Description
Crispy chicken empanadas bring Latin American comfort straight to dinner tables with flaky pastry and savory filling. Homemade goodness wraps tender spiced chicken in golden-brown pockets you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 cups (about 1.5 pounds) shredded chicken breast
Spices and Seasonings
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 1 red bell pepper, minced
- 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons freshly minced cilantro
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Additional Ingredients
- 10 empanada dough shells (6-inch rounds)
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Sauté diced onions, bell peppers, and minced garlic in olive oil over medium heat until vegetables become translucent and tender, approximately 5-6 minutes.
- Incorporate shredded chicken with cilantro, bouillon, tomato paste, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt into the vegetable mixture, stirring thoroughly to combine and allowing flavors to integrate for 3-4 minutes.
- Warm the oven to 375°F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out empanada dough into circular shapes, ensuring even thickness across each round.
- Place a measured portion of chicken filling in the center of each dough circle, leaving adequate space around the edges for sealing.
- Carefully fold the dough over the filling, creating a half-moon shape, and press edges firmly with a fork to create a secure seal.
- Whisk an egg and gently brush the surface of each empanada to promote a rich, golden-brown exterior during baking.
- Position empanadas on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 22-25 minutes, rotating the sheet midway to ensure uniform browning.
- Remove from oven when empanadas display a crisp, golden-brown exterior and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Optimize chicken tenderness by slowly simmering and shredding the meat to ensure moist, flavorful filling.
- Enhance dough texture by chilling it before rolling to prevent sticking and create flakier empanadas.
- Customize filling with dietary alternatives like using turkey, plant-based protein, or adding extra vegetables for vegetarian options.
- Experiment with spice levels by adjusting garlic powder, adding cayenne, or incorporating smoked paprika for depth of flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Latin American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 10
- Calories: 190 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 360 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg