Perfect game day treat or lunch on the go! 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!
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
Empanadas are pastry pockets filled with a spicy mixture and then deep fried or baked. The filling can be any meat, cheese, bean, or vegetable and really is only limited by your imagination.
They are super easy and you can even put them together, flash freeze them unbaked, and then bake them fresh right before serving.
🧾 Ingredients
For this recipe you'll need: Cooked chicken breast, Cream of chicken soup, cheddar cheese, chicken broth, onion, poblano, cilantro, cumin, butter, and Cheddar cheese biscuit dough or your favorite unbaked biscuits
🔪 Instructions
Although the traditional empanada is deep fried I prefer to bake mine. It's quicker, easier, and less messy. Plus it saves a few calories, right?
To Bake Empanadas in an Oven:
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Brush empanadas with melted butter.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the empanadas.
- Brush with melted butter and bake 5 minutes more, until golden.
- Serve hot.
To Fry Empanadas
- Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375.
- Gently drop empanadas into the oil, a few at a time.
- Fry until crispy and golden.
- Drain on absorbent paper.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: To reheat cold empanadas just microwave for a few minutes. To baked 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 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
Related recipes
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📖 Recipe
Easy Chicken Empanadas
Print Add to CollectionEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter, , melted - divided use
- 1/4 cup poblano pepper, , diced
- 1/2 cup onion, , diced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar , , or Pepper Jack Cheese
- 1-1/2 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 1/4-inch thick.
- Cut with a small biscuit cutter.
- Add a teaspoon or so of the filling to the middle of the biscuit. More if you're using bigger biscuits.
- Fold half the dough over the filling 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.
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Brush 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
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published October 11, 2017. Last updated October 14, 2020 for better images and readability.
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