Baked Chilean beef empanadas (empanadas de pino)
Baked empanadas de pino: dough that stays sealed and a juicy beef-and-onion filling. Chilean recipe with folding and exact timings.
Baked empanadas de pino take about 70 active minutes (plus resting time for the filling), and yield 12 empanadas. The key is to chill the pino filling thoroughly before assembling and to seal the repulgue fold firmly so they stay closed in the oven.
Ingredients
- For the pastry:
- For the pino filling:
- For the filling and finish:
Instructions
-
Cook the pino filling
Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the minced beef and cook, stirring, until it loses its pink colour, about 6-8 minutes. Add the diced onion, paprika, cumin and oregano. Reduce heat to medium and cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours (ideally overnight): a cold, firm filling is essential to prevent the pastry from becoming damp when you assemble the empanadas.
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Prepare the pastry
Sift the flour with the salt and sugar into a large bowl. Add the lard in pieces and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the warm water a little at a time, mixing until everything comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-8 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft and non-sticky. Wrap in cling film and leave for 20 minutes at room temperature.
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Roll and cut the pastry
Divide the dough in half. Roll each portion out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 3 mm. Cut rounds of 16-18 cm diameter using a small plate or cutter as a guide. You should get approximately 12 rounds in total.
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Fill the empanadas
Place each round on your hand or on the work surface. Put a heaped tablespoon of cold pino filling in the centre, pressing it into a firm mound. Add one egg quarter, one olive and 4-5 raisins on top of the filling. Do not overfill: leave a 2 cm border all round for a proper seal.
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Form the repulgue fold
Dampen the edge of the round with water using your finger or a pastry brush. Fold the dough in half over the filling to form a half-moon, pressing firmly to push out any trapped air. For the traditional Chilean repulgue: fold the sealed edge upwards and make overlapping consecutive pleats, creating the characteristic braided cord. Press each pleat firmly. A well-executed repulgue is the best guarantee that the empanadas will not open in the oven.
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Brush with beaten egg
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (top and bottom heat) with the baking sheet inside. Place the empanadas on baking parchment. Brush the surface generously with beaten egg: this will give them their characteristic golden gloss. Apply a second coat for a deeper colour.
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Bake the empanadas
Slide the empanadas on their parchment onto the hot baking sheet in the oven. Bake at 200 °C for 25-30 minutes until deep golden brown. If using a fan oven, reduce to 190 °C. The empanadas are ready when the base sounds hollow when tapped gently and the surface is an even amber colour. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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Nutrition information
| Calories | 320 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 14 g |
| Carbs | 33 g |
| Sugars | 3 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
Values per serving (1 of 4).
Frequently asked questions
Why do empanadas burst open in the oven?
The most common cause is warm or wet filling at the time of assembly: steam from warm pino softens the dough and breaks the seal. The second cause is a poorly executed repulgue with insufficient pressure between folds. The solution: chill the filling well (at least 2 hours in the fridge), avoid overfilling, and press each pleat of the repulgue firmly while expelling trapped air before closing.
Can I freeze empanadas de pino?
Yes, and they freeze very well. The best option is to freeze them unbaked, before egg-washing: place them on a tray without touching, freeze for 1-2 hours, then transfer to a sealed bag. They keep for up to 3 months. To bake from frozen, egg-wash and bake at 190 °C for 35-40 minutes without thawing first. You can also freeze them baked: reheat in a 180 °C oven for 10-12 minutes.
Homemade pastry or shop-bought discs?
Homemade pastry is worth the effort when time allows: it has more flavour, a better crispy texture and you can control the thickness. Shop-bought empanada discs are a practical alternative that works well; choose the thicker ones to prevent tearing when filling. For Fiestas Patrias, making the pastry from scratch is part of the ritual.
How do I make the pino juicy without making the pastry soggy?
The secret is twofold: cook the pino until it is dry but not dried out (well-cooked onion releases and then reabsorbs its moisture) and cool it completely before assembling. A warm or hot filling releases steam inside the empanada which softens and dampens the pastry from within. If the pino is too liquid, drain it through a fine sieve before chilling.
What goes in the traditional Chilean pino filling?
The classic pino contains minced beef, white onion, sweet paprika (ají de color), cumin and oregano. The hard-boiled egg, green olive and raisins are placed in each empanada individually rather than mixed into the pino. Raisins are a detail that divides Chileans, but their subtle sweetness balances the savoury, spiced filling.
Why brush empanadas with egg?
Beaten egg is a mixture of proteins and fats that, when cooked, forms a glossy, golden film over the pastry. Without brushing, the empanada stays pale and dull. For a deeper golden colour, apply two coats — the second one just before going into the oven. The egg also subtly seals the edges of the repulgue.
Can I deep-fry these empanadas with the same dough?
Yes, with two adjustments. Roll the dough thinner (2 mm instead of 3), because thick dough stays raw inside when fried, and skip the egg wash — egg burns in hot oil. Fry in plenty of oil at 175-180 °C (350 °F), 3-4 minutes per side until golden, and seal the edges very well so the filling does not leak. A smaller format (12 cm / 5 in turnovers) fries more evenly than the oven size.
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