chicken-empanadas

Appetizers Collection

Chicken Empanadas

Empanadas usually are served hot and blistered from the deep fryer, but home cooks will be glad that these baked healthier handpies offer similar pleasures without a trip into a vat of bubbling oil. The simple dough, similar to pie crust, comes together in a jiffy in the food processor. For a fun tweak, make the recipe into mini empanadas with 3-inch, rather than 6-inch, rounds of dough.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 ½ cups white whole-wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • ½ cup ice water
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Sauce

  • 1 cup packed fresh cilantro
  • 1 large jalapeño pepper, seeded, if desired, and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 4 teaspoons lime juice, divided
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Filling

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 large hard-boiled eggs, crumbled into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter, for brushing

Directions

  1. To prepare dough: Pulse all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until the butter is pea-size and the mixture looks like coarse sand, 6 to 8 times. Add water and beaten egg and pulse until the dough starts to come together into a ball. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat it into an oval disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

  2. Meanwhile, prepare sauce: Pulse cilantro, jalapeño and 2 garlic cloves in a mini food processor until finely chopped, scraping down the sides once or twice. Transfer to a small bowl. Add egg yolk and 2 teaspoons lime juice to the mini food processor and pulse until smooth. With the motor running, add 1/2 cup oil in a thin, steady stream and process until creamy. Add the cilantro mixture, the remaining 2 teaspoons lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pulse until well combined. Set aside.

  3. To prepare filling: Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add tomato paste and cumin; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add chicken and broth; cook, stirring and breaking up the chicken slightly, until the broth has almost completely evaporated but the mixture still looks moist, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

  4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

  5. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions on a floured work surface. Form each into a ball and roll out into a 6-inch circle. Scoop 1/4 cup of the filling onto the center and sprinkle with 1 generous tablespoon egg. Fold in half, firmly press the edges together to seal and crimp with a fork. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Brush with butter.

  6. Bake the empanadas until light golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature with the reserved sauce.