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–+ servings
four cooked ground beef empanadas in the air fryer basket.
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5 from 2 votes

Air Fryer Ground Beef Empanadas

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!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time24 minutes
Total Time44 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Latin American
Servings: 12
Author: Julie Maestre

Equipment

  • air fryer

Ingredients

  • 12 empanada discs thawed
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 tbsp vino seco optional
  • 1/4 cup olives optional
  • 1 tsp sazon
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 onion finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp water
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • cooking spray

Instructions

  • 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. 
  • 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.
  • 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. 
  • Wrap the dough around to form the empanada and press the edges together. Use a fork to press down on the edges. 
  • Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. for 5 minutes. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. 
  • Place the empanadas in the air fryer basket, brush the empanadas with egg wash and cook for 4 minutes. 
  • Once the 4 minutes are up, flip the empanadas, brush them with egg wash and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Allow to cool for 2 minutes and enjoy warm! 

Video

Notes

  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 228mg | Potassium: 182mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg