Chicken or turkey empanadas
By Chef Chile (@chef_chile)
Ingredients
- 12-15 medium sized empanadas discs (using homemade dough (see recipe below) or store-bought empanada discs)
- 2 tbs butter
- ½ white onion (sliced thinly)
- ½ bell pepper (sliced thinly)
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 2 tomatoes (diced)
- ½ tsp ground achiote or annatto
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 cups shredded turkey or chicken
- 2 tbs turkey gravy – you can replace this with a combination of broth and butter
- 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
- ½ tbs fresh oregano – can be replaced with 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt to taste
- 1 egg (yolk and white separated)
- Spicy cranberry mango sauce
- Tree tomato aji hot sauce
- Quick chimichurri sauce
Directions
- 1Melt the butter in a medium size frying pan.
- 2Add the onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, achiote, and cumin. Cook for 10 minutes over medium low heat, stirring occasionally.
- 3Mix in the shredded turkey and stir well.
- 4Add the turkey gravy and balsamic vinegar; continue cooking over low heat for another 5 minutes.
- 5Let the turkey filling cool down, and then add in the chopped oregano.
- 6To assemble the empanadas spoon the turkey mixture on to the center of the each empanada disc.
- 7Brush the edges of the empanada discs with the egg whites, you can also use water but the egg white acts as a natural “glue” that helps seal the empanada.
- 8Fold the empanada disc and seal the edges gently with your fingers, twist and fold the edges of the empanadas with your fingers. To seal the edges further you can use a fork to press down and finish sealing the empanadas.
- 9Let the empanadas rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until ready to bake, this will help them seal better and prevent leaks.
- 10Lightly brush the top of the empanadas with the egg yolk; this will give them a nice golden glow when they bake.
- 11Pre-heat the oven to 400 F and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden, exact time will depend on the size of the empanadas and your oven.
- 12Serve warm.