Baked Chicken Empanada Recipe
Homemade baked chicken empanada that are full of superb flavor stuffed with chicken meat, potatoes,carrots and a little bit of raisins; perfect for morning or afternoon snack and even as a meal.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Sheet
- Rolling Pin
- Mixing Bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Pastry cutter (if available)
- Round object (for tracing)
- Fork
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt, fine
- 200 grams unsalted butter, cut into cubes then freeze
- 8 tablespoons cold water
Chicken Filling:
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 200 grams chicken breast, minced or minced chicken
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce or 1 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 small potato, cut into small cubes
- 1 large carrot, cut into small cubes
- ¼ cup raisins
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce optional
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons water
- 20 grams cheddar cheese, half grated to combine with the filling during cooking and half to cut into strips (when filling the dough) optional
Eggwash:
- 1 piece egg
- 1 tablespoons milk
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Dough:
- Cut butter into cubes and put in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter or by pinching the butter with hands into the flour mixture, until it looks like a coarse cornmeal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
- Slowly add water to the flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, mix just until well combined. Mix until dough is no longer too crumbly and holds together when squeezed. If the dough is too crumbly and does not hold together, add more water. It is important that you don’t add too much water and don’t over knead the dough.
- Form the dough into a ball and wrap in a cling wrap and chill for about 30-60 minutes. After chilling, prepare to roll the dough. Cut the dough into 8 equal parts.
- Take a piece of the dough and roll it out as thin as possible without breaking. Cut circles using a round object with the desired size. Do this to all of the remainder of the dough. Combine all excess dough cuttings and repeat the process until dough is used.
Filling:
- Heat the oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat and saute garlic and onion.
- Once translucent, add the minced chicken, stir while removing the clumps and cook for 2 minutes or until no longer pink.
- Add soy sauce, tomato sauce, pepper and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 2 minutes or until meat is cooked.
- Add in carrots and potatoes, mix and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Pour in the oyster sauce and raisins. If using a cheddar cheese, you can incorporate it at this stage. Give it a stir and simmer for 1 minute.
- Transfer the cooked filling to a container or strainer to remove excess liquid. Set aside to cool.
Baking:
- On a flat surface, lay dough circle and put the cheese stick in the middle of the dough. Take a tablespoon of filling and put it above the cheese. Fold the top portion of the dough over filling and with fingers, press edges firmly. Using a fork, press on sides of dough to firmly seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
- In a bowl, whisk together egg, milk and salt.
- Arrange the empanadas in a baking sheet and brush top with egg wash.
- Bake at 360 °F/ 180 °C for about 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Remove from oven and allow to slightly cool before removing from the baking sheet.
- Share and enjoy!
Video
Notes
I recommend that before you do anything or cook the filling, to combine the flour, sugar and salt and place it into the refrigerator to chill out. Cut also the butter into small pieces and place in the freezer. This will cut the time of waiting by doing this step. Additionally, the dough will be crunchier if all dough ingredients are cold.
Putting cheese in the filling and adding cheese strips when filling the empanadas will result in a more flavorful empanadas. Personally, I really suggest to put cheese as it taste yummy when it has cheese, although the calorie will be higher.
Make the filling ahead. I cook then refrigerate my filling before the actual day of making the empanadas. This allow the flavor to seep into the meat and make the filling more tasty. Since the filling needs to cool before trying to fill the pie dough circle, this works out even better.
