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How to make empanadillas
How to make delicious cheesy chicken empanadillas, made with homemade dough and baked in the oven.
INGREDIENTS
- 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 4 pieces triangle spreadable cheese
- 2 smaller onions
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1,9 cups flour
- ⅓ cup butter
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup and 3 tbsp water
- salt, black pepper, parsley
- seasoning by choice (a pinch of origano recommended)
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a bowl, mix the flour and half of tbsp of salt.
- Cut the butter into smaller cubes and knead it into the flour until you get crumbs like mixture. If the butter is too cold and solid, melt it on low temperature before adding it to the flour.
- Take one egg and separate the yolk and the egg white.
- Whisk together one egg, the egg yolk and water. Add the mixture to the buttery flour and knead until you get smooth and flexible dough.
- Place the dough in a bowl, sprinkled with a little bit of flour, cover it with a plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for one hour.
- Dice the onions and garlic and cut the chicken thighs to small pieces. Shred the mozzarella and cut the chease spread to small cubes.
- Fry the onions on hot oil till golden brown and translucent. Add the chicken and garlic and cook for about 15 minutes while stiring frequently. Add salt and black pepper.
- When the chicken gets brown, add parsley, oregano (optional), cheese cubes and shredded mozzarela. Do not cook the cheese, just mix it evenly in the chicken and set aside.
- Bring the dough from the refridgerator and roll it out on a flour sprinkled counter.The dough should be about 0,5 cm thick. Using a cup or a glass cut out circles about 7 cm in diameter. Knead the leftover of the dough and use for a few more round discs.
- Top each piece of the dough with the chicken and cheese filling. Fold the dough over and press the edge with your fingers. Hold the empanadilla in your hands and start twisting the edge to the center of the emapandilla. Continue all the way to the other end.
- Place the empanadillas on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Apply the eggwash from the leftover egg yolk evenly using a brush.
- Bake in the oven at 365F/180 C for about 25 minutes until golden.
- Enjoy 😘
NOTES
You can replace half the flour with corn or buckwheat flour or make healthier empanadillas from wholemeal flour. For gluten-free empanadillas, use a gluten-free flour package.
If you want to make empanadillas quickly, use premade pie crust dough.
For a vegetarian version, skip the chicken and add spinach and cooked potatoes instead. For a delicious dessert, fill the empanadillas with Nutella and ground walnuts or cottage cheese and raisins.
Replace the triangle cheese spread with any other cheese that melts quickly.
Make sure that the chicken with the cheese is not too liquid. Otherwise, it will be hard to assemble the empanadillas, and the sauce might just pop out of the crust while baking. Also, the filling should not be hot when topping up the dough pieces.
Be careful not to top too much of the filling on the dough. That will make it hard to form the empanadillas, and the crust might break while baking.
Use another type of dough if you want to fry the empanadillas.
If the empanadillas look too brown but have not been baked yet, turn off the oven fan or cover them with parchment paper.
Prepare the empanadilla dough in advance and store it for up to three days in the fridge or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Baked empanadillas can be stored in a closed bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. They can be reheated in the oven at 300F/150C or used in the microwave.
Prepared but unbaked empanadillas will last up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Freeze them on a baking sheet, and when frozen and solid, pack them in a zip-lock bag or a closed food container. If stored properly, they will last up to 4 months in the freezer. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight.
You can freeze and thaw empanadillas only once.
Nutrition
Calories: 535kcal