Hola Mi Gente,
The recipe we’re cooking today is all the things I love: full of texture, full of sabor, and super customizable! Generally when I’m cooking with you, I want to make sure that these recipes are mostly accessible. Whether you’re gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, or so on.
The secret to these empanadas that makes them truly wonderful, is using PAN corn flour. This corn flour is different to Masa corn flour, in that it has been pre-cooked. The result, is an exterior texture that is crisped to perfection, and a soft pillowy interior. I love this result for a few reasons. The first is that it makes sure these empanadas are NEVER soggy. Also, because the dough is thicker than a pastry-like empanada, it makes them SO much more filling and satisfying. And finally, cooking it with this flour makes it gluten free, and while I do enjoy gluten, some of my favorite people cannot enjoy it, and I want my people to enjoy all the good food.
You can find this flour online (it’s linked above to Amazon), but most Kroger + Fred Meyer stores carry it as well. One of the ways I like to find it is by using the Fred Meyer/Kroger app and typing in “precooked cornmeal,” if it’s in stock in my store, the app will tell me which aisle I can find it in. At most Portland Fred Meyers I’m able to find it either in the Latin American Food section, or close to the canned beans + Goya products. Alternatively, you can also venture to your local Latin American grocery store, and they are pretty likely to carry it! In Portland, I can always find it at Ka’ah Market, at the Portland Mercado, or at Tienda El Campesino on Powell.
If you remember from past recipes, this is the same flour we use to make Arepas, so now you have two really good reasons to stock up on it!
Once this flour is mixed into a dough, it is relatively easy to work. The measurements I’ve used here work like a charm for me, but don’t be afraid to add a little more flour or water to get the consistency you want. Mostly, you want it to stick to itself but not your hands, or the parchment paper you’re using to roll it out.
For the filling, I’ve added both a vegan + a chicken filling, but like I said, this is a really flexible recipe. You could just as well use Crispy Chicken, Ben’s Favorite Roast, or any combination of seasonal vegetables you prefer! We really love sprinkling them with a little queso fresco, and this 15 minute salsa for a little tang! If you get creative with your own blend, I would love to hear what worked for you in the comments! You always come up with really delicious combinations.
Love, love, love,
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Crisp Corn Empanadas
Ingredients
Empanada Dough
- 2 C PAN Corn Flour
- 1 TSP Kosher Salt
- 2 TBSP Oil of Choice I use avocado or coconut oil, but vegetable works fine, too
- 2 C Warm Water
Chicken Empanada Filling
- 2 Large Chicken Breasts Skinless, Boneless
- 2 Roma Tomatoes Finely Diced
- 1/2 Onion Finely Diced
- 1 Carrot Finely Diced
- 1 TSP Tomato Paste
- 1.5 TSP Salt
- 1 TSP Ancho Chili Powder
- 1 TSP Cumin
- Crumbled Queso Fresco Optional
- Oil for Cooking
Vegan Empanada Filling
- 2 Russet Potatoes Finely Diced
- 2 Carrots Finely Diced
- 1 C Green Beans Cut in 1" Pieces
- 1 Zucchini Finely Diced
- 1 Summer Squash Finely Diced
- 2 TBSP Kosher Salt
- 1 TSP Ancho Chili Powder
- 1/2 TSP Coriander
- Oil for Cooking
Instructions
Chicken Empanada Filling
- Place chicken breasts in a pot and cover with water. Parboil until chicken is cooked, and remove. Shred chicken. In a pan, heat about 1/5 TBSP oil over medium high, and add in onion and tomato. Cook until onion is translucent. Add in remaining ingredients. Cook until all are incorporated and well coated with seasoning. Adjust seasoning as need.
Vegan Empanada Filling
- Add about 1.5 TBSP oil to a pan and heat over medium heat. Add in all ingredients and cook together for about 7 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Empanada Dough
- In a large Bowl, Combine all Empanada ingredients. The dough will seem really wet at first. Knead it for about a minute in the bowl, and let it sit for 5 minutes, so it can fully hydrate. Check after five minutes, dough should stick to itself, but not to clean hands. If the dough is still too watery, add in more flour 1 TBSP at a time to reach the right consistency. If it is too dry, add in water 1 TBSP at a time to reach the right consistency.
Empanada Assembly + Cooking
- Cover a heavy bottomed pot with a layer of oil, and heat over medium high heat. Take a long piece of parchment paper (about 1.5') and fold in half. Make 5 baseball-sized balls out of your dough. One by one, roll with a pin between the parchment paper until dough is about 1/4" thick. Place 2-3 spoonfuls of filling (you can sprinkle in queso fresco here if desired), and fold the dough into a half moon shape, pinching the sides to seal. Carefully lower into the hot oil, and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes, or until both sides are crisp on the outside. Repeat with remaining empanadas, placing cooked empanadas on paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with queso fresco, dip in salsa, and enjoy!
Mary-Beth Johnson
Mary-Beth is a creative, food-obsessed, Georgia transplant living Chicago. She is proudly and fiercely Latina, and more specifically Chapina. In her day to day she is a food educator to students around Chicagoland aged 3 to 80+, both virtually and in-person. She is passionate about cultivating the truth that every person has an understanding of food that deserves being brought to the table, and that time in the kitchen can be sacred, passionate, and an act of love for self and others. Outside the kitchen you can find her at the intersections of infertility, chronic illness, and a deep love for the dignity of all humans. She hopes to create a space that is holistic about the role of food in the social, political, relational, and physiological dynamics of our world.
