We often imagine that empanadas are the business of Argentine grandmothers with hours to spare. False. With an air fryer and a well-spiced beef filling, you get something that impresses in less than 45 minutes without looking like you tried too hard.
Hold one in your hand. The pastry is thin, slightly domed, with that light caramel-golden hue that indicates perfect cooking. Under your fingers, it cracks gently — not like a chip, but more like a puff pastry that gives way cleanly. The inside gives off a smell of warm cumin mixed with cheese slightly grilled on the edges. One bite, and the filling — dense, savory, with that little kick from the green chiles — holds exactly as it should.
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