Recipes Appetizers and Snacks Pastries Empanadas Chicken Empanadas 4.7 (12) 12 Reviews 3 Photos I'm showing you how to make what is one of the world's greatest meat-filled pastries. Or, it can be, if you avoid the three most common mistakes: empanadas that are under-seasoned, under-filled, and under-cooked. But, if you use the following technique, you'll avoid all of those issues, no matter what kind of filling you use! By John Mitzewich John Mitzewich John Mitzewich — aka Chef John — has produced more than 1,500 cooking videos for Allrecipes. He's the actor, director, and screenwriter whose hands and voice confidently walk you through techniques. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on July 11, 2023 Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen The Allrecipes Test Kitchen staff are a team of culinary pros who make and vet recipes using only equipment you'd find in a home kitchen. Staff credentials vary but include training at the Culinary Institute of America; kitchen stints in fine dining restaurants; and countless hours in the test kitchen itself. Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen Save Rate Print Share 3 3 3 It's always a great feeling when a recipe comes out well, but there's a little extra satisfaction involved when it's something that's usually fried, and we've been able to successfully pull it off in the oven. These chicken empanadas were a perfect example. Despite not firing up the deep fryer, they were crispy, flaky, and baked up to a beautiful golden brown. So, the packaging was great, but that's only half the battle. To make a truly great empanada we need a very flavorful filling, which I think we accomplished here, plus we want a lot of it. By weight, these empanadas have twice as much chicken mixture as crust, which I think is the perfect ratio. To accomplish this, we really need to push the envelope when we…stuff the "envelope." As long as you can seal these up, they can't have too much stuffing. And yes, that means you may get some juices bubbling out of the seams towards the end of the baking, but this shouldn't be an issue, since our filling is so moist that there's very little chance of things drying out. Speaking of not dry, I'd like to think these are perfectly fine to eat by themselves, but if you were to mix fresh lime juice and cilantro into some sour cream, you'd have a fast and easy dip that I thought worked really well. Either way, I really do hope you give these a try soon. Chicken Empanadas. Chef John Chicken Empanadas 4.7 (12) Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins Chill Time: 1 hr 30 mins Total Time: 3 hrs 15 mins Servings: 8 Yield: 8 empanadas Save Rate Print Share Ingredients For the Filling: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 yellow onion, diced ½ cup diced poblano pepper 4 cloves garlic, chopped 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, or to taste 3 cups diced cooked chicken 2 tablespoons dried currants 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (such as RO*TEL®) ⅓ cup water ¾ cup grated pepper Jack cheese (Optional) 1 large egg, beaten 2 teaspoons water For the 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 Directions Gather all ingredients. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Pour olive oil into a saucepan; add onion, poblano, garlic, salt, pepper, chipotle, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and cooked chicken, pressing down as you go. Add currants. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Place saucepan over high heat; cook until onions begin to soften slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes with green chiles. Pour in 1/3 cup water and mix to combine. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Bring mixture to a simmer; reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquids are cooked down, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Chill thoroughly before use, 1 to 2 hours. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA While filling simmers, combine flour, salt, and sugar for dough in a bowl with your hand. Grate in cold butter, pausing as needed to combine. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Drizzle in beaten egg and water. Mix with a fork until it starts to form a shaggy dough. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Use your hands to squeeze mixture into a lump of dough; transfer to a work surface and knead into a ball of dough, 10 to 15 seconds. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap chilled dough and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Use a bench scraper to divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Drain any excess juice from filling. Top each dough circle with a rounded 1/2-cup measure of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle some pepper Jack cheese over top. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Brush edges of each dough circle with a small amount of water to dampen; fold over and seal with fingertips, making sure to not trap in any pockets of air. Crimp using your fingertips or a fork. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Combine beaten egg and 2 teaspoons water for egg wash. Transfer empanadas to the prepared baking sheet and brush over egg wash. Sprinkle with cayenne. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Bake in the center of the preheated oven until browned and crispy on the edges, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Serve warm and enjoy! ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Recipe Tip You can use regular oregano instead of Mexican oregano. I Made It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 497 Calories 26g Fat 43g Carbs 22g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Calories 497 % Daily Value * Total Fat 26g 34% Saturated Fat 13g 65% Cholesterol 132mg 44% Sodium 937mg 41% Total Carbohydrate 43g 16% Dietary Fiber 3g 10% Protein 22g 44% Potassium 311mg 7% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption. Powered by the ESHA Research Database © 2018, ESHA Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved