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Crispy Meat Pastelillos

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PREP TIME
20 min
COOKING TIME
35 min
TOTAL TIME
55 min
SERVINGS
15 servings
Dinner Caribbean Puerto Rican
Crispy Meat Pastelillos
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce
  • 6 large pimento-stuffed olives, diced
  • 2 tablespoons sofrito (such as Goya®)
  • 1 (1.41 ounce) package sazon seasoning with coriander and achiote (such as Goya®)
  • 2 small garlic cloves, minced and crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 (14 ounce) packages frozen empanada dough (such as Goya® discos)
  • vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
1
Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and pour in olive oil. Cook the beef until it is nicely browned and has a crumbly texture, taking around 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the onion, adding it to the sizzling hot oil, followed by tomato sauce, olives, sofrito, sazòn, garlic, and oregano. Allow the mixture to come together by bringing it to a gentle simmer, where it will thicken over time, approximately 15 minutes.
2
Using your hands, shape a generous helping of the meat mixture into a half-moon shape on a flat surface. Wet your fingers and moisten the edges of the dough, then fold it over to form a half-moon shape. Press down firmly on the edges using a fork, sealing it in place. Repeat this process with the remaining meat mixture.
3
Heat oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry the pastelillos in batches, submerged in hot oil until they turn golden brown and bubbly, taking around 3 minutes. Remove them from the hot oil with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to drain before serving.