Description
Chicken Empanadas pack a spicy punch that’ll have your taste buds dancing with excitement. Crispy pastry wrapped around zesty seasoned chicken makes these little handheld treats a perfect snack for sharing with friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 3 cups diced cooked chicken
- 1 large egg (beaten)
Filling:
- ½ cup diced poblano pepper
- 1 yellow onion (diced)
- 2 10 ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
- 2 tablespoons dried currants
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
- ¾ cup grated pepper Jack cheese
Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground dried chipotle pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
Dough:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- ⅓ cup cold water (or as needed)
- 2 teaspoons water
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté 1 diced yellow onion, 4 chopped garlic cloves, and ½ cup diced poblano pepper until the vegetables become soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1½ teaspoons ground chipotle, ½ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon Mexican oregano, and a pinch of cayenne into the skillet. Stir the spices with the vegetables.
- Pour in 2 10-ounce cans of diced tomatoes with green chile peppers and ⅓ cup water. Add 2 tablespoons dried currants and simmer the mixture for 10-12 minutes until the liquid reduces and thickens.
- Fold 3 cups diced cooked chicken and ¾ cup grated pepper Jack cheese into the skillet. Remove from heat and let the filling cool completely.
- Combine 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon white sugar in a large bowl. Cut 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter into small pieces and work into the flour mixture.
- Whisk 1 beaten egg with ⅓ cup cold water. Gradually add the liquid to the flour mixture, kneading until a smooth dough forms.
- Roll the dough to ⅛-inch thickness and cut into 4-inch circles. Place 2 tablespoons of cooled filling in the center of each circle.
- Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape. Press the edges with a fork to seal completely.
- Brush the empanadas with 1 beaten egg mixed with 2 teaspoons water. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 22-25 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the empanadas turn golden brown and crispy.
- Allow the empanadas to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Pair with your favorite salsa or dipping sauce.
Notes
- Let the filling cool completely before stuffing empanadas to prevent soggy dough and make sealing easier.
- For a gluten-free version, swap wheat flour with almond or coconut flour and use gluten-free pastry dough.
- Prep the filling a day ahead to let flavors develop and save time during assembly.
- Freeze uncooked empanadas on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag for quick future meals – bake directly from frozen, adding 5-10 minutes to cooking time.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Latin American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 to 8
- Calories: 360 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 370 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg