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A pile of Chilean meat empanadas on a plate on a wooden tray with a dish of tomato relish on the side
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5 / 3 votes

Chilean Meat Empanadas

They come baked or fried and in a variety of shapes and endless number of fillings, though empanadas de pino are the most widespread Chilean empanada. “De pino” is a variation of the Mapuche word pinu, which just means cooked meat, though it has grown to signify a mixture of ground beef and onions, plus hard-boiled egg, olives, and raisins.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time2 hours 40 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Latin
Servings: 10 empanadas
Calories: 579

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter, chilled
  • 12 tablespoons (6 oz) lard
  • 2 large egg yolks, whisked with 3/4 cup (175 ml) water

For the beef filling

  • 2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter
  • 3 white onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound ground beef, preferably 85/15
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1/2 cup canned beef broth or homemade beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup pitted and chopped black olives
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To glaze

  • 1 large egg yolk, beaten with 2 tablespoons whole milk
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the dough

  • Place the flour for the dough in a large mixing bowl, then add the salt and sugar. In a small bowl, use a fork to mash the butter and lard together. Add to the dry ingredients and use your hands to knead it all together.
  • Slowly add the beaten egg mixture to the flour, until the dough starts to become uniform and smooth. Cover with a tea towel and let rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Make the beef filling

  • In a medium skillet over medium heat, warm the oil and butter. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Stir in the beef, cumin, chile powder, and paprika, and cook, stirring continuously, for 3 minutes.
  • Pour in the beef stock. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in the raisins and olives. Let cool.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces, shape into balls, and let rest for 10 minutes. On a floured surface, stretch or roll each ball into a 6-inch (15-cm) square, about 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick.
  • Place 2 tablespoons of the beef filling in the middle of each square, and top with one slice of hard-boiled egg. Brush the edges of the dough with water and fold the square in half. Brush the sealed edge with water and press with your fingers or use a fork to seal. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the empanadas

  • Brush the empanadas with the egg yolk glaze and bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1empanada | Calories: 579kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 553mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g