By Tanya K. / Dinner, Recipes / updated on October 22, 2023
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An empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry with meat (beef, chicken), cheese, onion, and other ingredients. It can be baked or fried in many countries in Latin America as well as Spain.
Some people call it meat pie or hot pocket. Some call it a calzone, which is an Italian dumpling. Whatever the name you call it, we are here to ketofy it and make it low carb for you to enjoy!
For this Keto Empanada recipe, I use the fat head dough which is made of coconut flour, egg, mozzarella and cream cheese. For the filling, I use ground beef, pepperoni, marinara sauce and chicken sausage.
Make sure your sausage has no added sugar, flour and other bad fillers. Go for organic if you can.
Here’s the entire process in 1 photo. It can be summarised in 4 main steps: prepare the fillings, make the dough, form and bake empanadas.
You can make 6 medium size empanadas for 6 servings. I like to serve with some leafy green salad and homemade marinara sauce. If you buy store-bought sauce, go for Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce as it’s the most keto-friendly product.
How to Make Low Carb Empanadas with Beef and Pepperoni Filling
Making the Fillings:
Prepare a pan to sauté the ground beef in. Flavor with any desired seasonings, including salt and pepper. Set aside for later use.
Sauté the onion in a decent amount of oil. Wait until the onion turns translucent and soft enough. If you want shortcut, just saute the onion with ground beef together instead of seperate.
Gently drop the sausage slices into the hot pan. Stir with a spatula until cooked enough. This can take around 5 minutes.
Making the dough:
Place the cream cheese and mozzarella in a bowl and microwave until melted. Remove the bowl every 30 seconds to stir, then put back in the microwave. Repeat the process until the cheese is melted. This is to achieve a well-melted mixture and avoid burning.
Crack the eggs into the cheese mixture one by one. Continue stirring with a spoon to combine thoroughly. If you have large eggs, use 3 eggs just enough to make the mixture not runny. If it looks dry, you can add a little bit of water.
Knead the coconut flour into the egg and cheese mixture. Remember not to over knead to make sure the dough is not hard. If it is, simply place it in the microwave to warm and soften it.
Divide the dough into six. Prepare a tray covered with parchment paper. Flatten the six dough portions on the tray.
Arrange the ground beef, sliced sausage, pepperoni, and basil leaves on one half of the flattened dough. Cover with a tsp of sauce. Fold the other half of the dough over the fillings to enclose.
Preheat your oven to 400 F before placing the tray in. Bake for around 20 minutes or so until the top turns golden brown. Baking time depends on the thickness and size of your empanadas.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving plate with a green salad on the side and the remaining marinara sauce for the dip.
Feel free to save this recipe by pinning this picture to your Pinterest board for later use!
Related:
- Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets
- Keto Morning Hot Pockets
- Keto Buffalo Chicken Empanadas
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4.60 from 105 votes
Keto Beef Empanadas
A low-carb beef empanada dish made with cheese and coconut flour as dough, served with marinara sauce and mixed meat fillings.
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Ketogenic, Low Carb, Spain
Keyword beef empanadas, low carb empanadas
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes minutes
Total Time 45 minutes minutes
Servings 6
Calories 525kcal
Author Tanya K.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 3 cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 4 eggs small
- 2/3 cup coconut flour
For the Fillings
- 8 oz Ground beef
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 18 thin slices pepperoni (36g approximately)
- 1 link chicken sausage (keto-friendly)
- 1 onion small, chopped
- 1 cup marinara sauce Rao’s Homemade
- basil leaves fresh, chopped (optional)
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Making Fillings
In a hot pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil in. Saute ground beef with onion and season with salt and pepper for 5 minutes. Once cooked, remove from heat and put the cooked beef in a bowl.
In another pan (or the same pan), add sliced sausages in and cook for 5 minutes until cooked through. Stir occasionally.
Making the Dough
In a bowl, melt mozzarella with cream cheese in a microwave. It’s better to remove and stir it every 30 seconds to make sure it’s not burned. Repeat until the cheese is melted.
Add egg to the melted cheese mixture one at a time, stir well to fully incorporate. Cheese still could be hot so use a spoon if needed. Note: if you have large eggs you might need 3, make sure that mixture is not runny.
Add coconut flour and knead well. Don’t over knead it as it might get hard. If it happens, warm it up in a microwave.
Split the dough in six portions. Cover your tray with parchment paper and make six rounds with your hands.
Add fillings in. On one side of each round, put a bit of marinara sauce (approx. 1 tsp), basil leaves, cooked beef, pepperoni and sliced sausage. Cover with the other side of the round.
Put them in a pre-heated 400F oven and bake for 20 minutes or more. Time depends on the size and thickness of the empanadas. It is ready when the top is golden brown. Serve it with green salad and use marinara sauce leftovers for dipping.
Nutrition/Macros
Nutrition Facts
Keto Beef Empanadas
Amount Per Serving
Calories 525Calories from Fat 360
% Daily Value*
Fat 40g62%
Saturated Fat 18g90%
Cholesterol 214mg71%
Sodium 832mg35%
Potassium 327mg9%
Carbohydrates 12g4%
Fiber 5g20%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 29g58%
Vitamin A 1018IU20%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 333mg33%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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