauce
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 small potato peeled and diced
  • 1 carrot peeled and diced
  • ½ cup frozen sweet peas, thawed
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • salt and pepper to taste

for the egg wash

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • pinch of salt

Instructions
 

  • Divide pie crust into 12 balls. Place each ball between two sheets of parchment paper and with a rolling pin, gently flatten each ball into 5-inch diameter and ¼-inch thickness. Using a round biscuit cutter or an inverted bowl, cut into the dough by gently twisting to form circles with smooth edges. Trim excess dough.
  • On a flat work surface, lay dough circle and spoon about a heaping tablespoon of filling in the middle. Fold the bottom of the dough over filling and with fingers, press edges firmly. Using tines of a fork, press on sides of dough to firmly seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. On a lightly greased baking sheet, arrange prepared empanadas in a single layer and brush top with egg wash. Bake in a 375 F oven for about 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to slightly cool for about 1 to 2 minutes and remove from baking sheet.

for the crust:

  • Cut butter into cubes and freeze for about 1 hour. In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
  • Add butter to flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender or by pinching the fat into the flour mixture with hands. Work them together until resembling coarse cornmeal with pea-like, butter-speckled pieces.
  • Slowly drizzle water to the flour-butter mixture and with hands, mix until just combined. Gently gather dough and press into a ball. If the dough is too crumbly and does not hold together, add more water a tablespoon at a time. DO NOT ADD TOO MUCH LIQUID and DO NOT OVERWORK DOUGH. Wrap dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

for the filling:

  • In pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until translucent and fragrant. Add ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking to pieces with back of the spoon, for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until pink is gone from meat.
  • Add tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer until meat is fully cooked.
  • Add potatoes, carrots, green peas and raisins. Continue to cook until vegetables are tender and liquid is reduced. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a colander, drain excess liquid.

for the egg wash:

  • In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and salt.
Keyword Beef, Empanada
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Beef Empanada

Do you love Bread? You can also try making your own Original Filipino Pandesal Recipe.

Check out our new cookbook

Bitemybun's family recipes with complete meal planner and recipe guide.

Try it out for free with Kindle Unlimited:

Read for free

Joost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.