Easy Air Fryer Beef Empanadas Recipe

8 people
1 hr

Looking for a new dish to serve on Taco Tuesday or Cinco de Mayo? This Easy Air Fryer Beef Empanadas recipe is one of our family’s absolute favorite dinner recipes!


This post may contain affiliate links which means we receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Air Fryer Beef Empanadas Recipe
Easy Air Fryer Beef Empanadas Recipe


I’ll never forget biting into my first authentic beef empanada. We were stationed in San Antonio and I recall it took me by surprise – the delicious spices that flavored the meat, the subtlety of the flaky crust, the onions within the cheesy seasoned beef, and the light tomatoey base. It had me going gaga! 😍

heart eyes gif

Somehow after all these years and doing Taco Tuesday religiously week after week, how is it possible that I’d never attempted to make homemade empanadas myself before? I knew that had to end, especially after having some at a local Mexican restaurant recently.. it brought me right back to that joy I felt when I’d first tried them. Knew that I absolutely had to recreate this in some way, and so I did! These homemade empanadas use flaky crescent roll dough and are prepared in the air fryer to make them crispy yet soft and flaky! 😍

Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe Made in the Air Fryer

Where Can I Find The Actual Recipe Card?


If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important information for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the easy Air Fryer Beef Empanadas recipe, just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

Easy Air Fryer Beef Empanadas Recipe for Dinner

Can You Prepare These Homemade Air Fryer Empanadas in Advance?


Absolutely! In fact, while eating them while fresh is always preferred, I found the flavors gelled and developed a bit more when I reheated them for leftovers the next day! If you do need to make these ahead of time, do not fear about having to reheat them to serve when you’re ready, especially when reheating using the Air Fryer! These came out wonderfully flaky and crispy using that method!

Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe for Cinco de Mayo

Equipment Needed to Make Easy Air Fryer Beef Empanadas


To make these tasty Air Fryer Beef Empanadas, you will need the following kitchen tools:


  • Large skillet
  • Rubber spatula
  • Mix ‘n Chop
  • Small cutting board
  • Large cutting board
  • Sharp knife
  • Blender or food processor
  • Rolling pin
  • Fork
  • Parchment paper
  • Air Fryer (we looooove this one!)
Easy Air Fryer Beef Empanadas ready to eat

Ingredients Needed to Make Easy Beef Empanadas


You will need the following ingredients:


  • Ground beef
  • Medium sized onion
  • Taco seasoning
  • Minced garlic
  • Salsa
  • Tomato paste
  • Crescent roll dough
  • Smoked paprika
  • Shredded Mexican cheese


Keep in mind, all of the ingredient amounts you’ll need are in the printable recipe card below.

Easy Air Fryer Beef Empanadas Recipe

How to Make Easy Beef Empanadas


Brown your ground beef in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, utilizing a Mix ‘n Chop to mince the meat really finely as it cooks.

Brown Ground Beef to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

Add your taco seasoning to the pan plus the water required (as instructed on the packaging).

Add Taco Seasoning to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

Using a rubber spatula, continue to sauté the taco seasoned ground beef as directed as per the taco seasoning’s instructions.

Saute Beef to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

While sautéing, dice up your onion using a sharp knife on a small cutting board.

Chop Onions to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

To get it as finely chopped as possible, you may opt to utilize a blender or food processor as I did. I wanted my onion diced as finely as possible and you can’t always achieve that by hand, you know?

Mince Onions to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

Add to the seasoned beef your finely minced onions and stir gently, folding the onions into the meat well.

Add Minced Onions to Ground Beef to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

Add to this meat onion mixture some finely minced garlic.

Add Garlic to Meat to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

Sauté well until the onions get soft and lucid.

Saute Ground Beef Mixture to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

After the onions are noticeably soft and clear, add to the pan your preferred salsa and tomato paste; stir and mix well.

Add Salsa and Tomato Paste to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

As you continue to stir, add in your smoked paprika.

Once everything has been added to the meat mixture, you may turn it to stay warm, low, or turn off in preparation for the next step – assembly!

Add Additional Seasonings to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

How to Assemble Easy Air Fryer Beef Empanadas


Take your crescent roll dough out two at a time (still attached) and using a rolling pin on a large cutting board, roll out the dough pressing the sections together to make it one unit instead of two.

Roll Out Crescent Roll Triangles to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

Once pressed together to make a seamless rectangle, lift to prevent sticking to the cutting board.

Flattened Crescent Roll Dough to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

Replace the dough rectangles back onto the cutting board and cut in half using your sharp knife.

Slice Crescent Roll Dough into Squares to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

Place about a teaspoon-to-tablespoon size of meat mixture in the center of the smaller rectangles, and top with some shredded Mexican cheese.

Add Taco Meat and Cheese to Crescent Roll Dough to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

Try not to overfill them too full with meat and cheese or they won’t close too well.

Cheese and Taco Meat Ready to Fold to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

Take one side of your dough and fold it over top in half. Begin with one side and start curling the dough inward, rolling it between your fingers tightly and upwards towards the meat/cheese pocket.

Roll Crescent Roll Edges and Pinch to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

Use a fork to crimp the rolled edges like a pie crust to seal it closed.

Seal the edge of the crescent roll dough with a fork to make Easy Beef Empanadas

Place parchment paper onto your Air Fryer’s basket and spray lightly with cooking spray. Add your uncooked empanadas to the parchment paper and line them up nicely, gently spraying a little cooking spray over top them. They don’t spread much at all so you can pack them nice and tight to prepare as many at once as possible to minimize cooking time!

Place on a Parchment Lined Rack to go in the Air Fryer to Make Easy Beef Empanadas

Bake them at 350 for about 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway. Test for doneness and add a couple more minutes if needed!

Easy Beef Empanadas Ready to Serve

Let cool 1-2 minutes or so before serving!

Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe Made in the Air Fryer
Air Fryer Beef Empanadas


Can You Use Pie Crusts Instead?


Absolutely! When using pie crusts, you can choose whether or not to cut out rectangles or use circles instead? You can also reuse the cut away dough, re-rolling it out to be cut out again!

Easy Air Fryer Beef Empanadas for Cinco de Mayo

Other Taco-Inspired Recipes to Try!


If you’re feeling particularly tac-inspired after seeing this recipe, then look no further, friend! We’re pretty taco-addicted around here too (with more tasty recipes on the way)! Check out our tried and true Tex-Mex faves that are huge hits with the kiddos!


  • Easy Creamy Chicken Tacos Recipe
  • Chili’s Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas Recipe
  • Beef Totchos – Tater Tot Nachos
  • Knock Your Socks Off Pork Carnitas Recipe
  • Instant Pot Queso Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
  • Jalapeño Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas Recipe
  • Chicken Fajita Queso Dip
  • Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowl Recipe
  • Jalapeño Corn Casserole (side dish)
  • Barbecue Pulled Chicken Nachos
  • Best Taco Casserole Recipe Ever!
  • Jalapeño Popper Macaroni and Cheese
  • Easy Taco Soup
  • Creamy Chicken Enchiladas Verdes with Tomatillo Sauce
Easy Creamy Chicken Tacos Recipe
Copycat Chili’s Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas Recipe
Beef Totchos – Tater Tot Nachos Recipe
Knock Your Socks Off Pork Carnitas Recipe
Instant Pot Queso Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Jalapeño Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas Recipe
Chicken Fajita Queso Dip Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowl Recipe
Jalapeño Corn Casserole Recipe
Barbecue Pulled Chicken and Pork Nachos Recipe
Easy Taco Casserole Recipe
Jalapeño Popper Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Easy Taco Soup Recipe
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas Verdes with Tomatillo Sauce
Easy Air Fryer Beef Empanadas for Dinner

Get the Printable Recipe for Easy Air Fryer Beef Empanadas


If you love this Easy Air Fryer Beef Empanadas recipe as much as we do, please leave me a 5-star review below and help me share this recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you do make the recipe, I hope you’ll share that you tried it on Pinterest! I love it SO MUCH when readers share their feedback! 🙂

Easy Beef Empanadas Recipe for Dinner

CRAVING MORE CRAFTS AND DELICIOUS RECIPES? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for all the latest updates!


Sign up below to receive my newsletter filled with delicious recipes, fun crafts, and family adventures straight into your inbox:

Easy Air Fryer Beef Empanadas for Taco Tuesday
Easy Air Fryer Beef Empanadas Recipe
Recipe details
  • 8  people
  • Prep time: 45 Minutes Cook time: 15 Minutes Total time: 1 hr
Show Nutrition Info
Hide Nutrition Info
Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 medium-sized onion
  • 2 packets taco seasoning
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1-2 cups salsa
  • 1 cup tomato paste
  • 6-8 packages crescent roll dough
  • 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 2-3 cups shredded Mexican cheese
Instructions

Brown your ground beef in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, utilizing a Mix ‘n Chop to mince the meat really finely as it cooks.
Add your taco seasoning to the pan plus the water required (as instructed on the packaging).
Using a rubber spatula, continue to sauté the taco seasoned ground beef as directed as per the taco seasoning’s instructions.
While sautéing, dice up your onion using a sharp knife on a small cutting board.
To get it as finely chopped as possible, you may opt to utilize a blender or food processor as I did. I wanted my onion diced as finely as possible and you can’t always achieve that by hand, you know?
Add to the seasoned beef your finely minced onions and stir gently, folding the onions into the meat well.
Add to this meat onion mixture some finely minced garlic.
Sauté well until the onions get soft and lucid.
After the onions are noticeably soft and clear, add to the pan your preferred salsa and tomato paste; stir and mix well.
As you continue to stir, add in your smoked paprika.
Once everything has been added to the meat mixture, you may turn it to stay warm, low, or turn off in preparation for the next step – assembly!
Take your crescent roll dough out two at a time (still attached) and using a rolling pin on a large cutting board, roll out the dough pressing the sections together to make it one unit instead of two.
Once pressed together to make a seamless rectangle, lift to prevent sticking to the cutting board.
Replace the dough rectangles back onto the cutting board and cut in half using your sharp knife.
Place about a teaspoon-to-tablespoon size of meat mixture in the center of the smaller rectangles, and top with some shredded Mexican cheese.
Try not to overfill them too full with meat and cheese or they won’t close too well.
Take one side of your dough and fold it over top in half. Begin with one side and start curling the dough inward, rolling it between your fingers tightly and upwards towards the meat/cheese pocket.
Use a fork to crimp the rolled edges like a pie crust to seal it closed.
Place parchment paper onto your Air Fryer’s basket and spray lightly with cooking spray. Add your uncooked empanadas to the parchment paper and line them up nicely, gently spraying a little cooking spray over top them. They don’t spread much at all so you can pack them nice and tight to prepare as many at once as possible to minimize cooking time!
Bake them at 350 for about 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway. Test for doneness and add a couple more minutes if needed!
Let cool 1-2 minutes or so before serving!
Serve with your favorite Tex-Mex side dishes and sauces/dips! Enjoy!
Lisa @ CrazyAdventuresinParenting
Want more details about this and other recipes? Check out more here!
Go
Comments
Next