Quick Chicken Olive Empanadas Recipes

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 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.

ARGENTINE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
• Add garlic and diced red pepper. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often. Add chili powder, cumin, sweet paprika, and oregano. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium and add the ground beef. Season with salt and pepper and cook, crumbling into small pieces, until browned. Stir in beef boullion.
• Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a bowl to cool for 10 minutes. Then, stir in green onion, olives, parsley, and hard-boiled eggs.
• Cover and chill mixture for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days (depending on freshness of ingredients). It's important that the mixture is chilled before filling the empanadas.
• Add flour and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add egg and butter and stir well to combine. Add oil and warm water and stir until the mixture starts to come together into a dough ball. Add more water if it's too dry.
• Place dough in clean greased bowl and cover tightly. Allow to rest at room temperature for 1 hour. (Or, refrigerate for up to 1 day, removing from the fridge 20 minutes before using.)
• Divide the dough into two pieces. On a greased countertop roll each piece into a very large circle, about 1/8in thick (not so thin that it might break when filling or baking).
• Use a small bowl or round cookie cutters to cut the dough into circles about 6in in diameter for regular size empanadas or 3 inch for mini empanadas (empanaditas).
• Remove the excess dough from around the cut circles and keep the circles where they are for filling them (so they hold their perfect circle shape). Leftover scraps can be re-rolled to make more dough to cut out.
• Place about 2 tablespoons of filling (for regular size empanadas) in the center of each circle, leaving plenty of space around the border. Moisten the edges of the circle with water, then fold the dough over and match the ends together to form a semi-circle.
• Pinch the edges together and then seal the ends by crimping them with a fork or pinching and twisting/folding it over.
• Baked Empanadas: Place empanadas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with a little bit of egg wash and bake at 375° For 25-30 minutes until golden brown and fully cooked.
• Fried Empanadas: (I've found it best to refrigerate the empanadas for 20 minutes before frying to help the dough firm up and hold its shape before placing in the hot oil). Add several inches of hot oil to a pot and heat to about 365° F. Fry one or two empanadas at a time, flipping once, until golden on both sides (1-2 minutes per side). Place on a paper-towel lined plate.

EASY CHICKEN EMPANADAS RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Roll out the pie dough and cut it into large circles (I used a 3 7/8 inch biscuit cutter, but you could use a small bowl instead).
• In a medium bowl, mix together the chicken, cream cheese, shredded cheese, enchilada sauce, and jalapeño.
• Place a tablespoon-sized scoop of filling on each of the circles of dough, and fold the edges together. Crimp the edges with a fork or twist them together to seal the dough.
• Place on the prepared baking sheets and cut a slit in the top of each empanada, or pierce each with a fork a few times.
• Brush each empanada with the beaten egg. Bake in preheated oven 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

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 AND OLIVE EMPANADAS WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

Steps:

• For the chimichurri sauce: Combine the parsley, oregano, cilantro, garlic, crushed red pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a food processor. Process until coarsely chopped. Add the vinegar and pulse to combine. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the oil and 2 tablespoons water. Set aside at room temperature. (Can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before serving. Makes 1 cup.)
• For the filling: Put a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Put the chicken thighs skin-side down in a large saucepan. Add the broth, parsley sprigs and bay leaf, turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until a meat thermometer inserted in a piece of chicken near the bone registers 150 degrees F, about 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. When cool enough to handle, discard the skin and shred the meat into large pieces; you should have about 2 cups. Place in a medium bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the broth. (Strain and keep the rest to make delicious soup!).
• Wipe out the saucepan, heat it over medium heat and add the lard. Add the onion, season with salt and cook, stirring, until soft but not brown, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with the cumin and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Stir in the flour. Whisk in the 1/2 cup broth and let it bubble and thicken, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Pour the mixture over the chicken, add the olives and toss to combine. Taste and add salt if necessary-the filling should be aggressively seasoned, since it will be wrapped in the dough. Pop the chicken into the refrigerator just until cool, about 10 minutes.
• To make the empanadas: Place a small bowl of cool water by your work surface. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Working with 1 wrapper at a time and keeping the rest covered, brush a little water on one edge of the empanada wrapper. Put 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of the wrapper and fold in half. Use your finger to press out the air, making a border of about 1/2 inch around the filling. Press with a fork to seal the edges. Transfer to the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
• Bake the empanadas until golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Serve warm with the chimichurri sauce.

BEEF EMPANADAS WITH OLIVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Grease 2 baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add onions and cook for 4 minutes, or until translucent.
• Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
• Add ground beef, cumin, paprika and pepper.
• Cook, stirring and breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Remove from heat and mix in the chopped olives; set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one sheet puff pastry dough to 1/8 inch thickness.
• Cut out 6 circles, each should be about a 5-inch diameter. I use a large round cookie cutter.
• Repeat with the second sheet of pastry dough.
• Spoon about a tablespoon of the meat mixture onto center of each dough round; set aside.
• In a small mixing bowl combine egg and water and lightly beat with a fork. Using a pastry brush, paint edges of dough with the prepared egg wash.
• Fold dough over meat, shaping it into half-moon shape; gently press down edges and twist down to seal.
• Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• Transfer the empanadas to previously prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1-1/2 inches space between the empanadas.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until puffed up and golden brown.
• Remove from oven and serve immediately.

QUICK CHICKEN AND OLIVE EMPANADAS RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine first 11 ingredients in heavy medium skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to processor
• grind coarsely. Transfer to medium bowl. Mix in breadcrumbs. Season filling to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate filling until cold, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.) Line baking sheet with foil
• sprinkle with flour. Place gyoza wrappers on work surface. Lightly brush edge of each wrapper with beaten egg. Place heaping 1 teaspoon filling in center of each gyoza wrapper. Fold gyoza wrapper in half and crimp edges with tines of fork to seal. Transfer empanadas to prepared baking sheet. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover empanadas and refrigerate.) Heat canola oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add empanadas to oil and fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds per side. Drain empanadas on paper towels. Serve warm. *Gyoza wrappers can be found at Asian markets and in the refrigerator section of many supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute wonton wrappers and cut into 3 1/2-inch rounds.

QUICK CHICKEN AND OLIVE EMPAñADAS

Steps:

• Combine first 11 ingredients in heavy medium skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to processor; grind coarsely. Transfer to medium bowl. Mix in breadcrumbs. Season filling to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate filling until cold, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• Line baking sheet with foil; sprinkle with flour. Place gyoza wrappers on work surface. Lightly brush edge of each wrapper with beaten egg. Place heaping 1 teaspoon filling in center of each gyoza wrapper. Fold gyoza wrapper in half and crimp edges with tines of fork to seal. Transfer empanadas to prepared baking sheet. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover empanadas and refrigerate.)
• Heat canola oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add empanadas to oil and fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds per side. Drain empanadas on paper towels. Serve warm.
• *Gyoza wrappers can be found at Asian markets and in the refrigerator section of many supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute wonton wrappers and cut into 3 1/2-inch rounds.

QUICK VEGETARIAN PICADILLO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add lentils, sofrito, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper; cook for 4 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in potatoes, tomato sauce, and olives. Simmer until mixture is warmed through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Fill a deep skillet or frying pan with 2 inches vegetable oil and place over medium heat while you assemble the empanadas.
• Set empanada discs on a clean work surface. Add 1/4 cup of lentil-potato mixture to the center of one half of an empanada disc in a half moon shape (so it follows the curve of the wrapper). Wet your fingers in a bowl of water and run them around the entire edge of the wrapper to moisten. Fold the wrapper in half to cover the filling and pinch the edges of the dough together to seal, then use a fork to crimp the edges to secure the wrapper further. Repeat with the remaining discs and filling.
• Once oil has reached 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), add empanadas in a single layer; do not overlap. You will need to cook in batches.
• Fry until empanadas are golden brown and crispy, flipping once or twice so they brown evenly while frying, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat to cook remaining empanadas.

CHICKEN CHIMICHURRI EMPANADA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine chicken with 1 cup Chimichurri. Mix well and refrigerate overnight.
• Heat saute pan with oil and saute the chicken with the salt until done. Add remaining 1/2 cup Chimichurri and set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Place 1 heaping tablespoon chicken mixture in center of an Empanada Disc and close by hand or with a fork. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
• Bake until browned, about 10 minutes.
• Stir flour and salt together in a bowl.
• Blend the shortening into the flour mixture with a metal spoon or hands until well blended.
• Combine the egg with 2/3 cup room temperature water. Stir 1/2 cup egg mixture into the flour until the dough starts to come together smoothly. Keep kneading the dough, adding more of the egg mixture as needed (you may need a little more water). The dough should be smooth.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour but preferably overnight.
• Place dough on a floured surface and roll into desired thickness before cutting. Use a 5-inch round cutter for the discs.
• Combine parsley, red peppers and garlic in a medium bowl.
• Add olive oil and vinegar and mix. Add salt, pepper, oregano and paprika and mix well.
• Cover and chill for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight. Keep refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

QUICK CHICKEN & OLIVE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Combine first 11 ingredients in heavy medium skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to processor; grind coarsely. Transfer to medium bowl. Mix in breadcrumbs. Season filling to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate filling until cold, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.) Line baking sheet with foil; sprinkle with flour. Place gyoza wrappers on work surface. Lightly brush edge of each wrapper with beaten egg. Place heaping 1 tsp filling in center of each gyoza wrapper. Fold wrapper in half and crimp edges with tines of fork to seal. Transfer empanadas to prepared baking sheet. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover empanadas and refrigerate.) Heat canola oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add empanadas to oil and fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds per side. Drain empanadas on paper towels. Serve warm. *If Gyoza wrappers are unavailable, substitute wonton wrappers and cut into 3 ½" rounds.