EMPANADAS

We enjoy our empanadas with cilantro lime cream sauce and with a side of stewed beans and tostones!

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound 80/20 ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons sugar
salt and pepper
2 packages 5" Goya turnover/empanada dough (20 total) 
20 green Spanish olives, rinsed and cut in half
oil for frying, if desired

Heat olive oil over medium/high heat.  Cook ground beef until just before done, a little pink is ok.  Transfer beef to a plate with a slotted spoon leaving oil and fat in the pan.
Add onion and pepper to pan, cook on medium for about 6 minutes until tender. Add seasonings and cook for about 1 minute.
Add broth, reserved beef, sugar and 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid had evaporated.
Chill mixture for 3 hours or up to 3 days before making empanadas. 

Place an empanada dough sheet on a 5" empanada press (if you don't have a press use a fork to seal).  Scoop 2 tablespoons of filling in the middle of the dough.  Add 2 halves of an olive on top of the filling.  Smear water around half of the inside edge of the empanada.  Close the press to seal.

sealed and ready to cook!

To fry:  Heat oil to 350º and fry empanadas until golden brown, flipping once.

To bake:  Bake empanadas at 375º for 25 minutes or until edges are browned.

Tips:

✨I used a pampered chef medium size cookie scoop for the filling.  It is exactly 2 tablespoons.

✨Make sure you chill the filling.  If you don't you will have a greasy mess trying to seal the empanadas.  The fat chills with the filling and reheats when cooking them to rehydrate the filling so it's not dry!

✨We baked 10 and fried 10 to see which way we liked better and frying was favored by all.  Baked was still good if it's your only option.

✨Definitely make the cilantro lime cream sauce!!!

✨If you prepare the empanadas ahead of time, use the dough sheets in-between them and then store in an airtight container in the fridge