Chicken Empanadas

Chicken Empanadas

Chicken Empanadas

I wanted to try to make Tuna Empanadas with green olives… but I’m the only one that eats tuna and green olives and if I make them I will probably end up eating all of them.

So I thought… why not try making them with chicken… wait, not just any chicken.  I made them with chicken from a can! The one that looks and has the same texture of tuna.  I know… you may be wondering who uses canned chicken but trust me… they turned out perfect.  I felt like a real genius today.  Now I know that there’s actually something we can do with all the cans of  chicken we see in the supermarket’s shelves.

I’m using a different empanada dough because I feel is much easier to make. These empanadas are baked and they are really great.  You can also use frozen puff pastry if you don’t have a lot of time to make your dough from scratch.

I made real tiny ones, just to eat a few.  I bet these will be perfect for a party or get together.  You can make them and instead of baking them right away you can freeze them.

 

Empanada Dough

Adapted from Gourmet, October 2004

Serves 8

  • 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 1/3 cup ice water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

In a large bowl sift flour with salt and blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal butter lumps (roughly pea-size).

Beat together egg, water, and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until just incorporated.

Turn out mixture onto a floured surface and knead gently with heel of your hand once or twice, just enough to bring dough together. Form dough into a flat rectangle and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour.

 

Filling

Adapted from William Sonoma Taste

 

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 (9.75 oz.) can white chicken, drained
  • 1 tablespoon pitted, chopped green olives, such as Manzanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon pimentón dulce or sweet paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 egg, beaten

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add canned chicken, olives, sweet paprika, salt, pepper and parsley.  Cook, stirring, for 3 minute more.  Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  On a floured surface, roll dough into 14-15 inch circle. Using a round cookie cutter, cut dough into about 22 3-inch rounds, re-rolling scraps as necessary.  Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken filling into center of a round.  Brush edges with beaten egg.  Gently fold pastry over filling to make a half-moon.  Using tines of a fork, press edges closed and make a few holes in top.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; let cool for 5 minutes before serving.