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These air fryer ground beef empanadas are crispy, tender, and full of flavor. Skip the deep fryer and make these in the air fryer instead. They air fry perfectly in just 7 minutes!

I make a similar empanada recipe, these spicy beef and cheese empanadas and they were the inspiration for these! I’m obsessed with my air fryer and can’t believe it’s taken me this long to air fry empanadas. You can make these with ground turkey or chicken if you prefer.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Empanadas are the ultimate party food.
• You can eat these with your hands, no utensils required!
• Feeds a crowd.
• Inexpensive to make.
• The crust is flaky while the meat filling is super tender and delicious.

Ingredient Notes

• Empanada Discs – These can be found in the Hispanic frozen section of your local supermarket.
• Ground Beef – Feel free to use ground turkey instead.
• Garlic – Fresh or granulated garlic will work.
• Olives – You can use capers instead, however, olives are completely optional.
• Cheese – I used mozzarella cheese but use whatever you have on hand.
• Vino Seco – Optional. If you don’t have dry cooking wine, you can use a splash of drinking wine.
• Sazon – Adds so much flavor! If you don’t have it on hand, add your favorite spices.

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Break up the ground beef using a wooden spoon and brown completely over medium-high heat, this should take about 7 minutes. Make sure to stir frequently.
2. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato sauce, oregano, cumin, sazon, olives, vino seco, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Allow the ground beef to cool for at least 10 minutes.
3. Place each empanada disc on a lightly floured surface. Put about 2 tbsp of the beef mixture and 1 tbsp of cheese in the center of each disc.
4. Wrap the dough around to form the empanada and press the edges together. Use a fork to press down on the edges.
5. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. for 5 minutes. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
6. Place the empanadas in the air fryer basket, brush the empanadas with egg wash and cook for 4 minutes.
7. Once the 4 minutes are up, flip the empanadas, brush them with egg wash and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
8. Allow to cool for 2 minutes and enjoy warm!

Can I Bake These Instead?

Yes, of course. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. and bake the empanadas for 18-20 minutes.

Top Tips

• Make sure to brush the empanadas with egg wash on both sides. The egg wash will give them a beautiful golden color.
• Seal the edges tightly so the filling doesn’t escape while it cooks.
• Serve the empanadas with hot sauce or chimichurri sauce.

Can I Make These In Advance?

You can certainly make these ahead of time and freeze them. Place the uncooked empanadas on a baking sheet and freeze overnight. The following day, place the frozen empanadas in a plastic freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, place the empanadas in the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. flipping halfway.

More Recipes You’ll Enjoy

• Air Fryer Mexican Corn
• Air Fryer Cheeseburger Egg Rolls
• Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
• Air Fryer Cheese Curds

Tried these air fryer ground beef empanadas? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!