Hola Mi Gente,
I wanted to share a meal with you today that is so easy! It’s one of those meals that you can throw together in about 30 minutes, that looks and tastes like it took a lot longer.
Earlier this week I shared my recipe for crispy corn empanadas. These Empanadas use a bit more of a traditional pastry dough though, to give you a nice flaky finish. And while you’re welcome to make your own, I’m using good ‘ole store-bought pie crust for mine.
Like my crispy corn empanadas, these are really easily customizable! Have any protein leftovers in the fridge? Saute them with a few veggies (or not), throw in some cheese, and fill in your dough. I’ve added two different fillings below, one chicken and one veggie, but you’re really free to customize them to add whatever filling you’re craving. Just this time of year I think some sweet potato + asiago filling would be really delicious in them.
Another thing I really love about these empanadas, are that you can swing them towards whatever cuisine you’re craving. Craving Latin food? Add a little chili powder + cumin + lime. Craving Italian? Go for more tomato-y and cheesey fillings (think quick calzones!). Craving Middle Eastern? Throw some Sumac + Parsley into the mix. These can really be whatever you want them to be.
However you enjoy them, I hope they are a delicious + simple addition to your weekly meal planning!
Love, love, love,
SAVE ON PINTEREST
Easy Empanadas
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 Sheets Pie Dough I use store-bought
- 1 Egg For Egg Wash
Chicken 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
Vegetarian 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
Dough
- Thaw pie dough, and cut each sheet in half.
Chicken 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 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 salt as needed to taste.
Vegetarian 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 salt as needed to taste.
Filling and Baking
- Pour about 3 spoonful of filling on on half of your Empanada slice, and sprinkle in queso fresco or other cheese if desired. Fold the other half over it to form a triangle. Pinch the edges together to seal. Coat in egg wash (if desired), and bake at 400 F for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes, 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.
