Venezuelan Empanadas Recipe
Empanadas are a typical South-American dish. This recipe will teach you how to make delicious Venezuelan empanadas with a tasty beef filling. The beef filling has a surprise ingredient that enhances its flavor and adds a flair of mystery to it.
Servings 8 pieces
Equipment
- Plastic Wrap or Wax Paper
- Paper Towels
Ingredients
Filling
- 3 tbsp. sunflower oil
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- ½ medium onion diced
- ¾ lbs. (325 gr) ground beef
- 1 small green bell pepper diced
- ¼ cup loose packed (50 gr) cilantro/coriander chopped
- 2 tbsp. scallions chopped
- ½ cube beef stock
- ½ tsp paprika powder
- ¼ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ⅓ cup (28 gr) raisins
- 1 tsp habanero chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp. guava jam
Dough
- 2 cups (325 gr) P.A.N. Pre-cooked Yellow Corn Meal
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- ¼ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups (500 ml) water
- sunflower oil (see note 1)
Instructions
- Heat the 3 tbsp of sunflower oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the ground beef and paprika and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cilantro, scallion, beef stock, paprika powder, cumin powder, garlic powder, raisins, habanero, and stir. Cook for a few more minutes until the ground beef is browned. Lower the heat, add the bay leaves, and guava jam. Let it simmer for 5 minutes more until all liquid is absorbed but not dry. Put aside when done.
- In a medium bowl, add all the dry ingredients and mix well. Gradually add water while kneading. Keep kneading and adding water until the dough is soft, firm, and not sticky anymore.
- Place a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper on the countertop and grease it with a bit of oil. Create dough balls of 0.2 lbs/70 gr (size of a tennis ball). Press it on the wrap to form a disk of about 1 inch (2½ cm). Use your fingers to smooth the edges. Add 1 tbsp. of filling to one half of the circle. Fold the opposite side over it using the wrap. Use the sides of your index finger to press the edges down.
- In a deep pan, add plenty of oil to cover at least ¾ of the empanadas. Heat the oil on medium-high and add the empanadas when the oil is very hot. Use a spoon to splash some oil on the top side. Turn them as soon as the empanada gets a nice crust (about 3 minutes). They're done when both side have a nice crust.
- Place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain the grease.
Notes
- How much oil you need depends on the size of your pan. The wider the pan, the more oil you need. Just make sure to have enough to cover 3/4 of the patties and for greasing.