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Traditionally a beautiful Argentinian delight, you’ll find these gluten free and keto empanadas to be bursting with flavor and all wrapped up in a suuuper flaky low carb pie crust!
Gluten Free & Keto Empanadas
Suuuper Flaky!
That’s right, empanadas are a true delight, which we’ve adopted here in Mexico as our own (a no-brainer!).
This version, however, is a bit more on the traditional Argentinian side; with the addition of green olives being non-negotiable!
Bonus: they’re very filling! So you can easily get 8 empanadas out of a batch of dough (they’re not very big traditionally), bake them up, freeze, and warm up as needed.
Alternatively, they also freeze quite well unbaked. So if you’re all about fresh empanadas, simply bake them straight from them freezer when the need (i.e. desire) arises.
Bonus numero dos: they’re easy. The filling is stupidly simple (like most great things in life!), and while working with the pie crust does take a little practice- freshly made empanadas are hard to beat!
The Deets
Many of you already know and love my gluten free & keto pie crust. Suuuper flaky and a breeze to make, I’ve already used it anywhere from strawberry pop tarts to quiche and numerous keto pies (think pumpkin and ‘apple’!!).
The one trick is to work quickly and in a cool place. And if at any moment the dough feels unmanageable, simply pop it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
Note: a few of you have reported back that using an ‘empanda press‘ to handle the dough makes the process absolutely seamless (and I’m dying to try!).
And do keep in mind that as the filling expands while baked, it will crack your pastry slightly. Honestly don’t sweat it, as the only way around this would be to increase the xanthan gum to make up for the lack of gluten. But that would mean less flakiness, and I’m just not into sacrificing taste and texture for looks.
Gluten Free & Keto Empanadas
Servings
8
servingsPrep time
20
minutesCooking time
30
minutesCalories
230
kcalTraditionally a beautiful Argentinian delight, you’ll find these gluten free and keto empanadas to be bursting with flavor and all wrapped up in a suuuper flaky pie crust!
Ingredients
- Special equipment
empanda press optional
- For the pie crust
1 batch gluten free & keto pie crust *
- For the beef filling
extra virgin olive oil for cooking
1/2 pound ground beef or 1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 onion very finely chopped
1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
kosher salt to taste
black pepper freshly ground, to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon xylitol or sweetener of choice
1/2 cup pitted green olives rinsed well and halved lengthwise
1 egg lightly beaten for egg wash
Directions
- Make a batch of our keto pie crust and chill while you make the filling.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Cook beef, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned but not completely cooked through. Transfer to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving as much fat in pan as possible.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook onion and bell pepper, stir- ring, until tender but not browned, 6–8 minutes; season with salt and black pepper. Add cumin, paprika, oregano, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth and reserved beef along with any accumulated juices to pot. Stir in sug- ar and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, until most of the liquid is evaporated, 15–20 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, allow to come to room temperature, cover, and chill at least 3 hours
- Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C and line a baking tray with a mat.
- Roll out dough between parchment paper and cut out 8 rounds. Place 2-3 tablespoons filling (depending on the size of your em- panadas) in the center of each round and top with a couple olive halves. Fold round over filling and pinch edges to seal, using a fork to crimp the edges. Transfer empanada to prepared tray, spacing 1” apart. Repeat with remaining rounds (you’ll get about roughly 8 large empanadas out of a batch).
- Note: a few of you have reported back that using an ’empanda press’ to handle the dough makes the process absolutely seamless (and I’m dying to try!).
- Brush with egg wash and bake, rotating tray halfway through, until golden brown and slightly darker around the edges, 25–35 minutes.
Notes
- Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes - *An easier alternative for the dough would be to use our famous Keto Dough (takes 15 minutes to whip up!). Think a bit of an empanada ‘hot pocket’ sorta thing (I’ve done it when feeling a tad bit lazy and works the charm!).
The filling can be made 3 days ahead and the unbaked empanadas can be made 3 months ahead; freeze on sheet tray, then transfer to freezer bags and keep frozen.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 empanada | Calories: 230 kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 230mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g
