This Beef Birria Empanadas is tender, savory, and full of bold flavors. It's the kind of recipe that makes any dinner feel special without requiring hours in the kitchen. Simple ingredients, amazing results — let's get cooking!
Did You Know?
Pro Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is birria empanada?
An empanada filled with slow-braised, chili-spiced shredded beef birria and melted cheese, served with the birria consomme for dipping. It is a Mexican-fusion handheld that combines two beloved dishes.
2. What dough should I use?
Homemade empanada dough with butter for a flaky shell, or store-bought empanada discs (like Goya) for convenience. The dough should be sturdy enough to hold the juicy birria filling.
3. How do I make the birria filling?
Slow-cook chuck roast with guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles, onion, garlic, and spices until the beef shreds easily. Shred and mix with some of the consomme and melted cheese.
4. Should I fry or bake birria empanadas?
Frying at 350 degrees gives the crispiest, most golden shell — about 3-4 minutes per side. Baking at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes works for a lighter version.
5. How do I seal empanadas so they do not leak?
Brush the edges with beaten egg, fold in half, press firmly with fingers, and crimp with a fork. Make sure the birria filling is not too wet or the empanadas will burst during frying.
6. What cheese goes inside?
Oaxaca cheese or mozzarella — both melt into stretchy, gooey strings that pair perfectly with the spicy shredded beef. Place a strip of cheese on top of the birria before sealing.
7. What is the consomme served with birria empanadas?
The rich, chili-infused braising liquid from the birria, served warm in small bowls for dipping. Each bite of crispy empanada dipped in the consomme is an incredible flavor experience.
8. Can I make the birria ahead of time?
Yes — birria tastes even better after a day in the fridge. Make a big batch, use some for empanadas, and save the rest for tacos, quesadillas, or ramen throughout the week.
9. Can I freeze assembled empanadas?
Freeze on a parchment-lined sheet pan until solid, then transfer to bags. Fry directly from frozen adding 2 extra minutes. They keep for up to 3 months.
10. What garnishes go with birria empanadas?
Fresh cilantro, diced white onion, lime wedges, and a small bowl of warm consomme for dipping are the essential accompaniments. Pickled jalapenos or red onions add extra tang.
Watch How to Make This
Ingredients
Method
- For this recipe, we are using two pans of chuck roast two pounds of short ribs, and two pounds of oxtail with paper towels to remove some of the moisture.
- Then season with a generous amount of kosher salt on both sides. Now set your instant pot to the saute setting and press start. Add two tablespoons of oil to the bottom of the pot then saute the beef in batches until brown on all sides and once again do this in batches as to now overcrowd the pot.
- Once seared go ahead and set the meat aside, then with the pasta set to saute add in one large onion cut into chunks eight white chilies, and five guajillo chili before adding the chilies to the pot ensure that you remove all the seeds and cut them in half just like so.
- Saute for a couple of minutes until the onion becomes translucent season with a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of oregano, 1 teaspoon of dry thyme, 1 tablespoon of black peppercorn, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 tablespoon of dried coriander, 1 teaspoon of freshly minced ginger, and 10 cloves of garlic, then saute for a couple of minutes to wake up the spices. Add two and a half cups of beef stock followed by one tablespoon of tomato paste, then bring to a simmer and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
- And after simmering for 10 minutes transfer the double into a blender meanwhile turn your instant pot off. Blend the adobo sauce until you get a smooth texture the adobo sauce looks great this is what we were looking for. Now transfer the beef back into the instant pot,
- Pour the adobo sauce over the beef, then close the lid now set the instant pot to meat stew and set the timer to 55 minutes, and press start.
- And after 55 minutes you may press quick release and for safety reasons, I like to place a tower over the steam and at this point, your beef birria would be fork tender. Now transfer into a mixing bowl and remove the bones.
- Now using two forks and go ahead and shred it.
- Then we are running the Consommé through a fast separator, for a clear broth.
- Then pour the Consommé without the fat into a bowl and set it aside.
- And for the empanadas, we are using Oaxaca cheese and the best way to cut up the cheese is to shred it by hand just like so. For the empanadas we're using store-bought frozen empanadas you may find the empanada disc at most grocery stores in the Latino frozen section. Let the frozen empanada disc sits on the countertop for at least one hour so they can get defrosted, and if you forgot to get them out of the freezer put them in the microwave for one minute and that would do the trick. To make the empanadas is very simple, place a disc on your countertop then fill it up with the cheese and the beef birria.
- Then fold the empanada in half sort of like a taco and make sure that you close the edge with your fingers then using a fork go around the edge just like so.
- Easy peasy! Repeat the same process with the rest of the empanada discs.
- Then in a skillet over medium-high heat add enough canola oil to fry them. Once the oil has reached 350 degrees Fahrenheit you may transfer them into the skillet.
- Fry them for about two to three minutes per side or until golden brown.
- Once golden brown get them out of the oil and set them aside. What about if you don't want to fry them in oil? Let me show you how to make them in the air fryer, and if you want to make them in the air fryer in a small mixing bowl add the egg white of one large egg followed by one tablespoon of water give that a whisk.
- Now brush each empanada with the egg wash on both sides.
- Then spray the inside of your air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Place your empanadas into the basket. I am doing three empanadas at a time. however, if your air fryer basket is bigger you can do more, of course.
- Now set your air fryer temperature to 325 degrees and set the time to 15 minutes. Go ahead and press start.
- And after 8 minutes pull the air fryer basket out and flip them over.
- After you have flipped them over continue air frying for the remaining time.
- And after 15 minutes of total cooking time, your air fryer empanadas should look like this.
- And to serve them we need some of the birria sauce, add half a lime juice, one tablespoon of diced onion, and some fresh cilantro. And I think now you are ready to eat.
- There you guys have it, super cheesy beef birria empanadas, two ways. Enjoy, buen provecho!
- Air Fryer Empanadas
- Birria Quesa Tacos
- Beef Birria Mofongo
Notes
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Freezer: Freeze in a sealed container for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheat: Warm in a skillet over medium heat, in the microwave, or in a 350°F oven until heated through.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving, Approximate)
Nutrition values are estimates and may vary based on ingredients and preparation.
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