During Easter break, I had the opportunity to visit Argentina, renowned for its delicious culinary dishes, mainly beef. It all started with my first bite of an empanada there. I was instantly hooked and knew I had to bring that flavor back home. Now that I'm back, having empanadas of all kinds every day, I couldn't shake the craving. So, I decided to try my hand at making them myself!
Argentinian empanadas come in different types, depending on where they're from. I tried two kinds:
- Empanada Salteña, which is spicy and juicy with beef, potatoes, and peppers
- Patagonian empanadas, known for their meaty fillings and unique spin on empanada dough.
After trying both, I liked the Empanada Salteñas more because of their tasty mix of flavors.
While researching for the most delicious recipe I came across that the empanadas are not as healthy as I thought, however I made a spin off the recipes I got, to make a healthier version.
Wanting a break from all the red meat, I decided to make chicken empanadas. So let’s get started to recreate this delicious treat from your own comfy home.
Chicken Empanadas Filling:
- Boil the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Season the water with salt, pepper, green onion, and tomato to add flavor to the stock.
- Once cooked, set the chicken aside to cool.
2. Prepare the ingredients:
- While the chicken cools, dice the onions, potatoes, red pepper, green onions, and boiled eggs separately. Keep the pieces small (about 2-3mm) for better flavor distribution.
3. Boil the potatoes:
- Boil the potatoes with salt and vinegar to maintain a firm texture.
4. Cooking the Filling:
- While the potatoes cook, shred the chicken into small pieces.
- In a skillet, heat olive oil and sauté the onions until translucent.
- Add the peppers, spices, and a bit of green onion, allowing the flavors to meld for about 5 minutes.
- Incorporate the shredded chicken, adding chicken stock if needed to prevent dryness.
- Mix in the chopped hard-boiled egg and potatoes, then remove from heat and let the filling cool.
While the chicken empanada filling is cooling off, let's prepare the empanada dough.
Empanada Dough:
1. Mixing the Dough:
- Start by placing the flour in a large bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in the lukewarm water and olive oil. Mix the ingredients until a dough forms.
2. Kneading the Dough:
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Transfer the dough to a clean countertop and knead it until smooth, adding more flour or water gradually if needed.
3. Resting the Dough:
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for half an hour.
4. Dividing the Dough:
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After the empanada dough has rested, divide it into small balls, roughly the size of ping pong balls. You should have about 12 balls in total.
- By following these steps, you'll ensure that your empanada dough is prepared for filling and shaping.
Before we get into the fun part of making chicken empanadas, let's preheat your oven or grill to 400°F. I used our tortillera at home to speed things up. In case you're not familiar, a tortillera is a machine that flattens and shapes tortillas. Normally, we'd start by:
Making the Chicken Empanadas:
1. Roll Out the Dough:
- Use a rolling pin to flatten the empanada dough. Roll it out in quarters and in the same direction to maintain a circular shape. Aim for a thickness of about 1mm.
2. Fill the Dough:
- Place a portion of the filling mixture onto the flattened dough. Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape.
- Make sure to leave about 1cm of space in the corners.
3. Seal the Edges:
- Use your fingers or a fork to press and seal the edges of the empanadas, ensuring the filling stays inside. If you can crimp the edges, I think it gives best results.
4. Repeat:
- Repeat the process until you've used up all the dough.
5. Bake:
- Carefully place the chicken empanadas into the preheated oven or grill. Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown.
- CHECK: If desired, check the empanadas occasionally to ensure they're not cooking too quickly.
6. Prepare the sauces:
- While the empanadas are baking, prepare your desired sauces using the ingredients and instructions provided below.
7. Rest and Serve:
- Once the empanadas are done, remove them from the heat and let them rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy them with the prepared chimichurri sauce or tomato sauce.
While your Argentinian empanadas are in the oven, let's create a delicious and super easy tomato sauce that pairs well with the empanadas.
Tomato Sauce Recipe:
2. Add the spices, and salt and pepper to taste into the grated tomato.
3. Serve the sauce with the chicken empanadas.
Chimichurri Recipe:
2. Mix well and let it rest for a minute.
3. Add 2 parts of oil.
4. Voila, chimichurri sauce done!
5. Serve the chimichurri sauce with the chicken empanadas.
Tips & Tricks (Based on My Experience):
- Baking the Argentinean Empanadas: I read that these empanadas are done in a clay oven, so i used the kamado grill, which produced excellent results. However, I should have been more aware of turning them around a little earlier to prevent some from becoming slightly "burnt."
- Chicken Empanadas Filling: This recipe makes a lot of filling, so I recommend dividing it into two portions. You can eat the extras as a tasty and healthy meal.
- Empanada Dough: I found that the dough was too dry, so I had to add more water. Ensure that the dough reaches a regular consistency where everything holds together well.
- Chicken Empanadas Gloss: I forgot to brush egg wash on top of the empanadas before baking for a golden color. Despite this, they still tasted amazing. Don't forget to brush yours!!