Many families have Empanadas de Pino or Chilean Beef Empanadas for lunch every Sunday in Chile, and they are the centerpiece of the Fiestas Patrias (Independence Day celebrations). They bring to mind the comfort and familiarity of home.
Origins of the beef empanadas
Empanadas are a popular dish that exists across Central and South America. Their strength is in their versatility, with versions both fried and baked with endless possibilities for fillings. Every country has a classic, and the Chilean Beef Empanadas or EMpanadas de Pino are the traditional favorites in Chile.
I learned to make mine with my grandmother a long, long time ago. And although they are not in our weekly rotation, I try to make them at least once a year.
What is the Pino?
Pino is the Chilean name given to the combination of onions and a protein, which in most cases will be ground beef, but it can be seafood too. The diced onion is sauteed with traditional condiments (paprika, cumin, oregano) to form a Sofrito. Pino is a Mapuche word.
To streamline the process, you can make the Pino (ground meat filling) the day before. Once baked, they keep well for 2-3 days in the fridge.
You can use the same dough from this recipe to make other traditional Chilean empanadas like Fried Cheese, Shrimp Cheese, or Seafood. The dough fries well.
The folding or the way you close the empanada de Pino is fundamental. You can do the three-fold you see in the pictures or a two-fold (triangular empanada shape). Do not close the empanada with crimps reserved in Chile for fried empanadas.
Can I freeze the empanadas de pino?
Yes, I recommend freezing them already baked it. Then heat directly (without defrosting) in the oven at 200C or 400F for about 15-20 minutes. They come out perfect, like freshly made.
Can I freeze the empanada dough?
I do not recommend it. The dough gets very difficult to work.
Can I freeze the Pino?
Yes, for up to 3 months, thaw overnight and mix well before using as stuffing.
Can I use vegetable broth instead of beef broth in the Pino?
Yes, it is not a problem. You can also use a dissolved broth cube.
Is this dough good for fried empanadas?
Yes, the recipe for the dough is the same.
What can I do so that the empanadas do not burst in the oven?
It is essential to keep an eye on them and prick them with a toothpick when they inflate so that the steam escapes and does not burst.
Serve your Beef Empanadas with these for a complete Chilean feast:
- Pebre Sauce (appetizer)
- Borgoña (drink)
- Sopaipillas (appetizer)
- Leche Asada (dessert)
Chilean Beef Empanadas de Pino
A traditional Chilean empanada with the perfect dough and filling.
- Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Yield: 12
Ingredients
For the Pino,
• 1 kilo or 2 pounds of ground beef 90%
• 1 cup beef broth
• 3 large or 4 medium onions chopped into small cubes
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons red pepper or paprika or Merken (Chilean smoked chili)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Optional,
• 20 black olives
• 40 raisins
• 4 hard-boiled eggs
For the dough,
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup of warm water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 kilo or 2 pounds of all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 180 grams/ 6,5 oz of melted shortening, warm
Instructions
1. For the Pino, always prepare it the day before,
In a large saucepan, heat the oil and fry the meat until lightly browned about 8 minutes. Add the paprika, salt, pepper, and cumin, and saute for a few minutes.
Add the broth and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat. Add the onion, mix well, and cook over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 30 minutes.
Add the flour and stir well and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Cook two more minutes. Cool and refrigerate.
2. For the dough,
Make a brine with the milk, water, and salt, and stir to dissolve the salt. Mix the flour and eggs in a large bowl or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix for a minute to incorporate.
Add the melted shortening and work a little more. At this point, you will see only crumbs. To form the dough start adding the brine with the mixer running on low speed until the dough is soft and flexible. If needed, keep adding water. Separate the dough into 20 portions and cover with a moist cloth.
Work each piece individually, rolling until thin, cut in a circle about 7″ and fill with two tablespoons of Pino, a quarter of a hard-boiled egg, olives, and raisins if desired. Close by smearing the edge, pressing firmly, and making the folds. Brush with an egg wash before baking.
3. Preheat the oven to 350F or 180C. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden.
4. Serve hot.
Notes
Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat, use the oven at the same temperature for 15 minutes.
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Savory
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Chilean
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 2.7 g
- Sodium: 588.4 mg
- Fat: 21.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.8 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18.7 g
Keywords: Beef empanadas, chilean empanadas
Hi,
I am interested in making your Beef Empanada but I need to omit the onion as I have an intolerance to brown and red onion. Can you tell me if you I can do it with spring onions instead as these are the only ones that don’t repeat on me????? Looking forwards to eating these yummy Empanadas
Yes, you can, it will not be the same, but close. Good Luck!
Hola Pilar
Tengo un problema con las medidas que no he podido averiguar buscando en internet.
En mi país, Dinamarca, usamos decilitro (dl) y no tazas. Leyendo mi libro “Cocina Popular” de M. Walker puedo ver que 5 tazas = 1 litro. Por ende, 1 taza = 20 ml o 2 dl.
Sin embargo, leyendo tu receta en inglés también utilizas la medida taza, y según mi jarrito con medidas de EE.UU una taza no es equivalente a 2 dl. Estoy que me saco el pelo grrr. Espero que me puedas ayudar!!!!
1 taza gringa es 240ml o 24dl… es verdad que hay varias medidas, pero yo siempre uso esa.
OMG. Me encantó tu receta, millones de gracias porque no sabia que carne comprar acá en USA para hacer el pino. No le pego mucho a la cocina y he tratado por años de que me salgan empanadas decentes y éstas son las primeras que me salieron perfectas!!! Gracias nuevamente.
Ale, Que emoción!!!! me alegro mucho, el placer de una buena empanada es incomparable. Saludos.
Great recipe. I used the version you have on another site with chopped beef (instead of ground), but overall I have to say this tastes exactly like the ones I’d eat every day when I was at la Universidad de Chile in 2006. Really brings back memories. Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful. I’m glad you enjoyed. Thanks for coming back to comment.
I just wanted to say how much I love your blog and all of your recipes! We are celebrating dieciocho tomorrow and will be making many chilena dishes from your site!
I’m so glad. Please tell your other Chilean friends about my blog. Have fun!
With my son serving his LDS Mission in Chile (Rancagua), I decided to celebrate 18 de Sept with him and made your empanada recipe (with merken). It was SO delicious! I shared with those of us who served in Chile and they all loved them as well. The best compliment was from someone who’s family came from South America and her response was they were just as good as their abuelita made! Thank you so much for these recipes!
Wow, that is amazing. Thank you so much for coming back and share with me. I’m from Rancagua. Small word. I’m so glad your family and friends enjoyed this recipe.
Hola ! How long can you keep the dough? Should I refrigerate or freeze? Will need it in a couple of days .
I recommend to extend the dough and cut the circles and then storage with parchment paper in between each dough circle. You can freeze for up to 2 months. Or refrigerate up to 5 days. Good luck.
Can this dough be used for fried empanadas?
yes.
Hola Pilar, quiero darte las gracias por tu blog y las recetas de mi pais, hice las sopaipillas siguiendo tu receta y quedaron “requete guenas”…yo no le pego a cocinar y no me gusta pero ahora que estoy “madura” para no decir vieja, jejejeje me he puesto mas domestica y por eso estoy empenada en tratar algunas de tus recetas, la proxima seran empanadas, wich me luck and keep up the good work!!!!
Suerte y así aprendí yo, bien de a poco. Lo importante es probar. Saludos.
Hi,
Can you substitute any other fat for the shortening with good results?
Thanks!
On the dough, you can use butter, but the texture is a little different to the traditional ones.
They look amazing (and taste great too, I’m sure)! I spent time in Chile and got completely addicted to empanadas de pino. And that’s from someone who rarely eats me, let alone ground beef!
I’m glad you have good memories of the empanadas.
The milk to be used is it canned evaporated milk or regular gallon milk?
Regular milk, other milks are always pointed out on the blog.
Thank you for having these recipes. I try to get them from my mom but she doesn’t measures nothing it’s just by looking. I was born in Chile. Came here when I was two. But I was raised eating these foods.
You are welcome. Most people in Chile don’t measure either. Welcome to the blog.
Hi Pilar,
You have some delicious recipes. I was wondering if you ever make any of your recipes for shipping to the Tampa, Florida area??
I’m particularly interested in ordering Empanadas de Pino (Chilenas). If you ship out, could you please email me direct with all pertinent information.
Thanking you in advance!!
Erick
Hi, no, I don’t sell food.
Thank you for this recipe. Can you make empanadas de queso using this same empanada dough recipe and just filling with cheese? If so, what cheese do you recommend?
Yes, you can. The dough can be fried or baked. Best cheeses are Muenster and Havarti, a combination is great, or Havarti and quesadilla.
Al final de la receta para preparar el pino en español no aparece “cook two more minutes”
Gracias, lo voy a mirar.
pan amasado y las empanadas me quedaron super desde aqui de las vegas nevada
Que bueno!!
Looks amost identical to my my dads recipe. I will make some para el “18” thats coming up. Gracias for charing!
Wonderful. Good luck.
I cannot tell you how excited I am about finding your blog! My husband came back from a Reunión Naval in Viña Del Mar REALLY craving some of his favorite foods. He talked me through making porotos con reinados and chaquican (sp?) as well as asking me to make pebre more often, but after attending 3 different dieciocho celebrations, I’m the one craving more empanadas and pastel de choclo! I’m so excited to find one blog with so many Chilean recipes! Now I’m already planning some surprises for my family’s Christmas dinner (the only time we are ALL together!)
Mil gracias from a gringa con uña corazón Chilena!!
Welcome, Julene!. Please comment with any questions you may have. I live in Houston, I can tell you muy favorite American brands and kind of cheeses. I love talking about Chilean food.
I’m so glad that I found your blog!! Three years ago I studied abroad in Chile for a year, and ever since I’ve been missing the food! I’ve tried looking up recipes before, but I never felt like they were authentic like yours. I’m so excited to try making empanadas and all my other favorites! Hopefully my friends and family love them as much as I do. 🙂
So exciting. Welcome, and please let me know if you have any questions.
Hola Pilar,
I’ m so happy i found your empanada recipe. I love them so much, my family is originally from Chile. I have a Quick question. I don’t have a mixer with a paddle. Can i mix the ingredients by hand or should i get a regular hand mixer ?
You can do it by hand in a bowl. No problem.
And welcome to the blog!
I made this recipe today, it turned out great! I had to adapt the dough to be gluten free because I have celiac disease and I can’t have wheat, but I am good with gluten free cooking so it was not a problem to convert using special flour. The empanadas were delicious. Thank you for the great recipe.
Fantastic. I’m so glad you enjoyed them.
Muchas gracias muy buena explicación
Esas son las verdaderas empanadas chilenas .
Felicitaciones …me voy a animar a hacer las .gracias
Me alegro que te hayan gustado y si son muy tradicionales.
Hola muchas gracias por la receta .quería preguntar te sobre la grasa shortening viene siendo una grasa animal verdad ?no es no mantequilla ni margarina verdad ??muchas gracias
El shortening es manteca vegetal, el lard es manteca animal.
Donde puedo comprar empanadas chilenas? Or, Where can I buy chilean empanadas?
Depende donde vivas. En Chile en amasanderías los domingos principalmente.
Love this receipe can we freeze dough?
No, I don’t recommend it, the texture after is difficult to work with. I usually freeze the already baked empanadas.
Awesome recipe!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I grew up in Chile but now live in Canada and am currently making these for the second time. It taste like my childhood and my brother agree they taste exactly like the very traditional Chilean empanadas we use to get. Also not a big cooking buff yet this recipe was very easy to follow. Thank you!
🙂
I’m so glad to bring back flavors and memories. Thanks for commenting.
Hello! Sorry if this question was asked/answered already, but we’re having an argument here amongst family. Your recipe says to always make the Pino the day before, and to refrigerate it. My wife’s family says you always need to freeze the Pino the day before.
We aren’t sure why the old family recipe says the Pino must be frozen, but we’re going back and forth whether it is for flavor development or pure logistics. What is your take on this part of the recipe?
Just to put it on the fridge is enough, no need to freeze. I voted it was logistics.
Pilar,
Congratulations on the release of your cookbook!
A couple questions though, after baking the empanadas, how long can they be stored in the fridge for before they go bad? and for how long can they be stored in the freezer?
Thanks you 🙂
Thank you. Empanadas can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, frozen for up to 2 months.
Hi Pilar-( name if my 3rd grade teacher in Chile)
Glad to have found this recipe! I have never made them before and plan to make about 24 for Saturday am. Fingers crossed I do ok. I see you made them rectangular- is that how they are usually made in Chile? I will check to see if your restaurant is open and cone by! Miriam
Hi Miriam. I don’t have a restaurant. Good luck with the empanadas, the shape is up to you, but the rectangular is pretty common for Empanadas de Pino oven-baked. For fried empanada is different.
Hello ms. Pilar I have missed your weekly recipes. Are you coming back?
★★★★★
Yes, I will publish every two weeks, I’m working on the backend of the blog. Happy 2021!
Hello,
I have never made empanadas before, but your empanadas look like the ones I grew up eating! Will try and see if my Chilean family is impressed
Good luck.
La masa queda muy rica. Gracias Pilar por compartir tu receta y por traducirla al inglés. Me ayudó a encontrar los ingredientes acá en Canadá.
★★★★★
Me alegro Sandra. Saludos.
Hola Pilar.
Me quedaron super pero, aunque las rellene bien y las hice bien apretaditas, se me inflaron.
What do I do?
Mil gracias.
Arturo
★★★★★
Las puedes pinchar durante la cocción un par de veces para que salga el aire caliente. Saludos.
My sisters and I are so excited to find your blog!!! My mom is from Santiago and we grew up going to Chile to visit the family. HALF my heart will always be there. Every Sunday and all spontaneous gatherings had to have empanadas! We have tried and tried, but never were able to duplicate the recipe. I’m looking forward to trying these and many of your other recipes as I am missing Chile lindo so much❤️
Gracias for giving me a way to connect to Chile through food until we can visit again!!
So glad you found the blog. Let me know if you have any questions. Good luck!
gracias por tus recetas
estoy aprendiendo a cocinar ya ise calzones rotos
y este domingo empanadas seguiré a pie de letra
chileno en australia
Suerte, que te queden ricas.
GRACIAS PILAR! EXCELENTE RECETA!
★★★★★
Me alegro que te haya gustado. Saludos.
Where can you get “aji chileno” in the states? And/or is that something that can be obtained online? I tried Amazon w/o any luck.
Ají chileno, you can buy in https://chinchileproducts.com or https://www.tuchileaqui.com
Good luck!
Gracias Pilar!
De nada!
Hi,
If I freeze the empanadas, at what temperature and for how long should I heat them?
Straight from the Freezer, they take around 15-20 minutes at 325F or 160C. For one or two, for more, more time.
Hola Pilar,
Puedo usar este relleno en empanada frita? Feliz de haber encontrado tu website.
Gracias,
Sole
Si, la masa y el relleno son los mismos en la empanada frita, no es necesario hacer cambios.
Can I order a dozen ?
I don’t sell any food. Only books.
i enjoyed this recipe it came out perfectly
Muy buenas tardes.
Quisiera saber si usted sabe si hay algun lugar o persona en el area del Norte de Virginia en Estados Unidos que venda empanadas chilenas.
Muchisimas gracias
Hola, lamentablemente no sé de nadie.
Saludos.
I haven’t made those in about 20 years. They turned out good! I probably should have made the dough even thinner. Also, I had about a pound of pino left. I think next time I’ll only do 1 lb of meat. Thanks for an easy recipe to follow! I highly recommend it.
★★★★★
Hi Cristina,
I’m so glad you made them. You shouldn’t have pino left, consider filling them up more, and probably keeping the dough thinner as you mentioned to made them bigger.
Hola from CanadaPilar! My children’s dad is Chilean and I was initiated into the cuisine almost 40 years ago. We spent five glorious weeks in Chile back in 1986. A sister-in-law taught me how to make empanadas de horno but I lost the recipe for the dough and sadly, she is no longer able to provide it to me. I spent a lot of time scouring the internet for something similar but nothing seemed right. (Her recipe included baking powder).
I chanced upon your recipe last year and I couldn’t wrap my head around the egg yolks and adding the melted lard prior to the brine but I just trusted your directions and it is fantastic!
I’ve made these a few times and your dough works well every time. Thank you very much. I need to buy your cookbook from Amazon.
★★★★★
I’m so glad Liz, and thanks for commenting. The method to make the dough is different to how I learned it from my grandmother, but it’s safest and traditional flavor.
This recipe is the best and most authentic and delicious I have found for Chilean empanadas – the pastry is divine – so malleable and easy to manage when making the empanadas and so light, crispy, chewy, tasty when baked – it’ s a miracle – this is the ultimate recipe – I will stick to this one forever !
Thanks, Hannah for this endorsement! I’m so glad you like it.