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Spicy Chicken Empanadas

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PREP TIME
30 min
COOKING TIME
75 min
TOTAL TIME
195 min
SERVINGS
8 servings
Lunch Spanish
Spicy Chicken Empanadas
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup diced poblano pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground dried chipotle pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 3 cups diced cooked chicken
  • 2 tablespoons dried currants
  • 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (such as RO*TEL®)
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 3/4 cup grated pepper Jack cheese
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1/3 cup cold water, or as needed
Instructions
1
Gather all the necessary ingredients beforehand.
2
Heat a saucepan over high heat and pour olive oil into it. Add chopped onion, roasted poblano pepper, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, ground cumin, dried oregano, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and cooked chicken. Use your spoon to press the ingredients down as you go, ensuring they're well combined.
3
Add a handful of currants to the saucepan and stir gently.
4
Place the saucepan over high heat and cook until the onions start to soften slightly, around 3 minutes. Stir in canned diced tomatoes with green chiles and pour in a quarter cup of water. Combine everything thoroughly.
5
Reduce the heat to medium-low and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and thickened, taking about 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool down to room temperature, which should take around 30 minutes. Refrigerate the mixture for at least an hour or up to overnight.
6
While the filling is simmering, combine flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl using your hands. Gradually add cold butter to the mixture, mixing well as you go.
7
In a separate bowl, whisk together beaten egg and water. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and use a fork to combine everything until it forms a shaggy dough.
8
Use your hands to shape the mixture into a lump of dough. Transfer it to a work surface and knead it into a smooth ball of dough, taking about 10 to 15 seconds.
9
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour or up to overnight.
10
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and transfer it to a lightly floured work surface.
11
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces using a bench scraper. Roll each piece into an 8-inch circle.
12
Drain any excess juice from the filling and spoon a rounded 1/2-cup measure of it onto each dough circle. Sprinkle some pepper Jack cheese over the top.
13
Brush a small amount of water onto the edges of each dough circle to dampen them. Fold over the dough and seal it with your fingertips, making sure there are no air pockets trapped inside. Crimp the edges using your fingertips or a fork.
14
Combine beaten egg and 2 teaspoons of water for an egg wash. Brush the empanadas with this mixture, making sure they're evenly coated.
15
Transfer the empanadas to the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with a pinch of cayenne pepper.
16
Bake the empanadas in the center of your preheated oven until they're browned and crispy on the edges, taking about 35 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool for around 5 minutes before serving.
17
Serve the empanadas warm and enjoy your delicious creation!