As someone who’s had her fair share of the real thing, I can tell you that they taste amazing and are surprisingly close to the original! I started making this recipe after we visited Buenos Aires. Needless to say, while in Argentina, we enjoyed lots of great steaks and lots of deep-fried empanadas! Upon returning home, I just had to make them. But I wanted to bake rather than fry them, and I wanted them to be low-carb. These keto empanadas are so good! I make them for my family once a month. The only reason I don’t make them more often is that despite being relatively easy for its type, this is an involved, multi-step recipe.
Ingredients
Here’s an overview of the ingredients you’ll need to make keto empanadas. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Avocado oil: This oil has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point, making it an ideal cooking oil. Ground beef: I use lean ground beef - 85% lean and 15% fat. Onion and garlic: Freshly minced garlic tastes best but jarred minced garlic works too. To season: I use sea salt, black pepper, ground cumin, and smoked paprika. Shredded mozzarella: This is the cheese used to make fathead dough. Cream cheese: I use full-fat cream cheese in this recipe. Almond flour: I use blanched finely ground almond flour to make the dough. I don’t recommend using a coarse almond meal. Egg: I use large eggs in most of my recipes, this one included.
Instructions
The detailed instructions for making these keto empanadas are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of the steps: Make the filling. This is easy: you simply cook ground beef, onion, garlic, and spices until cooked through, then drain and set aside. Make the dough. Make the fathead dough, then roll the dough thin and cut it into circles. Shape the empanadas. Place a bit of filling on each dough circle, then fold over to make a half-circle and pinch the edges closed. Bake them. Bake the pastries until they are puffy and beautifully golden-brown, about 10 minutes per side in a 350°F oven.
Expert tip
When it comes to shaping the empanadas, you have two options. One option is to place a heaping tablespoon of the beef mixture in the center of one circle. Then top it with another circle and pinch the edges closed. The second option is to place a heaping tablespoon of the beef mixture on one half of each circle, leaving a ½-inch border. Then fold the dough over to make a half-circle and pinch the edges closed. The second option is tastier, in my opinion, because the ratio of filling to dough is better. It also produces more of the pastries (albeit smaller ones). The drawback to this option is that since Fathead dough is more fragile than wheat dough, the circles tend to form small tears when you stretch them over the filling to make a half-circle. However, this is not really an issue, because (a) you’ll likely have additional scraps of dough and can patch the tears, and (b) as they bake, the dough puffs, and everything comes together beautifully - no spills. In the video below, I demonstrate both options. Traditionally, the edges are crimped with a fork to make a pretty pattern. But I find that the keto dough is a bit too sticky for that. So I skip this step.
Frequently asked questions
Variations
I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you’d like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:
You can use ground pork instead of ground beef in the filling. Ground chicken or turkey are also an option, but make sure you use ground dark meat and not white meat which is too dry.Cook the filling in olive oil or ghee instead of avocado oil.Add some herbs to the filling, such as dried thyme or dried oregano.
Serving suggestions
This dish is typically served as an appetizer, and you can serve two per person. But sometimes I serve them as a main course, and then I serve three per person accompanied by an easy salad such as arugula salad, tomato salad, or cucumber salad.
Storing leftovers
Empanadas are best when enjoyed freshly baked. But you can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave on 50% power. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
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