Name: Easy Baked Chicken Empanadas Recipe EMPANADAS DE POLLO
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 medium egg; 5 tablespoon chilled butter cut in cubes; ¼ cup chilled water (might need more or less.); 400 gm minced chicken; 2 medium onions thinly sliced; 3 garlic cloves minced; 3 tablespoon oil; 1 ¼ teaspoon paprika; Salt to taste; 1 teaspoon cumin powder; ½ teaspoon black pepper; ¼ teaspoon red chili powder; ½ cup boiling water

Recipe

Chicken empanadas are heavenly mini chicken pies. The dough is made of flour, butter, egg, and water. The filling is made of juicy and perfectly seasoned ground chicken and will make you ask for more empanadas. Both the dough and the filling are easy to make and hardly take 20 minutes to prepare. For the beef, please try my Beef Empanadas recipe.

How to make empanadas dough

Most pie crusts and doughs are easy to make, and empanada dough is no different. You can use a food processor here, but I always use my hands in making dough. I like using my hands because I can easily tell if I added more water if the dough is dry, and when should I stop kneading.

In a mixing bowl, add the flour and the rest of dry ingredients and mix well, and then add the butter and rub the ingredients between your fingers. This step is important, and you shouldn’t skip it even if you are using a food processor. Rubbing the butter with the flour brings out the buttery flavor and flaky texture.

Add the rest of the ingredients and when adding the water make sure to add it gradually because different brands of flour take a different amount of water.

The kneading shouldn’t take more than a few minutes; you are looking for the dough to come together and not to create gluten.

Cover the dough and refrigerate for a minimum of 40 minutes. This step is important too, it helps the dough to rest, and it rolls out better.

empanadas served with red sweet sauce on the side.

Empanadas filling

You can use any filling you prefer you can even use sweet fillings like apples and dry fruits; the dough tastes good with any filling you choose. But for today we are sticking to chicken, and although I would love for you to try my fillings and then decide if you like it or want to add changes to it, you can fill the empanadas with any chicken filling you like.

Four large empanadas filled with chicken.

How to store chicken empanadas

You can make these goodies ahead of time. Fill the dough with the filling and seal it, then place the empanadas on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer for an hour or until rock hard. Remove the empanadas from the baking sheet and place it in a Ziplock bag. Freeze for up to three months. Keep in mind that the chicken empanadas will need a few more minutes to bake.

You don’t have to thaw the empanadas. Take the empanadas out of the freezer, place them on a baking sheet and brush them with egg wash. Bake them the same way you bake freshly made empanadas.

chicken empanadas cut in half showing the filling.

Close up image of chicken empanadas showing the filling.

More Mexican delight you will love:

Guacamole.

Arroz Con Pollo or Mexican Chicken and Rice.

Ground Beef Quesadilla with Cheese.

Homemade Flour Tortillas.

Small image of chicken empanadas recipe.

Easy Baked Chicken Empanadas Recipe EMPANADAS DE POLLO

Flaky crust filled with juicy tender chicken. This amazing dinner or appetizer comes together in 20 to 30 minutes.

4.75 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer, Main

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: chicken empanadas

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings:

Calories: 190kcal

Author: Muna Kenny

Ingredients

FOR THE DOUGH

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 medium egg
5 tablespoon chilled butter cut in cubes
¼ cup chilled water might need more or less.

FOR THE FILLING

400 gm minced chicken
2 medium onions thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves minced
3 tablespoon oil
1 ¼ teaspoon paprika
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon red chili powder
½ cup boiling water

Instructions

MAKING THE FILLING

In a hot pan, add the oil and when it’s hot, add the onion and sauté until translucent.
Add the ground chicken and cook for three minutes on medium high heat.
Add the garlic and all the spices and stir for three minutes or until water from the chicken evaporates.
Add the boiling water and continue cooking until the water evaporates and the chicken is completely cooked.
Let the filling cool to room temperature before filling the discs.

MAKING THE EMPANADA DOUGH

In a bowl, add the flour, salt, and sugar, mix them well then add the butter and incorporate the butter with the dry ingredients by rubbing it with your fingers.
When you get a coarse crumb-like texture, beat the egg and add it to the flour and butter mixture. Mix until combined.
Gradually add the chilled water and knead for a minute and form a ball.
Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
Form 11 equal size balls.
Lightly dust the working surface and roll out the ball into a thin sheet.
Fill the center of the rolled disc with the filling. Fold the empanada and seal the edges by pressing the edges together. You can use a fork to press down the edges and give the empanadas a beautiful finish, or you can use the empanada mold as an easier option.
It’s best to cover and refrigerate the empanadas before baking them for at least 40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400F/180C.
Place the empanadas in a previously lined with parchment paper baking pan. Brush the empanadas with the beaten egg and bake for 16 minutes or until the empanadas are golden in color.
Serve hot or at room temperature.

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