Brazilian

Serving

Pastel de Carne (Fried Beef Pastry)

Name: Pastel de Carne (Fried Beef Pastry)
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Brazilian
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling; 1 tbsp cachaça or vodka; 1 tbsp white vinegar; 1 tsp salt; 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus 4 cups for frying; 3/4 cup warm water; 1 lb ground beef; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/4 cup diced green olives; 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped; 1 tbsp tomato paste; Salt and black pepper, to taste

Paper-thin fried pastry pockets stuffed with seasoned ground beef, olives, and egg — the star of Brazilian street fairs and food courts.

70 minutes

Serves 6

Snack

25 min prep

39 min cook

Contains common allergens

Egg Wheat

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Good to know

Crispy

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes

Instructions

7 steps

1
Make the dough by mixing flour, cachaça, vinegar, salt, 2 tablespoons oil, and warm water into a smooth, elastic dough; cover and rest for 30 minutes.
2
Meanwhile, cook the ground beef with onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat until browned, about 8 minutes.
3
Stir in the tomato paste, olives, and chopped hard-boiled eggs, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3-4 minutes; let cool.
4
Roll the dough out very thinly and cut into rectangles about 5 by 4 inches.
5
Place a spoonful of filling on half of each rectangle, fold over, and seal the edges tightly with a fork or by crimping.
6
Heat the frying oil to 350°F and fry the pastéis in batches for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and blistered.
7
Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

Pastel de Carne (Fried Beef Pastry) — plated and served — Serving moment. How Pastel de Carne (Fried Beef Pastry) looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

67/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 80

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 51

Budget-friendly 80

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 50

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

465

Calories

28 g

Protein

51 g

Carbs

15 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Pastel traces back to Chinese immigrants who settled in São Paulo's markets in the early twentieth century, adapting a spring-roll-style snack for local tastes into the ultra-thin, deeply fried pastry now sold at street markets across Brazil. The beef version, filled with a savory ground beef mixture studded with olives and hard-boiled egg, remains one of the most requested fillings at any pastelaria.

Listahan note

This version rolls the dough as thin as it will go before filling, since a truly thin pastel is what gives the fried shell its signature blistered, bubbly crust rather than a thick, bready one.

Technique cues

Adding a splash of cachaça or vodka to the dough isn't for flavor - the alcohol inhibits gluten development, which is part of why pastel dough can be rolled paper-thin without tearing.
The filling needs to be fully cooled before assembly, since warm filling steams the dough from the inside and prevents a properly crisp seal.
Sealing the edges tightly, crimped or pressed with a fork, is what keeps the thin dough from bursting open in hot oil, where any weak spot becomes an entry point for oil and a blowout.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Make the dough and let it rest while the beef filling cooks and cools, so both are ready to assemble at the same time
Make-ahead: The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated; the dough is best made the same day it's used
Leftover move: Reheat leftover pastéis in a dry skillet or oven rather than the microwave to bring back some crispness instead of turning them soggy
Cleanup rhythm: Set up a dedicated flouring station away from the stove so the frying oil area stays clean while you roll and fill

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

all-purpose flour

Dough base

Purpose: Provides the structure that, with the alcohol and vinegar, becomes thin and blister-prone when fried

Handling: Mix into a smooth, elastic dough and rest it covered for a full 30 minutes before rolling

Adaptation: A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend can work but will be more delicate to roll thin without tearing

cachaça

Dough tenderizer

Purpose: The alcohol interferes with gluten formation, which is part of what lets the dough stretch thin without snapping back

Handling: Mix in with the vinegar and water when forming the dough

Adaptation: Vodka works identically for the same effect if cachaça isn't on hand

ground beef

The filling's main protein

Purpose: Browned with onion and garlic, it forms the savory core of the filling

Handling: Cook until fully browned and let the whole filling cool before it goes into the dough

Adaptation: Ground turkey or a plant-based ground substitute both work, adjusting cooking time slightly

green olives

Briny contrast in the filling

Purpose: Cuts through the richness of the beef with a sharp, salty pop in each bite

Handling: Dice small so they distribute evenly through the filling rather than clumping in one spot

Adaptation: Capers give a similar briny note in a smaller, more concentrated dose

hard-boiled eggs

Adds richness and texture

Purpose: A classic addition to Brazilian beef pastel filling, giving pockets of soft egg among the meat

Handling: Chop and fold in after the beef mixture has mostly cooled to keep the egg pieces distinct

Adaptation: Omit entirely for a lighter filling, or substitute a scrambled egg mixed straight into the hot beef

tomato paste

Concentrates the filling's savoriness

Purpose: Adds body and a touch of acidity that balances the rich beef and salty olives

Handling: Stir in during the last few minutes of cooking so it darkens slightly rather than tasting raw

Adaptation: A tablespoon of ketchup in a pinch, though it adds more sweetness than tomato paste

Technique notes

Roll the dough thin enough to see your hand's shadow through it - anything thicker won't blister and crisp the way proper pastel does.
Fry at a steady 350F rather than letting the oil creep hotter between batches, since too-hot oil burns the thin dough before the inside heats through.
Crimp the edges with a fork rather than just pinching by hand - the fork's tines create tiny grooves that seal more reliably under the pressure of frying.

Ingredient swaps

Baked direction: Brush assembled pastéis with oil and bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway, for a lighter version with less blistering than frying
Dairy-free option: The recipe is naturally dairy-free as written; just double-check that any store-bought dough alternative doesn't include butter
Vegetarian direction: Swap the ground beef for a mix of sautéed mushrooms and hearts of palm, keeping the olives, egg, and tomato paste for the same briny, rich profile

Serve alongside

Vinagrete (Brazilian Tomato Onion Relish)
caldo de cana (fresh sugarcane juice) as a classic street-food pairing
a simple green salad
Fresh sugarcane juice (caldo de cana)
cold Brazilian lager
guaraná soda

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate cooked pastéis up to 3 days in an airtight container
Reheat in a 375F oven or air fryer until hot and crisp again, about 8-10 minutes
Freeze uncooked, filled pastéis up to 2 months; fry straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the fry time

Equipment

Rolling pin
Deep pot or fryer with a thermometer
Fork for crimping edges
Slotted spoon for removing from oil

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