Easy Argentine Empanadas Recipe (With Whatever's in Your Fridge)

This easy Argentine empanadas recipe is the kind of thing your abuela would approve of — golden, flaky pockets stuffed with a savory beef filling that tastes like it took all day but didn't. We're keeping it real with simple pantry ingredients and store-bought dough so you can have these on the table without losing your mind.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (80/20 is perfect here)
• 1 package refrigerated pie dough or empanada discs (about 12 discs)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional but worth it)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup green olives, sliced
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Instructions

1. 1Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and green bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften up and go a little translucent. Add the garlic and cook one more minute until fragrant — your kitchen should smell incredible right about now.
2. 2Add the ground beef to the skillet and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned all the way through, about 6-8 minutes. Drain off any excess fat if there's a lot pooling in the pan.
3. 3Season the meat with cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Stir everything together and let it cook another 2 minutes so the spices really bloom into the meat. Taste it — this is your moment to adjust seasoning. The filling should be bold and a little smoky.
4. 4Take the skillet off the heat and fold in the chopped hard-boiled eggs and sliced olives. These are the classic Argentine touches that make these empanadas taste like the real deal. Let the filling cool for at least 10 minutes before assembling — hot filling makes the dough soggy.
5. 5Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you're using pie dough, cut it into roughly 5-inch circles. If you have empanada discs, you're already winning. Lay a disc flat, add about 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center — don't overstuff or they'll burst.
6. 6Fold the dough over the filling to make a half-moon shape. Press the edges together firmly with your fingers, then crimp them by folding and pressing little pleats along the edge — this is called the repulgue and it's what makes them look legit. Or just press down with a fork, no judgment here.
7. 7Place the empanadas on the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops generously with beaten egg. This is what gives you that gorgeous golden color. Bake for 22-25 minutes until deeply golden brown and a little puffed. Let them rest 5 minutes before eating — the filling stays lava-hot inside.