Preparing empanadas from scratch doesn’t have to be difficult! In fact, if you have premade pie crust and an air fryer, you can whip up these savory treats in a matter of minutes! This quick recipe for air fryer empanadas is so simple, you’ll want to make these delicious meat filled pies for dinner every week.
The beauty of this easy recipe is that you can customize it to suit your family’s taste preferences. We love taco flavored empanadas, which means the filling in this homemade recipe features all the flavors of a classic taco. To make these air fryer empanadas, you’ll need:
- Onion
- Red bell pepper
- Ground beef
- Taco seasoning
- Beef broth
- Refrigerated pie crust
- Egg
HOW DO I MAKE AIR FRYER EMPANADAS?
You won’t believe how easy it is to make fresh empanadas at home with this quick recipe. Just follow these four simple steps to use your air fryer to make empanadas from scratch.
STEP ONE: PREPARE THE FILLING
Before cooking your homemade empanadas in the air fryer, you’ll need to prepare the beef filling to put inside the premade pie crust. Start by heating a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and onion to the pan and sauté for three to five minutes, until the bell pepper pieces soften and the onion becomes translucent. Then, add the ground beef, taco seasoning, and beef broth to the pan. Stir the ingredients together and continue cooking until the meat is browned, then set the pan aside to cool slightly.
STEP TWO: PREPARE THE PIE CRUST
Lightly flour your work surface and place your pie crust on top. Use a rolling pin to roll out the crust to thin it out slightly. Then, place a round bowl or cup on top of the crust and cut out four circles. To get the right sized empanadas, make sure your bowl is around 8 inches in diameter. Continue rolling and cutting until all the dough has been used.
STEP THREE: FILL THE EMPANADAS
After allowing the filling to cool, scoop around two tablespoons of meat mixture onto one side of each of your pie crust circles. Dip your finger in water and wet the outer edge of the circle, then fold the circle in half over the top of the filling. Use a fork to pinch the sides of the crust together and brush the top of each empanada with beaten egg.
STEP FOUR: AIR FRY THE EMPANADAS
Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees, the place the filled pie pieces in the basket of your air fryer. Cook the empanadas for around five minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Continue cooking the empanadas in batches until they’ve all been cooked.
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 – 1 oz package taco seasoning or 1 oz. homemade
- 3 TBSP beef broth
- 1 pkg refrigerated pie crusts 2 crusts total bring to room temperature
- 1 egg whisked
Instructions
Step One: Prepare the Filling
- Start by heating a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and onion to the pan and sauté for three to five minutes, until the bell pepper pieces soften and the onion becomes translucent. Then, add the ground beef, taco seasoning, and beef broth to the pan. Stir the ingredients together and continue cooking until the meat is browned, then set the pan aside to cool slightly.
Step Two: Prepare the Pie Crust
- Lightly flour your work surface and place your pie crust on top. Use a rolling pin to roll out the crust to thin it out slightly. Then, place a round bowl or cup on top of the crust and cut out four circles. To get the right sized empanadas, make sure your bowl is around 8 inches in diameter. Continue rolling and cutting until all the dough has been used.
Step Three: Fill the Empanadas
- After allowing the filling to cool, scoop around two tablespoons of meat mixture onto one side of each of your pie crust circles. Dip your finger in water and wet the outer edge of the circle, then fold the circle in half over the top of the filling. Use a fork to pinch the sides of the crust together and brush the top of each empanada with beaten egg.
Step Four: Air Fry the Empanadas
- Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees, the place the filled pie pieces in the basket of your air fryer. Cook the empanadas for around five minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Continue cooking the empanadas in batches until they’ve all been cooked.
