Best 8 Cheesy Chicken Empanadas Recipes

AUTHENTIC CHICKEN EMPANADAS (EMPANADAS DE POLLO)

Steps:

• Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Add water and 1/4 cup vegetable oil; mix with an electric mixer until well combined and a dough begins to form, about 3 minutes. Remove dough and knead on a lightly floured surface for about 3 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shredded chicken and saute until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, cilantro, olives, garlic, sazon seasoning, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Divide empanada dough into 12 pieces and form each one into a 4-inch circle. Place about 2 tablespoons filling in the center of each circle, fold in half, and press down on the edges with a fork to seal.
• Heat 1 cup oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add empanadas, working in batches, and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

CHEESY GUAVA EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
• Put 3 or 4 of the empanada wrappers on a flat work surface. Spoon 2 teaspoons of cream cheese on the bottom half of each, then spread to create a half-moon shape, leaving a 1/2-inch gap between the cream cheese and the edge. Divide the guava paste into 1-ounce sections; depending on how the paste is packaged, you can either cut it into planks or scoop out about 3 teaspoons per empanada (using 3 teaspoons rather than 1 tablespoon will make the empanadas easier to seal). Finally, top each empanada with about 2 tablespoons of grated cheese.
• Make an egg wash by whisking the egg in a small bowl with a splash of water. Brush the outer edge of each wrapper with the egg wash, then seal by folding each wrapper in half and pressing the edges together with your fingers. Arrange the empanadas on the prepared baking sheets, then crimp the edges of each with a fork, pushing down enough to seal but not enough to go through the dough. Assemble, seal and crimp the remaining empanadas.
• Brush the top side of each empanada with the egg wash, then bake until the outsides are dark golden brown and feel crispy to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes, then serve.

SHREDDED CHICKEN EMPANADAS WITH CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Combine first 4 ingredients. Whisk egg and water until blended.
• Unroll 1 pie crust on lightly floured surface; roll out to 12-inch diameter with rolling pin. Cut into 8 (4-inch) rounds with biscuit cutter, rerolling scraps as necessary; place in single layer on parchment-covered baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pie crust.
• Spoon 2 Tbsp. chicken mixture onto center of each dough round; brush edge with egg. Fold in half. Gently press tops to remove excess air; seal edges with fork. Brush with remaining egg. Sprinkle with chili powder.
• Bake 15 min. or until golden brown.

CHEESE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Mixing by hand, combine 2 cups warm water, the shortening and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly add the flour, mixing quickly to avoid lumps. Knead until the ingredients are evenly combined. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then shape into small balls (about 3 ounces each).
• Using a hand tortilla press, place a piece of waxed paper on the bottom, center a dough ball on top and cover with another piece of waxed paper. Gently press down to flatten the ball into a thin circle (not too thin or it will crack). Alternatively, you can use a wooden board or large plate to press the dough.
• Remove the top paper and add 1 tablespoon of the cheese to the middle of the pressed dough. Carefully fold one edge of the circle over the cheese to the other edge, and press the edges together to close the empanada. Using a small bowl, place it over the empanada close to the edge and press down slightly to cut the edge and evenly seal it. Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese. Set the empanadas on a large platter and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, add enough vegetable oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. Gently remove the wax paper from each empanada and fry two to four at a time (depending on the pan size) until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

CHICKEN AND CHEESE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix chicken with Swiss cheese, red pepper, onion and pepper.
• In a 1 1/2-2 quart saucepan, mix broth with cornstarch; add cream cheese, whisk over high heat until mixture is boiling (it will be very thick), 2 to 3 minutes; scrape over chicken mixture and combine well, adding salt to taste.
• On a lightly floured board, unroll the pizza crust dough; cut each rectangle crosswise into thirds; on one end of each piece, mound about 5 tablespoons chicken mixture; fold the other end of dough over filling to form a rectangle, then fold edges together and pinch to seal.
• Gently place empanadas, slightly apart, on a greased 12 by 15-inch baking sheet; in a small bowl, beat egg to blend; brush generously over each pastry.
• Bake in a 375° oven until richly browned, about 22 to 25 minutes; transfer to a rack and let cool at least 10 minutes.
• Serve hot or warm.

CHEESY CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Combine first 4 ingredients. Whisk egg and water until blended.
• Unroll 1 pie crust on lightly floured surface; roll out to 12-inch diameter with rolling pin. Cut into 8 (4-inch) rounds with biscuit cutter, rerolling scraps as necessary; place in single layer on parchment-covered baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pie crust.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons chicken mixture onto center of each dough round; brush edge with egg. Fold in half. Gently press tops to remove excess air; seal edges with fork. Brush with remaining egg. Sprinkle with chili powder.
• Bake 15 minute or until golden brown.
• This recipe was shared by Kraft.
• Tips.
• How to cut circles without a biscuit cutter.
• If you don't have a 4-inch biscuit cutter, use a 4-inch diameter glass to cut out the rounds of dough.
• Special extra.
• Serve with guacamole, TACO BELL® Thick & Chunky Salsa, and BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream.

CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Mix together first 8 ingredients, and refrigerate until ready to assemble empanadas.
• On a floured surface, roll out pie shells and cut into 4-inch circles (use all the pie dough by re-rolling scraps).
• Place approximately 2 tablespoons of chicken mixture in center of dough circles.
• Fold each circle in half and crimp edges with a fork.
• Place on a baking sheet and brush tops with egg yolks.
• Sprinkle top with mixed salt and chili powder.
• Bake 12-13 minutes at 400F degrees.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Freezes well.

CHEESY CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• In bowl, shred chicken with fork and mix in pepper, cheddar, and cream cheese. Mix well.
• If using crescents, unroll and seal together and. Flatten with a rolling pin.
• Using about a 3 1/2 inch circle cutter, cut out circles from the dough. Reroll and recut until all the dough has been used.
• If using biscuits, just flatten.
• Place about 1 tbsp of chicken mixture into center of each circle. Fold into a half moon shape and seal edges by pressing down all the way around with a fork. Apply a thin layer of butter or spray with butter flavored cooking spray on top of each empanada.
• Place on greased baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes until golden.
• You may need to turn baking sheet halfway around halfway through baking time so all empanadas golden evenly.