Chicken empanadas, a traditional and delectable dish enjoyed in Spain and Latin America, possess a unique combination of accessibility and originality that is sure to have you licking your fingers in delight. These delightful pockets of pastry are crafted from a delectable shortcrust pastry that envelopes an array of tantalizing fillings, including meat, cheese, seafood, cottage cheese, and even marmalade.
Ingredients
The dough for the empanadas is created using a careful combination of ingredients that are expertly balanced to achieve the perfect consistency.
Dough
- Wheat flour — 300 g.
- Butter — 120 g.
- Eggs — 1 pc.
- Water — 80 ml.
- Salt — 1 tsp.
- Vinegar — 1 tbs.
Filling
- Chicken mince — 150 g.
- Canned corn — 50 g.
- Eggs — 1 pc.
- Green onion — 15 g.
- Onion — 1 pc.
- Salt — 1 tsp
- Paprika —0.5 tsp.
- Ground red pepper — 0.3 tsp.
- Oregano dry — 1 tbsp.
- Sugar — 0.3 tsp. L
How to make chicken empanadas
Step 1. To achieve this, begin by adding vegetable oil and egg to a mixture of wheat flour, butter, water, and tablespoon of vinegar. Grate the chilled butter on a coarse grater and mix it with the sifted flour to create a crumbly consistency that is perfect for the dough.
Step 2. Next, create a funnel in the butter-flour mass and pour the liquid mixture into it, starting to knead the dough with a spoon. As the dough thickens and gathers into a lump, transfer it to the table to be further kneaded, gathered into a ball, wrapped tightly with cling film, and refrigerated for 30 minutes. The dough should turn out moderately soft, elastic, and not sticky to your hands. You may need more or less flour, depending on the desired consistency of the dough.
Step 3. While the dough rests, prepare the filling by boiling an egg for 10 minutes, cooling it in cold water, peeling and cutting it into cubes, washing green onions in running water, drying them, and chopping them finely. Peel an onion from its husk and chop it finely, measuring out the desired amount of canned corn into a small bowl.
Step 5. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan, and fry the onion until it becomes translucent for 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Put raw minced chicken in the pan with onions, add salt and spices, and fry everything together with stirring for 6-7 minutes until it is tender. The perfect balance of oregano, paprika, ground red pepper, and a little sugar is used to create a tantalizing flavor that will excite your taste buds. While stirring, be sure to break up any large lumps of minced meat and taste the mixture before adding salt and spices if necessary.
Step 6. Mix everything well to create a tantalizing and flavorful filling that perfectly complements the empanadas’ delectable pastry.
Step 7. To make the empanadas patties, roll the dough out into a layer of any shape with a thickness of 3-4mm without needing any flour for dusting. Cut out circles with a diameter of 11-12cm using a lettuce ring or glass. Collect the excess dough, roll it out again, and cut circles out of it to create the desired number of circles. You should have 15 circles.
Step 8. Place a tablespoon of filling on one side of each circle, close the filling with the second edge, and pinch the dough together to form a pie that looks like a large dumpling. Pass the edges of the pie with a fork for better fixation and pattern. Place the blanks on a baking sheet covered with baking paper and freeze them for 10 minutes while you finish the rest of the pies.
Step 9. Once the allotted time has passed, remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator, and brush the pies with a beaten egg using a silicone bone. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (356°F) and bake the pies for 15-20 minutes until they turn golden brown.
