Baked Chicken Empanada Recipe (2024)

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by sanna last updated posted 5 Comments

These baked chicken empanada aremade of a tasty chicken filling with mildly sweet vegetables and enclosed in a cheddar cheese crust. These are so good and so worth every effort.

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Baked Chicken Empanada Recipe (1)

These baked chicken empanada are my favorite savory indulgence. I love empanadas because there is a perfect ratio of the crust to filling. Not to mention, I am a lover of anything flaky and buttery (a.k.a. pastries!).

Baked Chicken Empanada Recipe (2)

I posted this chicken empanada recipe for the first time two years ago, and now I am posting it again with an even better recipe that I really fell in love with. You guys, my heart delights in its deliciousness.

The crust is now a cheddar cheese pie crust. Still flaky. Still buttery, but now with a hint of cheese in every bite. Can you imagine? I was so excited with just the thought of that.

The filling is made even tastier and a bit sweeter as I would like. Together, they make up one dang good empanada recipe that is so good they will be gone in a flash.

Baked Chicken Empanada Recipe (3)

How to Make Baked Chicken Empanada?

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add the shredded cheddar cheese. Using your fingers, rub the cheese into the powders until a coarse meal is formed.

Add the cubed butter and using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the ingredients until a coarse mixture with tiny bits of butter is formed.

Add 5 tbsp of water and stir the dough until it is moist enough cling together when pressed with your fingers. If the dough is too crumbly, add another tablespoon of water.Baked Chicken Empanada Recipe (4)

With your hands on the bowl, gently mix the dough until it clings together and gather it into a ball. This dough will still be crumbly but it should form into a ball when pressed together.

Wrap this in plastic and chill it in the fridge for two hours to overnight.

After chilling, allow the dough to rest at room temperature for about 5-8 minutes. On a floured board, roll the dough into 1/4 inch thickness. Use a circle cutter with about 5 inches in diameter to cut as many circles as you can.

Gather the scraps and roll it out again, and cut more circles. Repeat until all the dough is used up.

Baked Chicken Empanada Recipe (5)

Spoon about a tablespoon of the filling into the center of the circle dough. Fold the dough in half, covering the filling. Press the ends together, then fold them inwards to seal (seal them well so they don’t open while baking).

Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Arrange the pastries on a large baking pan.

Bake!

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F. Chill the pastries in the fridge while the oven is heating up. Once the oven is ready, brush the pastries with the egg wash.
  • Bake the chicken empanadas at 400 F for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Baked Chicken Empanada Recipe (6)

Freezing the Chicken Empanadas
  • The empanadas can be frozen for up to two weeks (without brushing with egg wash). Dust with a little flour, seal in a freezer bag or tight container.
  • To bake, preheat oven to 400F, brush empanadas with egg wash and bake for 20 minutes until light golden brown. You do not need to thaw prior to baking.

Baked Chicken Empanada Recipe (7)

Need more lunch recipes? Also, try:
  • 5-Ingredient Lemon BBQ Chicken
  • Chicken BBQ Pizza
  • Pork Binagoongan
  • Burger Steak with Mushroom Gravy
  • Rosemary Chicken with Garlic

Baked Chicken Empanada Recipe (8)

Baked Chicken Empanada

These baked chicken empanada are made of tasty chicken filling accompanied with mildly sweet vegetables and enclosed in a flaky cheddar cheese crust.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: chicken filling, meat turnovers, pastries

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

chilling of dough: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 pieces

Calories: 294kcal

Author: sanna

Equipment

Ingredients

For the crust

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/8 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter cut into little cubes then chilled
  • 5-6 tablespoons ice water

For the Filling

  • 2 pieces chicken breasts boneless, skinless
  • 1 small carrot diced
  • 1 small potato diced
  • 1/4 cup frozen green peas
  • ½ cup raisins
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 cup cooking liquid from boiling the chicken
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt to taste
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 2-4 tbsp cooking oil

For the egg wash

  • 1 large egg beaten

Instructions

For the crust:

  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add the shredded cheese and use your fingers to rub them into the powders until a coarse mixture forms.

  • Add the cubed butter. Use a pastry blender to cut them into the mixture until the mixture looks like a coarse meal with some bits of butter here and there. Pour 5 tbsp of ice water and use a rubber spatula to stir the mixture until it clings together. If the dough is still very dry and loose, add 1 more tablespoon of water. Using your hands into the bowl, press the dough together and gather it into a ball. The dough should still be a bit crumbly but clings when pressed together. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill in the fridge for 2 hours to overnight.

For the Filling:

  • Place the chicken breast in a small pot. Cover it with enough water and let it boil. Lower heat and simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let cool. Reserve the cooking liquid. Shred the chicken into chunks using two forks. Set this aside.

  • Heat cooking oil in a large skillet. Cook the garlic and onion until soft. Add the carrots and potatoes and toss around for 2-3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and let simmer and cover. Cook until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Add the chicken, peas, and raisins and toss the ingredients around. Add sugar and soy sauce and stir them in. Add salt and pepper. In a small cup, dissolve cornstarch in the remaining 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Pour the mixture into the skillet and stir, until the ingredients are lightly coated with a thick sauce. Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off heat. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool.

Assembly

  • Take the dough out of the fridge and let stand for a few minutes at room temperature. On a floured surface, roll dough to about ¼ inch thick using a rolling pin. Using the rim of a round bowl, a cookie cutter or anything round of about 5 inches in diameter, cut circles from the flattened dough.Gather the scraps and roll it out again. Cut more circles and repeat until all the dough is used up.

  • Preheat oven to 400 F. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the filling into the center of circular dough and fold in half, covering the filling. Pinch the edges and fold it inwards to seal. Refrigerate the empanadas for about 15 minutes. Brush the surface of empanadas with egg wash. Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes or until empanadas are lightly golden.

Notes

Make sure to seal the empanadas well to prevent them from opening during baking.

Freezing the Chicken Empanadas
  • The empanadas can be frozen for up to two weeks (without brushing with egg wash). Dust with a little flour, seal in a freezer bag or tight container.
  • To bake, preheat oven to 400F, brush empanadas with egg wash and bake for 20 minutes until light golden brown. You do not need to thaw prior to baking.

Pie crust recipe adapted from The Pie and Pastry Bible from Rose Levy Berenbaum.

Nutrition Facts

Baked Chicken Empanada

Amount Per Serving (1 piece)

Calories 294Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Cholesterol 58mg19%

Sodium 332mg14%

Potassium 198mg6%

Carbohydrates 28g9%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 1194IU24%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 89mg9%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 198mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1194IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 2mg

*Affiliate links ( please see disclosure page for details.)

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Baked Chicken Empanada Recipe (15)

About sanna

Sanna is a wife and mother of three, living in Alberta, Canada. Her passion for baking, making good food and writing sparked her desire to start Woman Scribbles.

She loves pastries, yoga, reading books and camping during the summer. She loves cilantro, avocado toast, and a real crispy fried chicken.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Baked Chicken Empanada Recipe (16)Renna Capasso says

    Thank you so much for your Chicken empanada recipe, it is so yummy and melt in the mouth. Loved by my family. Definitely will make again and again. Cheers

    Reply

    • Baked Chicken Empanada Recipe (17)sanna says

      Aaaw, thanks Renna! I am so glad you liked it!

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Baked Chicken Empanada Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can empanadas be baked instead of fried? ›

How to bake: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush pastries with egg wash to achieve that shiny, golden color. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, then allow them to cool on a wire rack before serving. Pros: This is a healthier technique as it doesn't require oil.

What is the difference between baking and frying empanada dough? ›

Baked empanadas are easier because you can bake a whole ton at once and certainly lighter without all that deep fried goodness but they don't have quite the same flavor as the fried version. So I leave it up to you! Don't skip the egg wash if baking because it is what helps give the empanadas their color!

Are chicken empanadas healthy? ›

While it's quite tasty, it isn't the healthiest meal you can consume. The great news is you can still get your empanada fix with all the flavor, but less calories, fat, and more nutrition with healthier versions.

Can frying empanada discs be baked? ›

Also keep in mind that while this is an empanada dough for frying, it will work if you decide to bake empanadas instead. You will want to mix a beaten egg with 1 tablespoon of milk or cream and brush that on top of each empanada, so it will get pretty and golden.

Can goya empanada dough be baked? ›

Share this product using: Prepare flavorful homemade empanadas easily with convenient GOYA® Tapas Criollas – Dough for Turnover Pastries, which are perfect for baking or frying.

How do you keep empanadas crispy? ›

The best way to keep fried foods crispy? Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. If you're frying multiple batches, throw the whole setup into a low oven to keep everything warm as you keep frying and adding to the rack.

Why put vinegar in empanada dough? ›

Adding a little vinegar to your dough will result in a tender, pliable, and flaky crust because it slightly inhibits gluten development, leading to a crust that is flakier and easier to work with. The great thing about vinegar is that you really only need a little bit of it to help your pie/empanada dough.

What are 3 types of empanadas? ›

Argentine empanadas with beef, cheese, or chicken. Chilean empanadas with beef, cheese, or seafood. Mexican empanadas with spicy beef, potato, or pumpkin.

Which dough is best for empanadas? ›

What Can You Substitute for Empanada Dough? If you're looking for a shortcut, store-bought pie dough can be used to make empanadas. You may need to roll the dough out slightly thinner—it will produce a flakier result than typical empanada dough and is better for baking than frying.

How many empanadas should I eat? ›

When the empanada is served us as an appetizer before a meal, it is usual to calculate one or two normal sized empanadas per person. If it is to be the main player in a meal, five or six are considered normal. With a genuine regional empanada from an Estancia in Buenos Aires, it is essential to wrap a napkin.

How long are chicken empanadas good for? ›

Preheat the oven to 400°F and bake the empanadas on a lined baking sheet for 20 minutes. Make the filling ahead of time! Follow the recipe until step 3, then store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Is an empanada a snack or meal? ›

Empanadas can be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They can be served as appetizers or snacks, but they can also easily make a full and satisfying meal. Some folks prefer them baked, while other like them fried.

What is the best oil for frying empanadas? ›

When frying empanadas, it is best to use an oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or corn oil. These oils can withstand the high temperatures required for deep frying without breaking down or imparting unwanted flavors to the empanadas.

Why do my empanadas open when I fry them? ›

As you fold your empanadas they may become warm in the heat of your kitchen, so be sure they are cold before baking or frying. Chilling both the filling and the dough will keep the liquid inside where it belongs and keep the edge sealed, preventing bursting and that dreaded soggy bottom.

Why do empanadas taste so good? ›

From the sweet to the savory, there's no filling that isn't made better when it's wrapped in a delicate, flaky pastry. Therein lies the magic of empanadas. This popular Latin American food is renowned around the world as a decadent and filling main course.

Can you bake instead of deep fry? ›

Regardless, there are instances where oven baking (or frying) can indeed achieve some of the same results as pan or deep frying. For example, I actually 'prefer' preparing steak fries in the oven. Sweet potato fries, similarly, also fair quite well in the oven.

Can you bake instead of pan fry? ›

If you are keen to bake when a recipe says to fry, try the convection setting (if you've got one). As McGee explains, convection ovens increase the rate of heat transfer and reduce baking times.

Can you bake frozen empanadas instead of frying? ›

To bake your empanadas, set the oven to 350 degrees and cook for 20-30 minutes. You can ensure the best-cooked exterior and most efficient cook time by preheating your oven beforehand. If you're looking for a quick snack and don't want to heat up your full-sized oven, you can also bake these in your toaster oven.

How long to heat empanadas in oven? ›

Reheating your Empanadas

Empanadas should be nice and hot empanadas, crispy and tasty as they were the night before. Preheat your oven to 300°F and place the empanadas inside to warm through for 10 minutes. Preheat your toaster oven to 300°F and place the empanadas inside to warm through for 10 minutes.

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