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!
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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.
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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Is Pepperoni Keto-Friendly? Yes! Pepperoni is a dream addition to any ketogenic diet and snacks like Chomps Pepperoni Seasoned Turkey can be a great healthy snack on the go. Pepperoni has negligible carbs, a moderate amount of protein, and a healthy mix of fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Just a few slices of the smoky-spicy meat will liven up any dish. And with 1 g of net carbs in a 3 oz serving, pepperoni is very keto-friendly. The carb counts are low enough to fit into almost any meal. It's great for adding flavor, but avoid making pepperoni the centerpiece of your meal.
Pepperoni – Pepperoni has zero carbs and lots of fat, the perfect keto snack. Mozzarella Cheese has a good amount of fat, protein, and zero carbs. Italian Seasoning – This spice blend is likely already lurking in your spice cabinet.
Cold meats that are keto-friendly include most deli meats, like sliced turkey, ham, and roast beef. Most cold cuts and keto deli meats contain additives to extend their shelf life, so they may have small amounts of carbs.
Meat and poultry are popular with people on the keto diet because they're high in fat and very low in carbs. However, scientists have found links between eating too much meat on a regular basis and health conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and excess weight.
Peanut butter can definitely be part of a keto diet, but it's best to stick to plain options that are free of extra flavors and sweeteners. Almond butter is a good choice, too, and it's slightly lower in carbs. Additionally, you should be mindful of your portion size if you're trying to lose weight.
Yes, even just one carb-rich meal can quickly get you out of ketosis. The carbs eaten on a cheat day will halt the production of ketones immediately until they are all metabolized by the body.
This type of pizza crust can have up to 33g of carbs without any added sauce or cheese. If you're limiting your carbs to 20-50 grams per day, one slice of this type of crust will likely kick you out of ketosis.
Hot dogs are made with ingredients that are naturally low in carbs. An average hot dog is about 1.73 grams of total carbs. As for the bun, you can't have a conventional bun in order to follow the keto diet. The average hot dog bun will cost you 24.3 grams of total carbs.
You can eat high fat foods like cheese on the Keto diet. Cheddar, Gouda, goat cheese, and blue cheese are the best to consider. Cheese to avoid on Keto are cottage cheese and low fat and processed varieties.
There are now many options for a keto-friendly pizza crust. You only need to determine exactly what you want in your pizza in order to have the perfect base. For example, if you prefer a crispy crust, you would probably enjoy a cauliflower pizza crust or one made from almond flour.
For example, cheddar cheese has less than 1g carbs, 9g fat, and 7g protein while gouda cheese has less than 1g carbs, 8g fat, and 7g protein per serving. That means it's okay to have up to three servings of gouda or cheddar and still say within your daily keto carb limit of 20-50 grams[*].
It's totally fine and safe to eat up to 6 eggs a day while on the keto diet. You can consume even more eggs per day occasionally, as long as you make sure that you eat your greens, healthy fats and proteins from other sources.
The cured meat contains high saturated fat, protein, and sodium. Although they don't supply large doses of important nutrients. So the serving of pepperoni pizza on regularly basis can be unhealthy for you. But eating them on occasional basis won't be much harmful to you.
Salami has a spicy flavour, while pepperoni has a peppery and smoky taste. Pepperoni is higher in calories than salami. Pepperoni is softer when compared to salami. Salami is served sliced and can be eaten on its own.
Turkey Pepperoni: Another healthy alternative to pepperoni is turkey pepperoni. Made from turkey instead of beef or pork, turkey pepperoni has lower calories, sodium, and fat. It also contains less MSG and nitrates than regular pepperoni. There are several vegans and vegetarian alternatives to pepperoni and salami.
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