GROUND BEEF EMPANADAS with poblano peppers and cheese | Empanadas De Carne Molida ❤

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey is lower in fat, while ground pork is often less expensive.

empanada dough

🥗Healthier: whole wheat dough

💰Cheaper: store-bought dough

Whole wheat dough offers more fiber, while store-bought is convenient and cost-effective.

Prepare masa by combining 2 cups yellow masa, 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder in a bowl.

Gradually add 1 cup and 3/4 warm water, mixing until the masa feels like modeling clay, moist but not wet or dry.

Knead the masa well, then add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and knead again until evenly moist.

Wrap the masa in saran wrap and set aside to keep it moist.

Roast 2 small poblano peppers on the stovetop until charred, then place them in a Ziploc bag to steam.

In a skillet, spray non-stick spray and add 1 lb of 80/20 ground beef, browning until it loses most of its pink color.

Remove excess grease from the ground beef, then add 1/2 small onion and 1 medium carrot (cut into small cubes), cooking until the onion is slightly translucent.

Add 1 large Roma tomato, 1/3 cup water, and 2 teaspoons beef bouillon to the skillet, along with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and mix well.

Add the ground spices (1/2 teaspoon peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin, 2 large garlic cloves, and 3 pimenton) to the meat mixture and let it simmer on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes without a lid.

After 3-4 minutes, add the roasted poblano peppers to the mixture and let it simmer for an additional 12 minutes until the liquid is gone but the mixture is still moist.

Remove the filling from the heat and transfer it to a bowl to cool.

Using a tortilla press lined with plastic, take a piece of masa and press it down to form a disc.

Place about 2 heaping teaspoons of the filling in the center of the disc, adding slices of Monterey Jack cheese if desired.

Fold the masa over the filling and seal the edges by pressing down with your fingers or a fork.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens