Plantain Beef Empanadas Recipe
This Plantain Beef Empanadas Recipe is absolutely delicious and is the perfect combo of sweet, savory and cheesy!
How to Make Plantain Beef Empanadas
This recipe for Plantain Beef Empanadas was a huge hit with my family! Made with a sweet plantain dough that is packed with a savory beef and cheesy filling and fried until golden brown, these empanadas are irresistibly delicious. To make this recipe, you will need the key ingredients shared below.
Key Ingredients
- Yellow Plantains (You want plantains that are ripe but still have some firmness to it; not too soft or mushy to touch. See photo below for reference.)
- Ground Beef
- Yellow or White Onions
- Jalapeño Pepper
- Sofrito
- Tomato Paste
- Sazon
- Adobo Seasoning
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Avocado or Vegetable Oil
(See recipe card below for the exact measurements for listed ingredients.)
Preparation
- Boil Plantains – cut the ends of the plantains and then cut into 1 inch pieces. Add cut plantain pieces into a large pot of water and bring to a boil under medium high heat. Boil the plantains until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes or longer as needed. If you were to poke through one of the plantain pieces with a knife or skewer, it should go through with not resistance. Drain the cooked plantains and set aside to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Make Beef Filling – heat some oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in the onions and jalapeño peppers. Cook mixture while stirring until soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Next, add in the ground beef and use a large spoon to break up the meat. Mix in the sofrito, tomato paste and seasonings. Cook ground beef mixture until the meat is fully cooked and no longer pink, about 6 to 8 minutes or longer as needed. If meat mixture appears dry as it cooks, add a few tablespoons of water and continue to cook until the beef is fully cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool the beef filling.
- Make Plantain Dough – peel and transfer the cooled plantains into a large mixing bowl (Plantains should not be wet. If plantains appear wet, pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.) Use a potato masher to mash the plantains into a smooth mixture. Add and mix in the cornstarch and seasonings until a smooth, soft dough forms. The dough should be able to hold its shape and not be overly sticky.
- Form Empanadas – line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Cut the plantain dough into (4) equal pieces. On a work surface, place down a sheet of parchment paper, add one of the dough pieces into the center and top with another sheet of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin or hands, flatten the dough into a 6 inch circle. Remove the top parchment paper. On the top half of the dough, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cheese. Spoon over the cheese a portion of the cooled beef filling and top with an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of cheese. Use the bottom parchment paper to fold over the lower half of the dough over the filling. Press the edges close to seal the empanada and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat process with the remaining ingredients for a total of (4) empanadas.
- Fry Empanadas – heat oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat to 350F. In batches of (2), fry the empanadas, about 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to a large plate or baking sheet that is lined with paper towels to remove any excess oil.
- Serve – plantain empanadas immediately while still hot as is or with your preferred sauce. I serve empanadas with this Cilantro Lime Sauce.
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Plantain Beef Empanadas Recipe
This Plantain Beef Empanadas Recipe is absolutely delicious and is the perfect combo of sweet, savory and cheesy!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Plantain Dough
- 2 large ripe yellow plantains see notes
- 6 tablespoons 48g cornstarch, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon adobo seasoning
Beef and Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces 90/10 ground beef
- 1 small yellow or white onion finely diced, about 1/4 to 1/3 cup
- 1 to 2 large jalapeño peppers de-seeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons sofrito homemade or store bought
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 packet Sazon
- 1/2 teaspoon adobo seasoning adjust to taste
- Avocado or vegetable oil for cooking and frying
- 3/4 to 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Cut off the ends of the plantains and then cut each plantain into 1 inch pieces. Add the cut plantain pieces into a large pot of water and bring to a boil under medium high heat.
- Cook the plantains until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes or longer as needed. If you were to poke through one of the plantain pieces with a knife or skewer, it should go through easily without resistance.
- Drain the cooked plantains and set aside to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
- As the plantains cool, make the beef filling.
- Heat some oil, about 1/2 tablespoon, in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in the onions and jalapeño peppers. Cook mixture while stirring until soften, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Next, add in the ground beef and use a large spoon to break up the meat. Mix in the sofrito, tomato paste, Sazon and adobo seasoning. Cook ground beef mixture until the meat is fully cooked and no longer pink, about 6 to 8 minutes or longer as needed. (If meat mixture appears dry as it cooks, add a few tablespoons of water and continue to cook until the beef is fully cooked through.)
- Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool the beef filling.
- Into a large mixing bowl, peel and add the cooled plantains. (Plantains should not be wet. If plantains appear wet, pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.)
- Use a potato masher to mash the plantains into a smooth mixture. Next, add in the cornstarch (starting with 5 tablespoons) and the seasonings (paprika, adobo, garlic and onion powders).
- Mix ingredients together until a smooth, soft dough forms. The dough should be able to hold its shape and not be overly sticky. If the dough is too soft, mix in additional cornstarch, 1 tablespoon at a time until a soft but not too sticky dough forms. You should be able to scoop and form the dough into a ball.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Divide the plantain dough into (4) equal pieces and shape into balls.
- On a work surface, place down a sheet of parchment paper, add one of dough balls into the center and top with another sheet of parchment paper.
- Using a rolling pin or hands, flatten the dough into a 6 inch circle and remove the top parchment paper.
- On the top half of the dough, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cheese. Spoon over the cheese a portion of the cooled beef filling and top with an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of cheese.
- Use the bottom parchment paper to fold over the lower half of the dough over the filling. Press the edges of the plantain dough together to seal the empanada and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat process with the remaining ingredients for a total of (4) empanadas.
- Heat oil (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups) in a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat to 350F.
- In batches of (2), fry the empanadas, about 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to a large plate or baking sheet that is lined with paper towels to remove any excess oil.
- Serve plantain empanadas immediately while still hot as is or with your preferred sauce. I serve empanadas with a Cilantro Lime Sauce (link to recipe is shared in the notes section below).
Notes
- Make sure to use plantains that are ripe but still have some firmness to it. Plantains should be mostly yellow with a few black marks. It should not be too soft or mushy to touch. Use the photo reference in the body of the post as a guide.
- I served plantain empanadas with this Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce.
