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    Home » Recipes » Beef » Bistec Empanizado

    Published: Feb 25, 2020 Modified: Jun 7, 2023 by Catherine Arena 10 Comments

    Bistec Empanizado

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    Bistec Empanizado is a delicious and highly popular Cuban Style Breaded Fried Steak dish. Thin steaks are marinated in yummy spices and coated with cracker meal and fried to golden crispy perfection.

    Bistec Empanizado

    Bistec Empanizado is also popular in other Latin countries but this Cuban style breaded steak recipe is certainly one of my favorites!

    Quick, delicious and pairs really well with other sides dishes.

    You will usually see this delicious dish served with arroz blanco (white rice), yellow rice, black beans, tostones (fried green plantains) or platanos fritos (fried ripe plantains).

    Bistec Empanizado

    Normally this dish is prepared with Bistec de Palomilla or butterflied beefsteaks but any thin steaks will do.

    After marinating and coating the steaks, you will fry them up quickly and sear until they are crispy and golden which makes this dish perfect for a fast meal.

    What You Will Need to Prepare Bistec Empanizado

    • 1½ lbs Palomilla or sirloin thin steaks
    • Vegetable or Corn oil for frying
    • lime wedges and chopped fresh cilantro for serving

    For the Marinade

    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 2 tablespoon vinegar
    • juice of 1 lime
    • 1 medium onion chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
    • ½ teaspoon oregano
    • pinch of cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    For the Cracker Meal

    • 1 sleeve unsalted crackers
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

    Other Ingredients to Coat Steaks

    • ½ cup flour
    • 2 eggs
    Bistec Empanizado

    How to Prepare and Cook Bistec Empanizado

    • Preheat oven to warm or its lowest setting.
    • Prepare marinade.
    • In a medium size bowl, add the oil, vinegar, lime juice, garlic cloves, chopped onion, adobo, oregano, pinch of cumin and black pepper. Whisk well and set aside.
    • Rinse steaks and place in the marinade for 20 minutes to 24 hrs.

    Note: If you marinade the steaks overnight, you will notice the steaks change color because of the acidity in the vinegar and lime. This is completely fine. 

    Really short on time?

    Exclude the wet ingredients and season steaks with the adobo, garlic powder, oregano, cumin and black pepper and proceed with the recipe steps as usual.

    Thin steaks on a wooden cutting board.
    Marinated steaks in a large aluminum bowl.

    Prepare the cracker meal.

    For these steaks you will need 1 sleeve of unsalted crackers.

    • Break crackers some and add to a blender or food chopper with the garlic powder.
    • Blend until the crackers are fine ground.
    Crackers in a blender.
    Prepared cracker meal in a blender.

    Coating the steaks.

    • Prepare three separate bowls of flour, cracker meal and egg wash.
    • First flour steaks on both sides. Shake excess flour off.
    • Dunk steaks in egg wash.
    • Coat steaks on both sides with the cracker meal.
    Flour, cracker meal and egg wash in bowls on a wooden cutting board.
    Floured steak in a white bowl.

    Once steaks are prepared, you are ready to fry them.

    All steaks are coated and ready to fry.

    Frying the steaks.

    • In a large skillet, add oil to cover the bottom of the pan. About ½ an inch of oil. Heat over medium heat.
    • Fry two or three steaks at a time until golden brown on one side.
    • Flip steaks over using a spatula or tongs so you do not disturb the coating on the steaks and cook for a few minutes again until golden brown.
    • Drain steaks on a wire cooling rack on top of a baking sheet so air is able to circulate and breading on steaks does not become soggy.

    Continue frying the rest of the steaks until they are all fried.

    Note: Keep cooked steaks warm in the preheated oven while frying the other steaks.

    Bistec Empanizado

    Don’t forget to pair these up with any of these dishes for a full meal:

    Arroz Blanco (Puerto Rican White Rice)

    Puerto Rican Rice (Puerto Rican Yellow Rice with Corn)

    Habichuelas Guisadas (Puerto Rican Stewed Beans)

    Puerto Rican Rice and Beans (Arroz y Habichuelas)

    Garlic Tostones (Fried Garlic Plantains)

    Platanos Fritos (Puerto Rican Sweet Plantains)

    Ensalada de Papa (Puerto Rican Potato Salad)

    Canoas de Platano (Stuffed Plantains)

    Looking for Something Sweet for Dessert? Try these quick and delicious desserts.

    Pastelillos de Guayaba (Guava Pastries)

    Quesitos (Cream Cheese Puff Pastries)

    📖 Recipe

    Bistec Empanizado served on a white platter with lime wedges.

    Bistec Empanizado (Breaded Cuban Steak)

    Bistec Empanizado is a delicious and highly popular Cuban Style Breaded Fried Steak dish. Thin steaks are marinated in yummy spices and coated with cracker meal and fried to golden crispy perfection.

    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: Cuban
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 307kcal
    Author: Catherine Arena

    Ingredients

    • 1½ lbs Palomilla or sirloin thin steaks

      rinsed
    • Vegetable or Corn oil for frying

    • lime wedges and chopped fresh cilantro for serving

    For the Marinade

    • ¼ cup olive oil

    • 2 tablespoon vinegar

    • juice of one lime
    • 1 medium onion chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
    • ½ teaspoon oregano
    • pinch of cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    For the Cracker Meal

    • 1 sleeve unsalted crackers

    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

    Other Ingredients to Coat Steaks

    • ½ cup flour
    • 2 eggs

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to warm or its lowest setting.

    Prepare Marinade

    • In a medium size bowl, add the oil, vinegar, lime juice, garlic cloves, chopped onion, adobo, oregano, pinch of cumin and black pepper.
      Whisk well and set aside.
    • Rinse steaks and place in the marinade for 20 minutes to 24 hrs.

    Prepare the Cracker Meal

    • Break crackers some and add to a blender or food chopper with the garlic powder.Blend until the crackers are fine ground.

    Coating the Steaks

    • Prepare three separate bowls of flour, cracker meal and egg wash.
    • Flour steaks on both sides.
      Shake excess flour off.
    • Dunk steaks in the egg wash and then into the cracker meal.

    Frying the Steaks

    • In a large skillet, add oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
      About ½ an inch of oil.
      Heat over medium heat.


    • Fry two or three steaks at a time until golden brown on one side.
      Flip steaks over using a spatula or tongs so you do not disturb the coating on the steaks and cook for another few minutes until golden brown.
      Drain steaks on a wire cooling rack on top of a baking sheet so air is able to circulate and breading on steaks does not become soggy.
      Continue frying the rest of the steaks until they are all fried.
      Note: Keep cooked steaks warm in the preheated oven while frying the other steaks.
    • Top steaks with fresh chopped cilantro and lime wedges.

    Notes

    Follow serving suggestion ideas in post for a full delicious Latin meal.
    Note: If you marinade the steaks overnight, you will notice the steaks change color because of the acidity in the vinegar and lime. This is completely fine. 
    Really short on time and don’t want to marinade the steaks for 20 minutes?
    Exclude the wet ingredients and season steaks with the adobo, garlic powder, oregano, cumin and black pepper and proceed with the recipe steps as usual.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 6 | Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 458mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 79IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Click the stars above or below to rate or leave a comment down below!

    More Mexican & Puerto Rican Beef Recipes

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      Authentic Alcapurrias de Yuca
    • Alcapurrias (alcapurrias puertorriqueñas) served on a white platter with hot sauce.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Priya Shiva says

      May 11, 2020 at 8:20 am

      These fried steaks look absolutely scrumptious! saving the recipe to try out soon.

      Reply
      • Cathy says

        May 11, 2020 at 9:58 pm

        Thank you Priva! They are!

        Reply
    2. Charla says

      May 11, 2020 at 7:56 am

      These empanizados look perfect. I’m adding this recipe to my next meal prep, thanks!!

      Reply
      • Cathy says

        May 11, 2020 at 9:59 pm

        Thank you Charla! Awesome!

        Reply
    3. Katie Crenshaw | A Fork's Tale says

      May 11, 2020 at 7:37 am

      Oh WOW! This breaded Cuban steak looks OUTRAGEOUS! So much flavor on this steak! I can’t wait to try making it.

      Reply
      • Cathy says

        May 11, 2020 at 10:00 pm

        Thank you Katie!

        Reply
    4. Rhonda Albom says

      May 11, 2020 at 7:15 am

      I love this preparation for beef and I have had something similar in South America. The spices sound really flavourful.

      Reply
      • Cathy says

        May 11, 2020 at 10:00 pm

        Thank you Rhonda!

        Reply
    5. Danielle Wolter says

      May 11, 2020 at 6:46 am

      These came out so delicious! SO much like this little Cuban place we used to eat at back when we could go out LOL! Such a great recipe!

      Reply
      • Cathy says

        May 11, 2020 at 10:01 pm

        Awww that is awesome Danielle! Thank you!

        Reply
    5 from 6 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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