Empanadas de Birria (Baked Birria Empanadas)
Golden pastry half moons filled with thick, saucy birria beef and cheese, baked and served with warm consomme.
Made with Birria adobo and consomme. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time3 hr 45
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £2.71 a head
- Oven160°C (140°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Put the beef and salt in a casserole with 450 ml of your ready made birria adobo and consomme (see the base recipe) and the water. Cover and cook for 2 hours 30 minutes until the beef shreds.
150 min - 2
Shred the beef. Strain the liquid and skim off the fat. Boil the liquid hard for 10 minutes until it is thick and sticky, then stir through the beef and onion. Cool completely, which takes about 30 minutes.
10 min - 3
Increase the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Roll the pastry out on a floured surface to about 3 mm thick and cut out 12 rounds about 12 cm across.
- 4
Spoon a heaped tablespoon of filling and some cheese onto one half of each circle. Brush the edge with beaten egg, fold over and press with a fork to seal.
- 5
Place on lined baking trays, brush with egg and cut a small slit in each top.
- 6
Bake for 25 minutes until deep golden. Rest for 5 minutes before eating. Serve with warm broth for dipping.
25 min
Tips
- The filling must be thick and cool. A wet or warm filling softens the pastry and leaks.
- Do not overfill, or the empanadas will burst open in the oven.
- Chill the shaped empanadas for 15 minutes before baking for crisper pastry.
- Gluten free shortcrust pastry works. Add a little extra egg wash to help it brown.
Storing and freezing
Keep cooked empanadas in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze uncooked ones for up to 2 months and bake from frozen, adding 10 minutes. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
Can I freeze these before baking?
Yes. Freeze the shaped, unglazed empanadas on a tray, then bag them. Glaze and bake from frozen at 200C (180C fan) for 30 to 35 minutes, until steaming hot all the way through.
Can I use puff pastry?
Yes. Puff pastry gives a flakier, lighter result but is less sturdy. Check the label, because some contain butter.
Can I make a gluten free version?
Use a gluten free shortcrust pastry. The birria filling is gluten free as written.
More made with birria adobo and consomme
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.