Description
These Organic Beef & Olive Picadillo Empanadas feature flaky pan-fried pizza dough filled with a savory-sweet picadillo made from spiced organic ground beef, green olives, golden raisins, and melty pepper jack cheese. Served alongside a fresh side salad of baby lettuce, cucumber, and southwest dressing, this recipe delivers bold Latin American flavors with a crispy outside and cheesy inside, perfect for a satisfying main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough and Coating
- ½ cup flour
- 1 unit pizza dough (about 10 ounces)
- Cooking oil (for frying, about 1 cup)
Filling
- 10 ounces organic ground beef
- 1 unit onion
- 1 unit green olives
- 1 unit tomato
- 1 ounce golden raisins
- ½ cup pepper jack cheese
- 1 tablespoon fajita spice blend
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 unit beef stock concentrate
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Side Salad
- 1 unit baby lettuce
- 1 unit mini cucumber
- 1.5 ounces southwest dressing
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of flour over a clean work surface. Remove the pizza dough from its packaging and cut into four equal portions (or eight for 4 servings). Lightly coat each piece in flour by rolling and shaking off excess. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. If baking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and adjust the oven rack to the top position.
- Wash and Dice Produce: While the dough rests, wash and dry all produce. Peel and halve the onion, then dice into quarter-inch pieces. Dice the tomato into quarter-inch pieces as well. Roughly chop the golden raisins and green olives.
- Cook Onions and Beef: Heat a drizzle of cooking oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add diced onions, salt, and pepper, cooking and stirring occasionally until slightly softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the organic ground beef to the pan. Cook while breaking up the meat into pieces until it begins to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add Remaining Filling Ingredients: Stir in diced tomato, chopped raisins, fajita spice blend, garlic powder, and beef stock concentrate. Continue cooking and stirring for 1 to 2 more minutes until the beef is fully cooked through. If there is excess grease, carefully drain it. Transfer the cooked filling to a medium bowl.
- Rest Dough Again: Clean and dry the pan used for filling. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour on the work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll each dough piece into a rough circle. Let the dough rest for an additional 10 minutes before shaping further.
- Prepare Salad Ingredients: Trim and discard the root end of the baby lettuce, then chop into bite-sized pieces. Trim and thinly slice the mini cucumber into rounds.
- Mix Filling: Once the beef mixture has cooled slightly, stir in the chopped green olives and pepper jack cheese until well combined.
- Shape Empanadas: Stretch each dough circle into a larger circle about 6 inches wide. Spoon approximately 1/3 cup of filling onto the bottom half of each dough circle, leaving a half-inch border around the edge. Wet the edges lightly with water using a brush or finger. Fold the dough over the filling and gently press edges together to seal, then crimp edges with a fork to secure.
- Fry Empanadas: Pour about a 1/3-inch layer of cooking oil into the pan used earlier and heat over medium heat. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a pinch of flour and observe if it sizzles. Using a slotted spoon, carefully place no more than two empanadas in the hot oil at a time. Fry each side for 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown, adjusting heat to prevent burning. Transfer fried empanadas to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Bake or Air Fry Alternative: If baking, place empanadas on a baking sheet and bake on the top oven rack at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 13 to 18 minutes until browned and cooked through. For air frying, lightly spray empanadas with nonstick cooking spray and place in the air fryer basket without overcrowding. Air fry at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Toss Side Salad: In a large bowl, combine baby lettuce, cucumber slices, southwest dressing, salt, and pepper. Toss until well coated and evenly mixed.
- Serve: Divide the empanadas and salad between plates and serve immediately for a balanced and flavorful meal.
Notes
- For a leaner option, use ground beef with lower fat percentage.
- If you prefer a less oily empanada, try baking or air frying using the provided instructions.
- Ensure ground beef is fully cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F for food safety.
- Use fresh, ripe tomatoes for best flavor in the filling.
- Golden raisins add a sweet contrast; substitute with chopped dried apricots if preferred.
- Pressing edges firmly prevents filling leakage when frying or baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 1120 kcal
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 1540 mg
- Fat: 63 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 42 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 95 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 46 g
- Cholesterol: 125 mg
