Empanadas with Chorizo & Potato

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A staple in South American cuisine, homemade empanadas can be served as a main dish or a side. We keep this simple by focusing on the empanada filling and instead of making the dough from scratch, we achieve flaky empanadas with the help of refrigerated pie crust.

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Prep Time:
30 mins
Additional Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
50 mins
Servings:
8
Yield:
8 empanadas

Ingredients

  • 1 cup diced yellow potato

  • ¼ cup water

  • 1 tablespoon avocado or canola oil

  • ½ cup diced white onion

  • ½ cup diced tomato

  • ½ cup sliced scallions

  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1 clove garlic, chopped

  • 8 ounces Mexican-style chorizo, casings removed (see Tip)

  • 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

  • ¾ teaspoon salt

  • 1 (14 ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts

  • Cooking spray

  • 1 dash Hot sauce or salsa for serving

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

  2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add potato and water. Cover and cook until the water is evaporated and the potato begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add tomato and scallions; cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add cilantro and garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

  3. Push the vegetables to the sides and add chorizo to the center of the pan. Cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until brown, about 3 minutes. Stir the vegetables and chorizo together, and add vinegar and salt. Cook, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute.

  4. Roll each pie crust into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Cut out eight 5-inch circles and roll each one out to a 6-inch circle. Mound about 1/4 cup of the filling onto the center of each circle. Fold the dough in half and crimp or pleat the edges. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet and coat both sides of each empanada with cooking spray.

  5. Bake the empanadas, flipping once halfway, until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve with hot sauce or salsa for dipping, if desired.

Tips

To make ahead: Refrigerate filling (Steps 2-3) for up to 2 days.

Tip: Chorizo is a spicy pork sausage that you can find two ways: cured and smoked (perfect for slicing and eating as is) or raw. Use raw or "fresh" (aka Mexican-style) in this recipe. It's available in links or bulk in well-stocked grocery stores and Latin markets.

Originally appeared: EatingWell Magazine, October 2020

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

380 Calories
29g Fat
24g Carbs
9g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Serving Size 1 empanada
Calories 380
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 9g 17%
Total Fat 29g 38%
Saturated Fat 11g 57%
Cholesterol 20mg 7%
Vitamin A 477IU 10%
Vitamin C 6mg 6%
Folate 10mcg 2%
Sodium 368mg 16%
Calcium 18mg 1%
Iron 2mg 9%
Magnesium 7mg 2%
Potassium 122mg 3%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

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