Venezuelan Ground Beef Empanadas

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup onion
• ½ cup green bell pepper
• ½ cup red bell pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¼ cup capers
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1 can sazon seasoning
• 2 cup yellow masarepa
• 2 cup vegetable oil (optional)

Steps

1. Season ground beef with black pepper, cumin, and Adobo if using.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it apart with a spoon.
3. Stir in diced onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, garlic powder, capers, tomato sauce, and Sazon. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Let the filling cool completely.
4. Prepare the masarepa dough according to package directions to a moist, non-sticky consistency.
5. Take about 1/2 cup of dough, roll it into a ball, and flatten it into a 5-inch circle. Place a generous tablespoon of cooled filling on one half of the circle.
6. Fold the dough over to form a semi-circle and seal the edges by pressing with a fork or the rim of an inverted bowl. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
7. Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Fry empanadas in batches, turning once or twice, until lightly golden brown and crispy.
8. Drain fried empanadas on paper towels before serving.