Empanadas Uruguayas

Name: Empanadas Uruguayas
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Uruguayan
Ingredients: 500g flour; 150g butter, cold and cubed; 1 egg; 100ml warm water; Salt; 500g ground beef; 2 large onions, diced; 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped; 12 green olives, halved; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp paprika; Salt and pepper; 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp milk for glaze; 1 tbsp sugar for glaze

Empanadas (ehm-pah-NAH-dahs oo-roo-GWAH-yahs)

Uruguayan Beef Empanadas

⏱ Prep Time 1 hour 30 min

📈 Difficulty Medium

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 316 kcal

Flaky baked pastry turnovers filled with seasoned ground beef, olives, hard-boiled egg, and onion, with a distinctive sugar-glazed top crust that caramelizes in the oven.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 15.0g

Carbs 28.0g

Fat 16.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

nut-free

Allergen Warnings

⚠ gluten ⚠ eggs ⚠ wheat

Equipment Needed

rolling pin baking sheet pastry brush

Presentation Guide

Vessel: wooden board

Garnishes: sugar glaze

Accompaniments: chimichurri, salsa criolla

Ingredients

500g flour
150g butter, cold and cubed
1 egg
100ml warm water
Salt
500g ground beef
2 large onions, diced
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
12 green olives, halved
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp milk for glaze
1 tbsp sugar for glaze

Instructions

1
Make dough: combine flour, salt, and butter. Cut butter in until pea-sized. Add egg and water, knead briefly. Chill 30 minutes.
2
Cook filling: sauté onions until soft, add ground beef, cook until browned. Season with cumin, paprika, salt, pepper. Cool completely.
3
Fold in chopped hard-boiled eggs and olives into cooled filling.
4
Roll dough and cut into 15cm circles. Place filling in center, fold and crimp edges.
5
Place on baking sheet. Brush with egg yolk wash, sprinkle sugar on top.
6
Bake at 200C for 25 minutes until golden with caramelized sugar glaze.

💡

Did You Know?

Uruguayan empanadas are distinguished from Argentine ones by their sweet glaze on top — the sugar caramelizes during baking, creating a signature crackly-sweet crust.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

rolling pin
baking sheet
pastry brush

Garnishing

sugar glaze

Accompaniments

chimichurri, salsa criolla

The Story Behind Empanadas Uruguayas

Spanish colonists brought the empanada tradition to the Rio de la Plata region in the 1700s. Uruguayan empanadas evolved their own identity through the distinctive sugar glaze and slightly sweeter dough, becoming a national staple sold at every bakery and gas station across the country.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed afternoon snack, party food, picnics 📜 Origins: Spanish colonial era, 18th century

Comments (0)

No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!