Beef Empanada Filling

Difficulty:
1/5

The ground beef empanada is a true classic. Make the filling twenty-four hours before making the empanadas so that the spices have a chance to meld with the beef.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium Spanish onions, finely diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil or sunflower oil
  • 1 pound (450 g) ground beef
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (22.5 mL) ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon (15 mL) paprika
  • 2 teaspoons (10 mL) red chili flakes
  • 6 green onions, green parts only, finely chopped

Directions

  1. Sauté the onion and red pepper in a large skillet in the oil over medium-low heat, until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
  2. To the same pan, add a little more oil and sauté the beef over high heat. Once the meat has browned, reduce the heat to low and add the onions and red peppers back to the pan. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Stir in the cumin, paprika, and chili flakes, and mix well. Let the filling rest in the fridge until chilled, ideally for 24 hours for the flavours to meld.
  4. Stir the green onions into the mixture before assembling the empanadas.