Ready to add another slam-dunk recipe to your repertoire? Say hello to these incredible Chicken Empanadas - perfect for when life's a whirlwind and you need a tasty, satisfying meal on the go, or when you're hosting the ultimate game day spread.
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- All the flavor of cheesy chicken empanadas but the recipe is adjusted from a traditional recipe to be super easy and fast!
- Make ahead and freeze either baked or unbaked. They're fabulous for game day, lunches on the run, busy weeknights, and after-school snacks.
- I've included instructions for both baking and frying in the green recipe card.
Chicken empanadas are pockets of light dough filled with a creamy, spicy, chicken and cheese mixture that's sure to be a hit with your favorite football fans!
You'll love these crispy oven baked chicken wings, too!
🥫 Storage
Unbaked empanadas can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for a day or so before cooking. You can also freeze them in layers in an airtight container with parchment or wax paper between the layers.
Baked chicken empanadas can be stored in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for up to 4 days.
You can freeze them for up to 3 months.
📖 Variations
- You can use pie crust for the empanada dough if you prefer.
- Make beef empanadas with leftover bbq brisket, cooked ground beef, or taco meat.
- There are endless filling combinations: black beans, refried beans, various chicken mixtures, beef, pork, cheese...
- Use the tequila lime chicken as a filling.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: To reheat cold empanadas just microwave for a few minutes. To bake from frozen place frozen empanadas on a silpat-lined baking sheet and bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until done.
- Make these super easy by using refrigerated biscuit dough.
- Use a rotisserie chicken to speed up the process.
- Use pie dough if you prefer but it's a little more delicate.
- Be sure to crimp the edges together tightly to seal.
- Keep chilled until ready to bake.
- Don't overcrowd the fryer.
- These freeze well, baked or unbaked.
- Keep leftovers refrigerated.
👩🍳 FAQs
Chopped or shredded chicken mixed with peppers, cheese, onions, or whatever you like!
Well, there are so many different styles of dough for empanadas that the answer has to be yes. Puff pastry dough, pie dough, refrigerated biscuits, frozen bread dough, crescent roll dough, pizza dough... any of these can be used for empanadas.
📚 Related recipes
- Slow Cooker Taco Pretzels
- Cranberry Cheese Ball Wreath
- Saltine Cracker Recipe (Crispy, Buttery, Ready in 30 Minutes)
- Bacon Ranch Pull-Apart Bread
🍽️ Serve with...
- Velveeta queso or bbq sauce make good dipping sauces for homemade chicken empanadas.
- Chicken cream cheese crescent rolls and sausage balls for snacking.
- Chicken Pozole Verde for a main dish that can be spooned right out of the
slow cooker whenever anyone is hungry. - Jalapeno Poppers wrapped in crescent dough are unique and delicious.
🫶 Restless Chipotle recommends
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📞 The last word
So, what's the scoop on these beauties? Well, they're all about that creamy, dreamy filling that's packed with tender, shredded chicken and oozing with cheese.
Yep, you read that right - it's a flavor-packed party in your mouth!
Now, here's the kicker (get it? Kicker? I crack myself up): making these empanadas is a breeze!
Seriously, even on the busiest days, you can whip up a batch in no time. Whether you're meal prepping for the week or scoring major points as the game-day MVP, these empanadas will have everyone cheering for more.
Imagine the satisfaction of biting into that golden, flaky crust and discovering the savory treasure inside. Your family is going to be begging for these, trust me!
I love having them on hand for busy weekends but they really shine on game day when everyone is gathered around the TV shouting for their favorite team.
It uses up a lot of calories to be a dedicated football fan.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Easy Chicken Empanadas
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- ¼ cup butter, melted - divided use
- ¼ cup poblano pepper, diced (can use bell pepper)
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar , or Pepper Jack Cheese
- 1-½ pounds chicken breast, cooked and shredded
- 1 recipe Cheddar cheese biscuits, unbaked or use canned biscuit dough
Instructions
- Add a little of the butter to a pan and heat until sizzling.
- Saute the poblano peppers and onion in the butter until tender and onion is translucent.
- Add the remaining ingredients, except the biscuit dough, and simmer until well blended and the cheese is melted.
- Pulse in a food processor until chicken is cut small.
- Set aside.
- Roll the biscuit dough out about ¼-inch thick.
- Cut with a small biscuit cutter.
- Add a teaspoon or so of the chicken mixture to the middle of the biscuit. More if you're using bigger biscuits.
- Fold half the dough over the filling to create a half moon and pinch edges to seal.
To Bake
- You may flash freeze at this point then store in a freezer container. When ready to bake continue as directed.
- Heat the oven to 425F.
- Use a pastry brush to coat the empanadas with melted butter.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Brush with more melted butter.
- Bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, or until golden.
- Serve hot.
To Fry
- Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375F.
- Gently drop in a few chicken empanadas at a time being careful not to overcrowd.
- Fry until golden.
- Drain on paper towel.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- Make these super easy by using refrigerated biscuit dough
- Use pie dough if you prefer but it's a little more delicate
- Be sure to pinch the edges together tightly to seal
- Keep chilled until ready to bake
- Vary the fillings
- Don't overcrowd the fryer
- These freeze well baked or unbaked
- Keep leftovers refrigerated
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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First published October 11, 2017. Last updated September 17, 2023, for better readability and editorial improvements.
Judy P says
What does "flash freeze' mean? Can you do it in a regular freezer?
Marye says
It just means to put it on a cookie sheet and freeze quickly before putting it in a storage container. Yes you can do it in a regular freezer.