Chilean-Style Empanadas de Pino

By Marian Blazes

Updated 07/22/18

Empanadas de Pino
Marian Blazes
Ratings (123)
  • Total: 65 mins
  • Prep: 35 mins
  • Cook: 30 mins
  • Yield: 18 empanadas (18 servings)
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
252 Calories
10g Fat
22g Carbs
20g Protein
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

In Chile, the most traditional empanada filling is called "pino," which is a seasoned mixture of ground beef, onions, raisins and black olives and are topped with hard-boiled eggs.

Empanada dough is quick and easy to make and can be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Pino tastes best if it's made the day before and allowed to rest overnight before filling the empanadas. The more you can do ahead of time, the easier it is!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 large onions (finely chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 beef bouillon cube (dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water)
  • 2 tablespoons flour​ 
  • Empanada dough (chilled)
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup black olives (chopped)
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs (sliced)
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Optional: salt and pepper to taste

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Beef Filling

Melt the vegetable oil and butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and fragrant.  

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the ground beef, cumin, chili powder, paprika, beef bouillon, and salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the beef, stirring and crumbling the meat with a spatula, until well-browned. Add the flour and continue to cook for 2 to 3  minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the raisins and black olives into the beef mixture.

 Let the filling cool completely. The filling will keep up for up to two days in the refrigerator.

Assemble the Empanadas

Separate the empanada dough into golf-ball-size pieces and roll into smooth balls.

Let the dough balls rest for 5 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll each ball of dough into a 6-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick.

Add 1 tablespoon of the ​beef filling and a slice of hardboiled egg to the middle of the circle.

Brush the edges with water and fold the pastry in half over the filling to make a semi-circle.

Seal the edges by pressing down with your fingers. Brush the sealed edge lightly with water, then turn the edge toward the middle and press with your fingers to seal.

Mix the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons milk and brush the empanadas with the mixture.

Bake at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.