Best Chicken Empanadas Recipes

AUTHENTIC CHICKEN EMPANADAS (EMPANADAS DE POLLO)

Steps:

• Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Add water and 1/4 cup vegetable oil; mix with an electric mixer until well combined and a dough begins to form, about 3 minutes. Remove dough and knead on a lightly floured surface for about 3 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shredded chicken and saute until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, cilantro, olives, garlic, sazon seasoning, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Divide empanada dough into 12 pieces and form each one into a 4-inch circle. Place about 2 tablespoons filling in the center of each circle, fold in half, and press down on the edges with a fork to seal.
• Heat 1 cup oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add empanadas, working in batches, and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Mix together first 8 ingredients, and refrigerate until ready to assemble empanadas.
• On a floured surface, roll out pie shells and cut into 4-inch circles (use all the pie dough by re-rolling scraps).
• Place approximately 2 tablespoons of chicken mixture in center of dough circles.
• Fold each circle in half and crimp edges with a fork.
• Place on a baking sheet and brush tops with egg yolks.
• Sprinkle top with mixed salt and chili powder.
• Bake 12-13 minutes at 400F degrees.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Freezes well.

EMPANADAS DE POLLO (EASY CHICKEN EMPANADAS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped green onions and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Mix in cooked chicken, salt, nutmeg, and black pepper; cook 1 minute more.
• Arrange pastry discs on a flat work surface. Dab a little water around the rims. Place a large tablespoonful of the chicken mixture in the center; fold pastry over and press with a fork to seal.
• Transfer empanadas to the prepared baking sheets. Brush with beaten egg.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 20 minutes.

EASY CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Mix chicken with Mexican cheese blend, pimentos, green chiles, onion, mayonnaise, and jalapeno.
• Place about 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the center of each empanada disc. Run a wet finger around the rim of each disc. Fold into a half-moon shape and press edges together with a fork to seal well.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Fry 1 to 2 empanadas at a time in the hot oil until brown, 1 to 2 minutes per batch.

MINI CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a small bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. On a lightly floured surface, roll each pie crust into a 15-inch circle. Cut with a floured 3-in. round biscuit cutter., Place about 1 teaspoon filling on 1 half of each circle. Moisten edges with water. Fold pie crust over filling. Press edges with a fork to seal., Transfer to greased baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove to wire racks. Serve warm.

CHEESY CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
• Place a large saute pan over medium heat and add oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, jalapeno, garlic, green onions and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cheese, cream cheese, sauteed mixture and hot sauce together.
• Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Set aside. Sprinkle flour on your work surface and unroll the pie dough.
• Roll out each round to a 13-inch circle. Cut each crust into eight 4-inch circles with a biscuit cutter. You can knead the scraps and then roll out, if necessary. Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture into the center of each round. Brush the edges with the egg wash and fold each circle in half. Gently press on the top of the empanada to release any air. Seal the edges with a fork and brush the top with the remaining egg wash. Sprinkle with chile powder. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• Serve the chicken empanadas with the Chili Lime Dipping Sauce.
• Combine the yogurt, chipotle and lime zest and juice in a bowl.

BUFFALO CHICKEN EMPANADAS WITH BLUE CHEESE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small skillet, saute onion and green pepper in oil until crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., In a large bowl, combine the chicken, mozzarella cheese, wing sauce, salt and pepper. Stir in the onion mixture., On a lightly floured surface, unroll 1 pie crust. Roll out into a 12-in. circle. Cut with a floured 3-in. biscuit cutter. Remove excess crust and reroll scraps. Repeat with remaining pie crusts., Beat eggs and water; brush over edges of 3-in. pie crust circles. Place heaping teaspoonfuls of filling in the centers. Fold crust in half over filling. Press edges with a fork to seal., Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Brush with remaining egg mixture. Bake at 400° until golden brown, 9-12 minutes., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add blue cheese; cook and stir until cheese is melted and sauce thickens, 2 minutes longer. Serve with empanadas.

CHICKEN EMPANADAS - COLOMBIA - EMPANADAS DE POLLO

Steps:

• The Chicken.
• - Place chicken thighs in a large pot with 8 cups of boiling water.
• - Add the celery, onion, garlic, Kosher salt and cumin.
• - Boil over medium heat for approximately 1 hour (or until chicken is cooked).
• - With a slotted spoon, carefully remove chicken from the pot, place it in a bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Allow it to cool until safe to handle.
• - Cover the pot and continue to cook the stock on low heat.
• - Once the chicken has cooled, remove the skin and the bones. Drop the bones and skin into the stock pot, cover and continue to cook. With your fingers, pull the chicken meat apart so it resembles shredded meat. Put into a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
• - Allow the chicken stock to boil on low heat for another hour. Using a sieve, separate the broth from all the rest of the ingredients and allow it to cool for about 30 minutes. Discard the stock ingredients.
• The Dough.
• - Mix all the dry ingredients together (corn meal, brown sugar, yuca starch and optional cumin) in a large bowl and begin to add the chicken broth until you have a smooth, humid, easy to work dough. I usually add two cups and work the dough with my hands. Then, I add the chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time until I get the consistency I need.
• - Cover the bowl and let the "masa" rest for about one hour in the refrigerator.
• The Filling.
• - In a frying pan, heat the butter, margarine or oil over medium heat and saute the onions and tomatoes. (Here you can add cumin to taste).
• - In a large bowl, combine the chicken, potatoes, chopped cilantro, garlic powder and pepper.
• - Add the sauteed onion-tomato mixture and stir until well blended. Check for salt and adjust spices to your liking.
• The Empanada.
• - Now, if you have a tortilla press, you're sitting pretty for the next step. If you don't have one, two pieces of 1" wood about 8" square will do just fine. Lacking that, anything flat and a counter top will work. Or, if you feel adventurous, you can use your own two little hands!
• - Roll the "masa" (dough) into little balls about 1" in diameter. Cover the bottom part of the tortilla press with a piece of plastic wrap. Place the masa ball on top of the plastic wrap. Cover with another piece of plastic and press it into a flat circle (depending on the size of the original masa ball, the flat circle will turn out to be about 3 to 4 inches in diameter). Remove the top piece of plastic. Now add about one rounded tablespoon of the filling to the middle of the circle leaving about 1/2" of space on the sides. Using the plastic, fold the circle in half and press the edges together so it forms a half-moon. While still in the plastic, press the edges firmly together between your thumb and middle finger so the empanada is sealed. I like to make them pretty so, after the empanada is sealed, I remove it from the plastic and use the tip of my finger to fold the edges at small intervals so that the empanada has a "scalloped" look to the edges.
• - Cook them in bunches but don't prepare too many at a time and let them sit while the others cook since this tends to dry out the masa too much. Also, as you are cooking, keep the bowl of masa covered with a humid towel to keep it from getting too dry.
• Cooking.
• - The traditional method, of course, is to fry the empanadas in a large, iron cauldron (approximately 50 years old), on top of a wood fire, outdoors, in about twenty pounds of pork lard that was used to fry the empanadas for the last month and a half.
• - However, tradition does not always mean that it is right. Much of the time tradition simply means "lack of technology and alternate methods.".
• - I use a deep-fat fryer filled with Canola or Peanut oil. For even healthier empanadas, they can be baked in the oven at 350 degrees F on a greased cookie sheet. Baking them, of course, takes longer and you will have to turn the empanadas once. Bake or fry until golden brown.
• - If you fry them (the best method because they turn out nice and crunchy), make sure you place the finished empanadas on a cookie sheet whose bottom you have lined with a thick layer of paper towels. This will allow the excess oil to drain.
• - The tradition in Colombia is to have an empanada in one hand and a wedge of lemon in the other. As you take a bite, you squeeze a few drops of lemon juice inside. A bowl of your favorite salsa and a teaspoon will also do the job quite well. This recipe should yield approximately 4 to 5 dozen empanadas.

BAKED CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine chicken, Neufchatel cheese, and salsa in a saucepan over medium heat until cheese melts, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and stir until well combined.
• Lay out empanada discs and place 1 tablespoons of chicken filling onto each disc. Fold dough over filling to close. Wet fingers with water and run them along the edges to help seal. Press edges together using the tines of a fork. Place empanadas on the prepared baking sheet and brush with heavy whipping cream.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

SPICY CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• For the empanada dough: Mix all empanada ingredients in a mixer. Let dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
• For the filling: Bake the chicken breast until fully cooked. Put breast meat in a food processor and pulse until chopped (you don't want very small pieces). Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Add onions, green and red bell peppers, salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, red pepper, oregano and basil. Cook until onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Pour in chipotle sauce and stir. Finally add tomato sauce. Allow filling to cool.
• To form the empanadas, knead the dough. Roll the dough out by hand or with a commercial sheeter. Cut out circles of dough. Place a dough circle in an empanada mold if you have one, but it's not necessary; fill with chicken mixture. Wet the edges of the dough with your fingers. Close the mold to seal, or fold dough over filling and use the tines of a fork to seal the edges. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Use a pastry brush to paint empanadas with an even coat of egg wash.
• Preheat a convection oven to 450 degrees F, or regular oven to 400 degrees F. Place empanadas on greased baking sheets. Bake for 3 minutes in convection oven or 10 to 15 minutes in regular oven.

EASY (YET AWESOME) CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
• Heat oil over med-high heat in a large skillet.
• Saute onions and garlic about 4 minutes, until onions are translucent.
• Add cumin, cayenne pepper, chili flakes and dried oregano. Make sure to mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add black beans, chicken and green chilies. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for around 2 minutes until incorporated and heated through.
• Add chicken stock a little at a time, just to moisten the mixture. You may not need to use the entire 1/4 Cup. You want to make sure that the mixture is moist but not soupy. Simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
• Take mixture off burner and let cool to room temperature.
• Add cheese and mix thoroughly.
• Roll out dough onto floured surface.
• Cut 4" circles out of the dough (I like to use a medium sized cereal bowl to cut the circles, but you can make yours smaller or larger).
• Fill the middle of each circle with about 1.5 - 2 Tbl of the mixture. Don't overfill. Fold each circle in half (sealing in the mixture) and crimp the ends with a fork to close the dough.
• Brush tops with egg yolks and sprinkle with chili powder.
• Cook for 12-14 minutes at 400°F.
• Enjoy!

CHICKEN AND BLACK BEAN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease 3 or 4 baking sheets.
• Combine black beans, chicken, Mexican cheese, salsa, cumin, and hot sauce together in the bowl of a food processor; process until combined.
• Stir flour and salt together in a bowl. Cut in pepper Jack cheese and shortening until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add milk and 1 beaten egg; stir until well mixed.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently, 10 to 15 strokes. Divide dough in half; keep remaining half wrapped in plastic wrap until you are ready for it.
• Roll 1/2 of the pastry dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut using a 3-inch round cutter. Re-roll scraps and repeat until dough is used up. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Place 1 rounded teaspoon of filling in the center of each dough circle. Moisten edges with some water and fold in half. Seal edges with a fork. Prick the top of each empanada several times. Place onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Stir remaining egg and 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl. Brush over each empanada.
• Bake in the preheated oven until brown, 15 to 18 minutes.

SPICY CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Make filling: Place chicken breast, half the onion, and the bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and poach until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; reserve 1 cup cooking liquid, and discard onion and bay leaf. When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred meat from the bone with a fork; set aside.
• Roast poblano chile directly over a gas flame, turning as each side blackens and blisters. (Alternatively, roast chile under the broiler.) Transfer to a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap; let steam 10 minutes. Remove plastic wrap; peel off and discard blackened chile skin. Remove stem, seeds, and ribs; discard. Slice chile into 1/4-inch strips; set aside.
• Finely chop remaining onion. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic; saute until soft and translucent. Stir in cumin and canela; cook 1 minute. Add shredded chicken, tomatoes, chipotle, poblano, and reserved cooking liquid. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until liquid has thickened, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper; stir in cilantro and pepitas. Set aside to cool.
• Make empanadas: Break off a 1 1/2-inch ball of empanada dough. On a clean work surface, roll dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out a round of dough. (Or use an inverted glass as a guide, cutting around it with a sharp paring knife.)
• Place 1 teaspoon filling in center of each round; sprinkle with cheese. Using a pastry brush, moisten edges of dough with water; fold dough over to seal, pressing gently. Crimp edges with a fork; set aside. Repeat with remaining dough. Gather scraps and reroll. (Only do this once, to avoid toughening the dough.)
• Pour remaining oil into a medium saucepan; oil should be 2 inches deep. Place over medium heat until oil reaches 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Working with a few empanadas at a time to avoid overcrowding, fry until golden, turning once, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to drain on a paper-towel lined baking sheet. While still hot, sprinkle tops with sugar. Serve immediately with crema pura or cream on the side, if desired.

BAKED CHICKEN EMPANADAS WITH HATCH CHILE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, corn, Hatch chile, and adobo seasoning. Cook until mixture is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Remove filling from heat.
• Set out empanada discs and place 2 tablespoons filling onto each disc. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons Oaxacan cheese. Brush edge of discs with water and fold over to create half circles. Crimp to seal. Arrange on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove empanadas and sprinkle Cheddar cheese on top. Continue baking until cheese is melted and golden brown, about 5 more minutes.

EMPANADAS DE POLLO (CHICKEN EMPANADAS)

Steps:

• Place the chicken breasts and bouillon cube in a sauce pan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer the chicken for 45 minutes to an hour until tender enough to shred.
• While the chicken is cooking, heat the oil in a saute pan, add the onions. Saute for 5 minutes on medium heat or until onions are soft and translucent.
• Add in the tomatoes and cook until mushy about 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then using a bean or potato masher mash the tomatoes until they are broken up (about 10 good mashes). Add the oregnao, salt to taste. Then turn the heat off of the tomatoes and set them aside.
• Pull the meat out of the sauce pan and set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl combine the fresh masa, corn flour and white flour. Once all is combined add ¼ cup water at a time until dough is easy to knead and slightly sticky. I usually add around ½ to 1/3 cups water.
• Add in the salt and knead the dough for 2 minutes to make sure the salt is incorporated.
• Shape the dough into egg size balls and flatten slightly into discs.
• Shred the chicken into thin shreds and add it to the tomato mixture. Stir and set aside.
• Press each disc in a tortilla press or between two sheets of plastic until it is flat and around ¼ inch thick.
• As you press each empanada fill with approx 1 tbsp of the chicken mixture on one side, then fold the other side over and press the edges together. Then peel away the plastic and drop the empanada in oil for frying.
• I serve these with salsa, chile de arbol, sour cream and shredded lettuce. Enjoy!

CHEESIEST FRIED CHICKEN EMPANADAS WITH QUESO DIP

Steps:

• Preheat vegetable oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl using a rubber spatula, combine the chicken, colby and Monterey cheese, cream cheese, red pepper, jalapeno, cumin, salt, and pepper.
• Remove 1 pie crust from pie tin onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 15-inch circle.
• Cut out rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Re-roll dough as needed.
• Repeat procedure with remaining pie crusts, making 12 to 15 circles total.
• Arrange 1 round on a clean, flat surface.
• Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of crust with water.
• Place 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture in the center of the round.
• Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal.
• Repeat with the remaining rounds and chicken mixture.
• Place empanadas in deep-fryer for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown.
• Top with queso dip.
• Note: Up to this point, the recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month.
• Sauce:.
• In a medium sauce pot, slowly heat cheese over medium/low heat.
• When cheese is fully melted add tomatoes, stirring with spoon until combined well.
• Pour cheese dip into a small casserole dish and serve as a dip for the cheesy empanadas or pour on top for a real cheesy effect.

GREEN CHILE CHICKEN AND QUESO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil; add the tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, and garlic. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the tomatillos are soft. Drain and cool slightly. Combine the tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice in a blender. Add 1/4 cup of water and process to a coarse puree; season with a generous pinch of salt. You should have about 3 cups of this salsa verde.
• Combine the shredded chicken and queso fresco in a large mixing bowl. Pour in 1 1/2cups of the salsa verde and fold the ingredients together to moisten. Use as a filling for empanadas. Serve the remaining salsa verde on the side.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the melted butter. Gradually add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water, working it in with your hands to incorporate; the dough should be easy to handle and not sticky. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
• Lightly flour your rolling pin and counter. Divide the dough in 1/2 so it will be easier to work with and roll it out to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 4-inch cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out 10 circles of dough; repeat with the other 1/2.
• Spoon 2 generous tablespoons of filling into the center of each pastry circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush the edges with the egg wash and then fold the dough over in 1/2 to enclose the filling and form a semi-circle. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork. Chill at least 30 minutes before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the empanadas on a buttered baking sheet and brush the tops with additional egg wash. Using a fork, prick a few holes in the top of the empanadas for steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.

CHICKEN AND CHEESE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix chicken with Swiss cheese, red pepper, onion and pepper.
• In a 1 1/2-2 quart saucepan, mix broth with cornstarch; add cream cheese, whisk over high heat until mixture is boiling (it will be very thick), 2 to 3 minutes; scrape over chicken mixture and combine well, adding salt to taste.
• On a lightly floured board, unroll the pizza crust dough; cut each rectangle crosswise into thirds; on one end of each piece, mound about 5 tablespoons chicken mixture; fold the other end of dough over filling to form a rectangle, then fold edges together and pinch to seal.
• Gently place empanadas, slightly apart, on a greased 12 by 15-inch baking sheet; in a small bowl, beat egg to blend; brush generously over each pastry.
• Bake in a 375° oven until richly browned, about 22 to 25 minutes; transfer to a rack and let cool at least 10 minutes.
• Serve hot or warm.

SPICY CHICKEN EMPANADAS WITH ORANGE SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Heat vegetable oil in a medium saute pan, add onions, green chiles, jalapenos, garlic and cumin and saute until onions are translucent.
• In large bowl combine chicken, lime juice and cilantro. Add the onion-chili mixture and mix. Stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Using a 4-inch ring mold, cut circles from prepared pie dough. Put about 1 tablespoon of the chicken mixture in center of dough. Brush egg wash around circumference of the dough. Fold top half over to form a half circle. Seal with the tines of a fork.
• Heat a deep-fryer to 325 degrees F. with peanut oil. Submerge a few empanadas into oil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Cool slightly and serve with Orange Salsa Verde dipping sauce.
• In a large bowl combine all ingredients.

EASY CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• For filling 1)Take a shallow pan and a cooking oil.Then add cumin seeds to it. 2)Now add onion and fry it for few seconds then add all the spices. 3)Next add chicken and peas. 4)Fry them altogether for 5-6 min.Then keep them aside.
• For Outer cover 1)Take one bowl add flour,oil,salt and add water as per the ingredients. 2)Next start kneading.And make round circles with the rolling pin. 3)Now place 1 tbsp of filling in the center. 4)Next,start start closing it like the picture below. 5)Brush the cover with beaten egg. 6)Start frying in sahllow pan in medium heat for few minutes until color change to brown. 7)Serve hot with any sauce or chutney .