These oven baked 3-ingredient beef mini empanadas are the kind of practical party food that never lasts long on the table. With refrigerated pie crust, seasoned ground beef, and pepper jack cheese, you get crisp, golden handheld pastries without making dough from scratch. They have the familiar comfort of a neighborhood cookout snack, and the small size makes them easy to serve as an appetizer, lunchbox addition, or casual weeknight dinner.
Serve these mini empanadas warm with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or a simple cilantro-lime crema for dipping. For a fuller meal, pair them with a green salad, black beans, Spanish rice, corn salad, or fresh fruit. They also fit right in on a game-day spread alongside queso, chips, and a tray of crunchy vegetables.
Oven Baked 3-Ingredient Beef Mini Empanadas
Servings: 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
2 refrigerated pie crusts
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet or lightly grease a glass casserole dish. Let the pie crusts sit at room temperature for a few minutes so they are easier to work with.
2. Cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a spoon until fully browned and no longer pink. Drain off any excess grease and let the beef cool slightly so it does not soften the pastry too much when filling.
3. Unroll the pie crusts and cut out small circles, about 3 to 4 inches across, using a biscuit cutter, round glass, or jar lid. Gather and reroll scraps once if needed to get more rounds.
4. Place a small spoonful of cooked beef and a pinch of shredded pepper jack cheese in the center of each dough round. Fold each round over into a half moon, then press the edges firmly with a fork to seal.
5. Arrange the empanadas on the prepared baking sheet or in the casserole dish with a little space between them. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and deeply golden brown.
6. Let the empanadas cool for 5 minutes before serving so the filling can settle slightly. Serve warm with your favorite dips.
Variations & Tips
Add seasoning: Although the recipe keeps things intentionally simple, the beef benefits from a pinch of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, taco seasoning, or smoked paprika if you have them on hand.
Cheese swap: Pepper jack gives these mini empanadas a gentle kick, but cheddar, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or a Mexican cheese blend will also work well.
Keep them sealed: Avoid overfilling the dough rounds, and press the edges well with a fork so the cheese stays tucked inside while baking.
Make-ahead tip: You can assemble the empanadas several hours ahead and refrigerate them on the baking dish until ready to bake. This is especially useful when making them for parties or cookouts.
Freezer option: Freeze the unbaked empanadas in a single layer until firm, then store them in a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.