Chilean Beef and Olive Empanadas

Second week of kindergarten. The routine is forming. Drop-off at 8:10, Caleb runs in. Bring Hazel to the playground. Commissary. Write during nap time. Cook at 1600. Dinner at 1800. The routine. The beautiful, boring, essential routine. Marcus is Caleb's person. Inseparable. Marcus is a civilian kid — dad is an engineer, mom is a teacher — and Caleb is fascinated that Marcus's family doesn't move. 'Marcus has lived in his house FOREVER, Mama.' 'How long is forever?' 'Since he was BORN.' The wonder of a military kid discovering some people stay. That some houses are forever. I met Marcus's mom, Christine, at pickup. Warm, curious about military life. 'How often do you move?' I gave her my complete PCS history and watched her eyes widen with each station. 'Six times in six years?' 'Five moves. Six kitchens. Every oven runs hot.' She laughed. She didn't understand the oven part but she laughed. Made taco night — the San Diego influence already changing our weekly menu. Fish tacos Tuesday (taco shop influence), Emily's cornbread on the side (Texas influence). The menu is a map of everywhere we've been and everyone we've met. Second week. The routine holds. The running continues.

Taco Tuesday started the thought—if fish tacos can carry San Diego into our Texas-touched kitchen, what else is sitting in the map waiting to be cooked? Empanadas have been circling in my head since a street fair near Fort Sam, and after watching Caleb sprint inside like he owned the place and Hazel work the playground, I wanted dinner to feel like that same kind of confident, no-fuss joy. These Chilean beef and olive empanadas are handheld, deeply savory, and exactly the kind of thing that makes a Tuesday feel intentional—another pin on the map we keep building, one kitchen at a time.

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 8 empanadas

Ingredients

For the dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup cold water (plus more as needed)
For the filling:
1 lb ground beef (80/20)
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
For assembly:
1 egg, beaten (egg wash)

Instructions

Make the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the beaten egg and cold water, mixing until the dough just comes together. Do not overwork. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Cook the filling. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add ground beef, breaking it apart, and cook until browned, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Season and finish the filling. Stir in cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and fold in the chopped olives and hard-boiled eggs. Let cool for 10 minutes—this keeps the dough from going soggy.
Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 5-inch circles (a bowl or large cookie cutter works well).
Fill and seal. Place 2–3 tablespoons of filling in the center of each dough circle. Fold the dough over into a half-moon shape. Press the edges firmly and crimp with a fork to seal completely. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
Egg wash and bake. Brush the tops of each empanada with the beaten egg. Bake for 22–25 minutes, until deep golden brown. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chilean Beef and Olive Empanadas — When Taco Night Inspires a New Map Stop