Felix Empanadas Felix Godward's Classic Street Beef Empanada Recipe — Authentic Argentinian Style

If there’s one empanada that really captures the of Argentina, it’s The Street. We call it that because it’s the kind of empanada you’d find walking through Buenos Aires — simple, rich, and made to eat with your hands while talking too loud with friends.

Empanadas in Argentina go way back — they came from the Spanish who brought over stuffed dough pastries centuries ago. Over time, every region made it their own. Up north, you find more spice; down south, more olives and eggs. The version that stuck with me, the one we make at Felix Empanadas, is the Buenos Aires style — tender beef, onions, raisins, hard-boiled egg, and that subtle olive brininess that ties it all together. The raisins might sound odd if you didn’t grow up with them, but once you taste how that natural sweetness plays against the meat, it just makes sense.

When Felix Godward first started making these for the shop, he wanted to keep it true to the original while making it work for the American palate. That’s why we blend the raisins, olives, and hard-boiled eggs slightly — not to hide them, just to soften the texture so the flavors melt into each other. It’s still completely authentic, just a bit more digestible for people who might be trying this combination for the first time. Funny thing is, it’s now our second most popular empanada, right behind the chicken. People who thought they’d hate raisins in meat end up hooked on it.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (80/20 works best)

• 2 medium onions, diced

• ¼ cup green olives, roughly chopped or lightly blended

• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped or pulsed quickly in the blender

• 2 tbsp raisins, lightly blended (the only sweetness you need)

• 1 tsp cumin

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)

• Salt & pepper to taste

• A small dash of yellow mustard (see pro tip)

• Green onions for finish

• Empanada dough discs

• Instructions

  1. Start with the onions. Pre-cook them just a few minutes on medium heat until translucent. Take them out and set aside.

  2. Sear the beef separately. That’s not how they’d do it in Argentina, but I like it better this way. It gives more color and that deeper Maillard flavor.

  3. Once the beef is browned, lower the heat and toss the onions back in.

  4. Add your seasonings — cumin, paprika, chili flakes, salt, and pepper.

  5. Mix in a small hint of mustard now, before the other ingredients. It helps bind everything together flavor-wise.

  6. Stir in the chopped olives, raisins, and hard-boiled eggs. Let it cook gently for another minute or so — just enough to warm it all through.

  7. Turn off the heat and add the green onions. That last hit of freshness and crunch makes a huge difference.

  8. Cool completely before filling your empanadas. If you can, let the mixture rest in the fridge overnight — around 12 hours. The flavors marry together better and the texture tightens up for folding.

  Pro Tips from Felix

  • Season the beef first before adding eggs or raisins — keeps the color bright and the flavor balanced.

  • Add mustard before anything wet hits the pan so it caramelizes just a touch.

  • Always add green onions at the end after you turn off the heat — they should stay crisp, not soggy.

  • Give the filling time to rest overnight; you’ll taste the difference instantly.

  This recipe is about balance — sweet and savory, soft and crisp, old and new. It’s the flavor that started a lot of conversations for us at Felix Empanadas. Make it once and you’ll see why the Street Beef empanada has become a quiet favorite wherever we go.

  Written by Felix Godward, founder of Felix Empanadas — serving authentic Argentinian empanadas in New York and Charlotte.