The Recipe
Brisket Empanadas
Leftover brisket and sautéed vegetables tucked into a buttery homemade dough and baked: an easy fusion appetizer.
Scale
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 oz unsalted butter, 1 1/2 sticks, chilled and cut into 12 pieces
- 1 egg
- 4 – 5 tbsp water
Filling
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 3 – 4 small sweet peppers, sliced
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Mexican chili pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp adobo seasoning
- 5 – 6 oz cooked brisket
Topping
- 1 egg, beaten, for brushing
Instructions
- Mix the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the butter, egg and water and pulse until the dough comes together; it will be a little lumpy. Form into a ball and chill about 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough out into a thin sheet and cut out rounds with a small bowl or plate.
- Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the carrot 3 to 4 minutes, then add the corn and peppers. Add the spices and cook 2 minutes. Set aside.
- In the same pan, cook the brisket a couple of minutes to cook off extra liquid and get a little char. Pulse in a food processor a few times until shredded; don’t overprocess. Mix with the vegetables.
- Spoon some filling down the center of each round, fold over and seal the edges with a fork.
- Brush the tops with beaten egg and bake at 325°F for 6 to 8 minutes, until nicely browned. Serve and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
Card added in October 2026 from the original post. Nutrition is an estimate per serving.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 425kcal (21%), Carbohydrates: 39g (13%), Protein: 12g (24%), Fat: 24g (37%)
Responses
comments – I answer every one.
These turned out great! Added jalapeños & red onion to give it a kick. This definitely goes in My Favorites folder
So pleased to hear they worked out for you. I love the additions you added in. I will need to do that the next time I make these.
Hey, thanks a lot! Just what I was looking for to use up leftover brisket.
Thx Mary. Glad this recipe will come in handy!