This buttery, flakey, and flavorful chicken empanda recipe with a pie crust or what I like to call chicken hand pot pies will have you taking these empanadas to go. This is a simple, delicious and filling turnover pastry that is easy to make ahead of time. Plus it’s a quick snack if you’re out and about.
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What is an empanada?
Empanada is a pastry filled with either pork, beef, or chicken. It is then either fried or baked. The empanada comes from the Spanish term empanar which means, “wrapped in bread” but many other cultures have adopted their version of the dish.
What countries make empanadas?
Latin America, Portugal, Philippines, Spain, and the Caribbean are a few places where empanadas are a staple in the culture. The recipe below is more Filipino (Philippines) focused.
What is better fried or baked empanadas?
Baking the empanadas will be healthier than frying it. Frying the empanadas, however, makes the outside dough extra crispy.
Ingredients
- Salt
- Granulated Sugar
- Butter
- Water
- All-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil
- Garlic
- Onions
- Chicken breast
- Knorr chicken cube
- Potato
- Carrots
- Green peas
- Raisins
- Oyster Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Sugar
- Salt and ground pepper to taste
- Egg
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Dough:
Prep: Combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Ensure that the food processor is equipped with a dough blade. Add in the melted butter slowly. Then add in enough water to have the dough become smooth and soft. Once it is soft and smooth, form the dough into a dish and wrap in plastic. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 1 baking sheet with parchment, the other option is to lightly grease the sheet.
On a floured surface, roll the dough into a thin sheet and cut out 5 inch circular circles.
Chicken Filling:
Cook: In a pan, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook until it is golden.
Add in the chicken breast for 5 minutes. Mix in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and Knorr chicken cube. Stir and cover the pot for 5 minutes.
Add in the carrots and potatoes, cook for another 5 minutes.
Add in the green peas, sugar, and raisins bring the mixture to a simmer for 3 minutes.
Turn off the heat and drain any excess liquid, set the liquid aside. This can be used as a dip for extra flavor.
Season the filling with salt and ground black pepper.
See recipe card for directions on how to put the empanada together.
What goes well with chicken empanadas?
The empanada would go great with lemonade. Try experimenting with different types of dips too like spicy chimichurri, sriracha aioli, or even mango chutney. For some reason I want to dip this in clam chowder right now - do you think it’d be good?
Variations
Looking to make this recipe even better check out these tips to better suit you and your guests:
- Quick & Easy: If you’re working on time management you can buy a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking the chicken. Pastry dough can also be bought, but making your own dough is best for this recipe.
- Looking for an arm workout: no food processor or blender equipped for dough making? There’s always the option to hand mix and then knead the dough.
- Spice it up: Looking to add some heat, add peppers to the chicken filling when cooking. There’s also going the other route and adding sweet peppers!
Storage
Uncooked dough will be good for no more than 2 days in the refrigerator. Ensure it’s wrapped in plastic wrap.
Cooked empanadas should be placed in an airtight container and placed in the refrigerator if there are any leftovers. It should be consumed within 3 days. To reheat, place in the microwave for 30 second increments.
Top tip
Take care to not overfill the empanadas. It will be hard to close the crust and even have the dough break open when baking.
FAQ
Take the same recipe but instead leave out the egg wash portion. Fill a pan with enough oil to cover the empanadas halfway. Fry them on each side until golden brown.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chicken Empanadas:
Chicken Empanada (baked)
Equipment
- Food Processor optional
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Granulated Sugar
- ¾ cup Unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup Cold water
- 2¾ cup All-purpose flour
Chicken Filling
- 2 tablespoon Vegetable oil
- 3 Garlic cloves minced
- 1 Onion large, minced
- 1½ lbs Chicken breast cooked and shredded
- 1 Knorr chicken cube
- 1 cup Potato diced
- 1 cup Carrots minced
- 1 cup Green peas
- ¼ cup Raisins
- 2 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce low sodium
- 1½ teaspoon Sugar
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Egg Wash
- 2 Eggs beaten and halved
- Water
Instructions
Dough
- Prep: Combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Ensure that the food processor is equipped with a dough blade. Add in the melted butter slowly. Then add in enough water to have the dough become smooth and soft. Once it is soft and smooth, form the dough into a dish and wrap in plastic. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, the other option is to lightly grease the sheet(Start this process once the chicken filling has been cooked) On a floured surface, roll the dough into a thin sheet and cut out 5 inch circular circles.
Chicken Filling
- Cook: In a pan, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook until it is golden.
- Add in the chicken breast for 5 minutes. Mix in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and Knorr chicken cube. Stir and cover the pot for 5 minutes.
- Add in the carrots and potatoes, cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add in the green peas, sugar, and raisins bring the mixture to a simmer for 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and drain any excess liquid, set the liquid aside. This can be used as a dip for extra flavor.
- Season the filling with salt and ground black pepper.
Empanada
- Prep: Place 2 teaspoons of the cooled chicken filling in the center of each circle. Brush the edges lightly with egg (beaten). Fold the dough over the filling, and press the edges together to have it seal.To create a pie crust edge, pull the edge out slightly and fold over. Start from one end and finish at the opposite side. This will create a rope-like appearance - it’s also fun to eat once it’s baked.
- Cook: Place the empanadas two inches apart on the baking sheets. Take the egg wash (1 egg diluted with water) and brush the tops of the empanada. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve: Allow the empanadas to cool for 5 minutes and then it is ready to eat. Don’t forget about the excess liquid from cooking the chicken filling, it can be used as a dip for extra flavor!
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