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Mexican Keto Empanadas

  • Ready in 50m
  • 5.2 g net carbs
  • 346 kcal
  • Serves 12
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Mexican Keto Empanadas (low-carb, gluten-free, grain-free)

How good are empanadas? Perfect, hand-sized pockets of flavour ready to be carried off and consumed with glee.

In this recipe, the traditional potato is replaced with radish… don’t tell anyone, I bet they won’t notice. A tasty Mexican filling made with ground beef meat, bell peppers and radishes, all wrapped in our good old Fat Head dough. Simply delicious!

Special thanks to Kyndra of Peace Love and Low Carb for her improved keto Fat Head Dough. That's the recipe we used to make the pastry!

How To Make Nut-Free Keto Empanadas

If you can't eat nuts, you can make the dough nut-free by swapping the almond flour for coconut flour. To do that, simply use about 3/4 cups (90 g/ 3.2 oz) of coconut flour and add 2 to 4 tablespoons of cream cheese. You can also swap for flax meal and use about 3/4 cups (114 g/ 4 oz) flax meal and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cream cheese.

Step-by-step

  1. Prepare all the ingredients.

    Mexican Keto Empanadas (low-carb, gluten-free, grain-free)
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the chopped onions and garlic.

  3. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the ground beef and cook until browned and cooked through.

    Mexican Keto Empanadas (low-carb, gluten-free, grain-free)
  4. Add the capsicums and the radishes and cook for a further 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

  5. Add the taco seasoning, tomato paste, coconut aminos and chicken broth and stir to combine.

  6. Cook for another five minutes until the chicken broth has absorbed into the mixture. Set aside to cool while you make the pastry.

    Mexican Keto Empanadas (low-carb, gluten-free, grain-free)
  7. Preheat oven to 170 °C/ 340 °F (fan assisted), or 190 °C/ 375 °F (conventional). Combine mozzarella and cream cheese in a large microwave safe mixing bowl.

  8. Heat on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir. Heat for an additional minute.

    Mexican Keto Empanadas (low-carb, gluten-free, grain-free)
  9. Add the almond flour, seasonings and the eggs and mix well until a dough forms.

  10. Divide the dough into 12 balls.

    Mexican Keto Empanadas (low-carb, gluten-free, grain-free)
  11. Roll each ball out between two sheets of greaseproof paper until 6 mm/ 1/4 " thin.

  12. In the centre, place a spoonful of filling. (You can top with some extra cheese, if you want)

    Mexican Keto Empanadas (low-carb, gluten-free, grain-free)
  13. Beat the retained egg and brush the edges of the dough lightly before folding over and pressing to seal. Place empanadas onto lined oven trays and brush with beaten egg.

    Mexican Keto Empanadas (low-carb, gluten-free, grain-free)
  14. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm, optionally with sour cream. Can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to five days.

    Mexican Keto Empanadas (low-carb, gluten-free, grain-free)
Mexican Keto Empanadas

Recipe

Mexican Keto Empanadas

★★★★★4.8 (175 ratings)

A tasty Mexican filling made with ground beef meat, bell peppers and radishes, all wrapped in our good old Fat ...

Hands on
30m
Overall
50m
Servings
12
5.2 g
Net carbs
20.1 g
Protein
27.1 g
Fat
346
kcal
PinRate

Ingredients makes 12 empanadas

  • Filling:
  • Pastry:

Instructions

  1. Prepare all the ingredients.

  2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the chopped onions and garlic.

  3. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the ground beef and cook until browned and cooked through.

  4. Add the capsicums and the radishes and cook for a further 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

  5. Add the taco seasoning, tomato paste, coconut aminos and chicken broth and stir to combine.

  6. Cook for another five minutes until the chicken broth has absorbed into the mixture. Set aside to cool while you make the pastry.

  7. Preheat oven to 170 °C/ 340 °F (fan assisted), or 190 °C/ 375 °F (conventional). Combine mozzarella and cream cheese in a large microwave safe mixing bowl.

  8. Heat on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir. Heat for an additional minute.

  9. Add the almond flour, seasonings and the eggs and mix well until a dough forms.

  10. Divide the dough into 12 balls.

  11. Roll each ball out between two sheets of greaseproof paper until 6 mm/ 1/4 " thin.

  12. In the centre, place a spoonful of filling. (You can top with some extra cheese, if you want)

  13. Beat the retained egg and brush the edges of the dough lightly before folding over and pressing to seal. Place empanadas onto lined oven trays and brush with beaten egg.

  14. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm, optionally with sour cream. Can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to five days.

Nutrition per serving, 1 piece

Carbs 6%Protein 23%Fat 71% of calories

Net carbs
5.2 g
Total carbs
7.8 g
Fiber
2.6 g
Sugars
2.8 g
Protein
20.1 g
Fat
27.1 g
Saturated fat
8.8 g
Calories
346 kcal
Sodium
474 mg · 20.6% RDA
Magnesium
68 mg · 16.9% RDA
Potassium
414 mg · 20.7% EMR
Nutrition by ingredient

Serving size 1 piece

  • Gluten free
  • Nut free
  • Pork free
  • Avocado free
  • Coconut free
  • Fish free
  • Shellfish free

Comments & ratings (6)

4.8175 ratings
  • 5 ★160
  • 4 ★8
  • 3 ★2
  • 2 ★4
  • 1 ★1

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  1. Susan R

    Very misleading and lost time and money making this recipe. It said to put eggs in the batter. That means more than one. But later after I did that it said use the retaining egg for the wash. Could not hold any of it together. Very upsetting.

    1. Martina @ KetoDietAuthor

      Hi Susan, I'm sorry this didn't work for you but could you please clarify which part is misleading? There are indeed "2 large eggs" in the pastry, just as it's listed in the Ingredients. There is also "1 large egg, beaten, to seal the edges".
      If your batter did not bind, my guess is that you used the wrong type of mozzarella cheese. You need part skim, pizza style mozzarella, ideally use one that's already shredded. If the dough was too moist, you likely used a higher moisture mozzarella. I've made the dough dozens of times and that's the only time if didn't work.

  2. Lloyd Ace

    I’ve tried to make this 3 times and I can’t get the pastry to get doughy. The consistency continues to be to sticky and won’t stay together.

    1. Martina @ KetoDietAuthor

      Hi Lloyd, that is most likely the mozzarella you are using. I've been there too, you just need to find that one that works. You'll need part-skim, low moisture shredded mozzarella. You can see the difference in this recipe where I used a more moist mozzarella that made the dough sticky: Fat Head Pizza with Mozzarella, Tomato & Rocket
      As opposed to this one: 5-Ingredient Keto Ham & Cheese Pockets

  3. Kate★★★★★

    These are excellent. Pretty sure I could freeze and re heat later. What do you think?

    1. Martina @ KetoDietAuthor

      Yes, you are right! These will freeze well! 😊

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