Argentine Empanadas & Sofrito Recipe
Argentine-style baked empanadas with flaky pastry stuffed with seasoned ground beef, onions, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and spices. Perfect for parties or weeknight dinners.
Servings: 4 people
Cost: 35
Ingredients
Empanada Dough:
- 450 g Unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt
- 55 g Sunflower oil (about 2 fl oz)
Sofrito Dipping Sauce:
- 1-2 cans El Pato tomato sauce
- ½ tablespoon Lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon Cilantro (chopped)
Protein (choose 1):
- 2 cups Ground beef (cooked)
- 2 cups Chicken breast (cooked, shredded or chopped)
- 2 cups Plant-based crumbles (cooked)
Achiote Spice Blend:
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (fresh or dried)
- 1 teaspoon Achiote (or ground annato)
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Garlic (granulated or fresh minced)
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
Other:
- 1 oz Manzanilla olives (sliced or chopped)
- ½ oz Honey
- 1 Egg
Drink Pairing (optional):
- 1 bottle Malbec or Torrontes wine
Instructions
Create Empanada Dough
- Mix sunflower oil and 1 cup of water in a large bowl. Stir about half of the unbleached all-purpose flour and sea salt into the water/oil mixture with a wooden spoon. Gradually add more mix only until the dough no longer sticks to the spoon. Note: you will have leftover flour.
- Sprinkle part of the remaining flour onto a clean surface. Knead the dough with the palm of your hand for about 5 minutes, adding more flour until dough stops sticking to your hands. Wrap dough in a moistened paper towel and rest in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Continue to next step...
Empanada Filling
- Prepare your protein: clean, cook (if needed), and cut about 2 cups of protein into small pieces or shreds.
- Preheat oven to 425°. Thinly slice olives and combine with your choice of protein in a medium bowl.
- Open one El Pato tomato sauce can and add about 3 Tbsp. to the mixture along with the Mexican oregano, achiote, cumin, garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, and honey.
- Using a fork, mix all ingredients well.
Make Empanada Shells:
- Remove dough from refrigerator and separate into about 14 golf size balls.
- Sprinkle the remaining flour onto a working surface.
- Using your fingers or a rolling pin, flatten each ball into a thin 5’’ diameter circle.
Fill & Seal:
- Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling onto one side of each circle, leaving a ¼ inch border from the edge.
- Dip your fingertips into a small bowl of water and “paint” half of each empanada border (this will act as a glue).
- Carefully fold one side over the other and press the overlapping side with a fork to crimp the empanada closed.
- Arrange empanadas on a greased baking sheet.
- Tip: wet your fingers to prevent them from sticking to the dough.
Bake Empanadas Until Golden Brown:
- Reuse the small bowl to mix egg with 2 Tbsp. of water. Dip a paper towel or basting brush into the egg wash & brush the top of each empanada.
- Place in oven for 20-23 minutes or until golden brown.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining El Pato tomato sauce, lemon juice, and cilantro to make a sofrito dipping sauce.
Serve & Enjoy:
- Remove empanadas from the oven and transfer to a platter or divide between plates.
- Serve with a side of the sofrito dipping sauce.
- Enhance your experience with an Argentine music playlist (takeoutkit.com/playlists).
- Enjoy your meal! “¡Buen provecho!”
