Brazilian Pastel Recipe with Beef Filling

Name: Brazilian Pastel Recipe with Beef Filling
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Latin American
Ingredients: 2 cups All Purpose Flour; 1 Egg, yolk only; 2 Tablespoons Butter, softened ((I used salted, but unsalted is fine too)); 1/3 cup Water, room temperature; 1 teaspoon Salt; 1 lb Ground Beef ((I used 90% Lean)); 1 teaspoon Olive Oil; 2 Cloves Garlic, minced ((or 2 teaspoon garlic powder)); 2 Scallions, sliced thin; 2 tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, chopped; 1 tablespoon Chili Powder; 1 tablespoon Cumin Powder; ½ teaspoon Salt (or to taste); 1 teaspoon Ground black pepper; Water to help seal the pastel edges; Oil for frying ((I used Soybean Oil))

Instructions

Prep:30minCook:15min

get ready for the most delicious, flaky, crispy, savory, fried pastry! This is the traditional Brazilian Pastel Recipe! Pasteis (the plural of pastel in Portuguese) are light, thinly rolled pastry dough pockets filled with a variety of ingredients, but most notably with cheese (queijo) and/or beef. This version is the simple, but flavorful ground beef filling with just a few perfect seasonings. The pastry is fried until it puffs and bubbles for the most beautiful flaky and crispy crust. The inside of the crust gets these amazing soft layers and then the filling is hot and delicious.

Updated at: Thu, 25 Dec 2025 16:46:22 GMT