Chicken Empanadas
When I lived in Orlando, I would always stop and pick up some Chicken Empanadas.
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a saucepot and cover with cold water by one inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the potatoes for 10-12 minutes, or until they are fork-tender. Drain and return the potatoes to the hot pot until all the water has evaporated. Once the potatoes have cooled enough to handle, peel and dice them, then transfer the pieces to a large bowl and set aside.While the potatoes are cooking, prep the veggies, prepare the spices, and the egg wash.In the same pot the potatoes cooked in, heat up the oil over medium heat. Add the veggies, garlic, cumin, oregano, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper. Sautè for 3-5 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add the ground chicken, tomato paste, the remaining kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and paprika. Break up the chicken and cook for 10-15 minutes, allowing any liquid to evaporate, until the chicken is no longer pink and cooked through.Next, add the meat mixture to the cooked diced potatoes and stir to combine.Preheat oven to 450°F.Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the boxes and allow the refrigerated pie crusts to come to room temperature, 12-15 minutes.Unroll pie crusts on a clean, flat surface. Carefully roll the dough out to 1/8-inch in thickness to ensure a crisp, light texture after baking. Use a 5-inch round pastry cutter to cut circles from the dough. Combine scraps, roll out as thin as possible without tearing the dough, and cut again into 5-inch circles.Place the dough circle into the empanada press, and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the beef mixture into the center of each pie crust circle. Lightly brush the edges with egg wash to use as food glue. Close the empanada press firmly. Place onto the baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer, without touching. Repeat the process until all the empandas are filled. Brush the tops and edges of all of the empanadas. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cooked and golden brown. There you have it, my Chicken Empanadas.
Notes
1) I'm using a small pot that's 5 inches in diameter to cut the dough circles.
2) I'm using an empanada press, but you could fold the dough circles in half by hand and crimp the edges with a fork.
3) Link below for Homemade Pie Crust.
8) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.