Easy (Yet Awesome) Chicken Empanadas

Submitted by SavorFlavor

"I came up with this recipe by mixing a few different ones that I have used. I think it's awesome and has great flavor. I like to put Cholula hot sauce on mine and dip in sour cream. Hope you like it!"

 

• Ready In: 49mins
• Ingredients: 17
• Yields: 8-9 medium empanadas, depending on size
• Serves: 4-5

ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 - 2 cups cooked chicken (I like to shred a rotisserie chicken)
• 1 cup Mexican blend cheese, shredded
• 1 (4 1/2 ounce) can green chilies, chopped (I use Old El Paso)
• 1 (14 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed well
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 -3 garlic cloves, chopped (can use more or less depending on your liking)
• 1⁄4 cup vegetable oil (should just coat the bottom of the pan)
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes (can adjust to your liking)
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)
• 1⁄4 cup chicken stock
• 3 pie crusts, prepared (I use the Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts)
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 -2 teaspoon chili powder

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
2. Heat oil over med-high heat in a large skillet.
3. Saute onions and garlic about 4 minutes, until onions are translucent.
4. Add cumin, cayenne pepper, chili flakes and dried oregano. Make sure to mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add black beans, chicken and green chilies. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for around 2 minutes until incorporated and heated through.
6. 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.
7. Take mixture off burner and let cool to room temperature.
8. Add cheese and mix thoroughly.
9. Roll out dough onto floured surface.
10. 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).
11. 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.
12. Brush tops with egg yolks and sprinkle with chili powder.
13. Cook for 12-14 minutes at 400°F.
14. Enjoy!

Reviews

[NTexas]

I couldn't find the box pie crusts, so I just used the pre-made pie crusts. I used 3 pie crusts, rolled them flat, and then cut my 4" circles. The recipe itself is simple. I ended up making 12 - 4" pies and still had a lot of the filling left. Seems like a waste. Use very little of the chicken broth as stated. I used too much and decided to thicken the mixture with a little cornstarch. That worked well. The flavors were good, but I might add a little more garlic. I ended up freezing the leftover pies for quick lunches.

 

[Hoosier Mama of one]

Wow, this was a great recipe!! I had some filling left over we used it for burritos. These would be really good appetizers for a party or football game, etc. Couldn't stop eating them! Really good heated up the next day too. The spices really melt together well. Thanks!

 

[3549547]

Oh man were these good! I had some filling left over that I couldn't stop eating! I even froze the remaining ones and reheated in the oven at 350 for about 25-30 minutes. They were just as good as they were the first time I made them. I'm gonna make more to freeze...next time I'll try chicken and beef. Thank you for a great recipe!