Crisp Corn Empanadas
Lightly fried corn empanadas with a crisp exterior, and pillowy interior. Customizable to have your favorite vegan or meat fillings.
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
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
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.
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!