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🇵🇷 Puerto Rican

Pastelillo de Carne

⏱ 45 min

🍞 ~16g per empanadilla (lower-carb crust) / ~24g per empanadilla (traditional Goya disco)

🍽 8 (1 empanadilla each) servings

⭐ 5/5

Why this recipe is T1D-friendly

• Almond flour crust replaces wheat-based discos and drops the carb count by roughly 8g per empanadilla — same shape, same crunch, much friendlier curve
• Beef picadillo filling is protein-forward (about 10g protein per empanadilla) so kids feel full on 1-2 instead of demanding 4

Ingredients

Lower-carb crust

• 2 cups almond flour (~24g carbs)
• 1/4 cup coconut flour (~16g carbs)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp Sazón con achiote (for that signature orange color, ~1g carbs)
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp cold water

Picadillo filling

• 1 lb ground beef (~0g carbs)
• 3 tbsp sofrito (~3g carbs)
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce (~3g carbs)
• 1 packet Sazón (~1g carbs)
• 1/4 cup pitted green olives, chopped (~1g carbs)
• 2 tbsp raisins, optional (~12g carbs / ~1.5g per empanadilla)
• 1 tsp adobo
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• Vegetable oil for frying (or olive oil spray for baking)

Directions

1. Filling: Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks.
2. Add sofrito, tomato sauce, Sazón, adobo, cumin, olives, and raisins. Cook 5 minutes until saucy and fragrant. Let cool.
3. Crust: Whisk almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking powder, and Sazón in a bowl.
4. Add eggs and olive oil. Mix into a dough, adding cold water 1 tbsp at a time until it comes together.
5. Rest dough 10 minutes.
6. Divide into 8 balls. Press each between two sheets of parchment paper into a 5-inch round.
7. Place 2 tbsp filling on one half of each round. Fold over and press edges with a fork to seal.
8. Fry option: Heat 2 inches vegetable oil to 350°F. Fry 2-3 minutes per side until golden.
9. Bake option: 400°F for 18-20 minutes, brushing with olive oil halfway through.

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