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Pastelitos Venezolanos

Name: Pastelitos Venezolanos
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces; 1 large egg; 1/2 cup warm water; 1 tbsp sugar; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 lb ground beef; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tomato, finely chopped; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 3 cups vegetable oil, for frying; 1/4 cup sugar, for dusting

Flaky, sugar-dusted pastry pockets with a savory beef heart — the Venezuelan cousin of the empanada.

⏱ 40 minPrep time

🔥 20 minCook time

🍽 8Servings

🏷 AppetizerCategory

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Pastelitos are a Venezuelan bakery classic, especially beloved in the Andes: flaky wheat pastry folded around a savory beef filling and fried until golden, then dusted with sugar. The sweet-and-savory contrast — crispy pastry, spiced beef, and a snowy sugar coating — is utterly addictive.

Sweet sugar, savory heart

The pastry is light and shatteringly flaky, while the filling is rich and savory with onion, garlic, and cumin. The sugar dusting is the twist: it caramelizes lightly on the hot pastry and makes every bite irresistible.

Venezuelan recipes →

Step by stepInstructions

Make the filling: cook the beef with the onion, garlic, tomato, cumin, and salt in a skillet for 10 to 12 minutes until browned and dry; cool.
Make the dough: rub the butter into the flour with the sugar and salt, add the egg and warm water, and knead into a smooth dough; rest 20 minutes.
Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thick and cut into 4-inch rounds.
Spoon 1 tbsp of filling onto each round, fold into a half-moon, and press the edges with a fork to seal.
Fry in 350°F oil for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deep golden and puffed; drain.
Dust generously with sugar while still warm and serve.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Keep the butter cold for the flakiest pastry, and do not overfill — leaking filling makes the oil dirty. Pastelitos are best eaten warm, within a couple of hours of frying.

Recipe details

Prep40 min

Cook20 min

Servings8

CategoryAppetizer

PublishedAugust 17, 2026

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

Pastelitos Venezolanos

Sweet sugar, savory heart

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

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Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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Pastelitos Venezolanos

Sweet sugar, savory heart

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

Rate this recipe

Recipe details

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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