These cheesy ground beef empanadas are filled with seasoned ground beef, loaded with two types of cheese, and baked to perfection. The flaky pie crust surrounding the meat and cheese is golden brown.
I lived in Southern California for decades, and now I live in Texas, so I know my Mexican food. And, when I think of tasty Mexican food, I always think of empanadas.
I love classics like the empanadas I’m about to show you, but I also love getting creative with them, as I did with these caramel apple empanadas.
Pair these beefy, cheesy empanadas with sides like homemade Spanish rice, avocado dip or fresh spicy guacamole with chips, and these cinnamon twists for a Mexican-inspired feast!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: Everything you need to make this recipe is either in your kitchen or at your grocery store.
- So Simple: Using refrigerated pie crust reduces prep time, making this recipe come together in under 30 minutes with minimal effort.
- So Zesty, Meaty, and Cheesy: The combination of beef, cheese, and bold spices creates empanadas that explode with flavor in every bite.
- Customizable: You can easily tweak this recipe to make it your own.
- Versatile: These make a great appetizer or a main course.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find a complete list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Ground Beef: Lean ground beef is my choice. With so many other flavors available, there’s no need for a higher-fat blend.
- Cheese: A blend of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack offers a bold flavor that complements the beef and seasonings.
- Seasonings: A blend of cumin, garlic salt, oregano, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and Slap Ya Mama seasoning adds big, bold, Tex-Mex flavor to every bite.
- Diced Jalapenos: Jalapenos add that classic blend of vegetal flavor and heat.
- Refrigerated Pie Crust: Using refrigerated pie crust gives you a golden, flaky exterior without a ton of extra work.
Variations
- Ground Beef: Try ground turkey or chicken for a lower-fat version. Italian sausage also offers a unique flavor.
- Mild: Omit the red pepper flakes and jalapenos for a mild version.
- Warm and Smoky: Add roasted hatch chiles instead of jalapenos to these empanadas for a flavor that’s warm, rather than hot, with a smoky, slightly sweet note.
- Cheese: Mexican and taco cheese blends work very well in this recipe.
How to Make Cheesy Ground Beef Empanadas
I’ve included a brief overview of this tasty recipe here, but you can find the exact instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Cook the beef, onions, and garlic until the meat is no longer pink. Drain and return to the pan.
- Add the seasonings and stir. Then, add the tomatoes and jalapenos, and simmer.
- Unroll the pie dough and use a 4-inch bowl to cut out dough rounds.
- Add a little shredded cheese and meat to one side of the rounds. Then, fold over and crimp to seal.
- Brush with egg wash and bake at 425°F until the crust is golden brown. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Always drain your cooked beef to avoid a greasy filling. Remember, even lean ground beef renders a little fat.
- Don’t add too much filling to the empanadas, or they won’t stay sealed. Use no more than ¼ cup of meat in each one.
- Add a little water to the edges of the dough rounds before filling and crimping to ensure a full seal.
- Always wash your hands and avoid touching your face when handling hot peppers.
Cheesy Ground Beef Empanadas FAQs
Absolutely. Even lean ground beef renders some fat as it cooks. Not draining the meat will make your filling greasy.
If you overfill the empanadas, they’ll pop open as the crust bakes. To ensure your empanadas stay closed, only use about ¼ cup of filling and wet the edges of the dough before crimping them with a fork.
Refrigerate these empanadas for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
More Delicious Ground Beef Recipes
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Cheesy Ground Beef Empanadas
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp Slap Ya Mama® seasoning
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp crushed red peppers
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp diced jalapeños
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
- 2 boxes Pillsbury™ Refrigerated Pie Crust
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- In a cast iron pan or large frying pan, add ground beef, chopped onions, minced garlic and cook over medium heat until ground beef is no longer pink. Drain grease and return to pan.
- Sprinkle with seasonings, stir.
- Add tomato sauce and jalapeños, stir and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Unroll pie crust on a lightly flour surface. Using a 4 inch bowl, turn bowl upside down and press down to cut dough. Should be able to get 4 pieces per pie crust.
- Add a little water to the edges of the dough before filling to help seal.
- Add a small amount of shredded cheese and about a ¼ cup of meat mixture.
- Fold dough over and using a fork, close up the edges by pressing to seal and place on a baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg and one tablespoon of water together. Using a basting brush, brush egg wash over the top of each empanada.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until empanada crust is golden brown.
- Carefully remove from oven and enjoy.
Notes
- Always drain your cooked beef to avoid a greasy filling. Remember, even lean ground beef renders a little fat.
- Don’t add too much filling to the empanadas, or they won’t stay sealed. Use no more than ¼ cup of meat in each one.
- Add a little water to the edges of the dough rounds before filling and crimping to ensure a full seal.
- Always wash your hands and avoid touching your face when handling hot peppers.
Nutrition
Here are a few pics that are the perfect size for pinning to Pinterest.
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I use it so often and it is my go to yummy beef meal
Hi Paige,
I’m so glad you enjoy these empanadas. Thank you for sharing and for the 5-star rating.
Delicious! Flaky and perfect.
Hi May,
Thank you for sharing! I’m so glad you enjoyed these empanadas. :)
The ground beef recipe is so tasty – way better than taco seasoning. I placed some chopped cilantro on top of beef. I used 3 single pie crusts. I got 4 more circles out of the scraps of pie crust dough. Very delicious!!
Hi Marie, thank you for sharing! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. And glad you were able to get extra out of the scraps.:) Thanks so much for the 5-star rating too!
What can you use to season if you don’t have any slap your momma ?
Hi Cheryle, any cajun spice works. You can leave it out all together if you do not have it on hand.
What is Slap Ya Mama seasoning? I Live Kansas.
Hi Shirley, Slap Ya Mama is a Cajun seasoning that tastes great and is a staple at our house. I use it all the time. You can buy it at Walmart. :)
I am so happy I discovered your website, your recipes are the BOMB Terri!
Thank you so much Josie!!! I’m so glad you did too. I hope you find lots of delicious recipes that can become family favorites with your family as well. :)
Looks delicious! They have empanada dough in the frozen food section at Walmart already cut into rounds … which is what I will use for this recipe ????
Hi Linda, Thank you, they are super delish. Good to know about the pre-made empanada dough. :)
Hi Terri,
These empanadas look absolutely amazing and I’ll bet that they taste just as great as they look. I can’t wait to make this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing all of your wonderful recipes my friend ????✌
Hi Esther, thank you my friend. I think you are going to love this recipe. They sure are tasty. :)
Can you substitute cream of mushroom
Hi Hilary, instead of the tomato sauce? You can. I haven’t ever substituted that but I’m sure it will work. I hope you enjoy this recipe. :)