Empanadas Appetizer Food

MINI CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a small bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. On a lightly floured surface, roll each pie crust into a 15-inch circle. Cut with a floured 3-in. round biscuit cutter., Place about 1 teaspoon filling on 1 half of each circle. Moisten edges with water. Fold pie crust over filling. Press edges with a fork to seal., Transfer to greased baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove to wire racks. Serve warm.

BASIC EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Make the filling: In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, cook meat until no longer pink, breaking it up into small pieces, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add onion and jalapenos; cook until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder and tomatoes. Cook over medium until mixture has thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in cilantro. Let cool.
• Make the dough: In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Using your fingers, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add just enough cold water so dough comes together.
• Form empanadas. If desired, freeze on a baking sheet until firm, 2 hours. Wrap tightly in plastic; freeze in plastic bags.
• To bake fresh or frozen empanadas, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush tops with egg wash, avoiding crimped edges. Bake until golden brown, rotating sheets halfway through, 30 to 40 minutes.

EMPANADAS

Steps:

• For the empanada dough: Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the lard with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg and then whisk in the stock. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and knead until a dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, for the empanada filling: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and garlic salt and cook until the beef is cooked completely. Drain the grease and set the beef aside.
• In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, cumin, chili powder, oregano, seasoned salt, garlic, bell peppers and onions. Cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the beef and let them love each other with fire over low heat for about 5 more minutes. The mixture should be moist but not dripping wet. Now you are ready to fill the empanadas.
• Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 4-, 5- or 6-inch rounds, depending on how large you prefer. Add some meat filling to each empanada and fold the dough over in half to enclose the filling. Use a fork to press and seal the edges closed. You can refrigerate the uncooked empanadas for up to 3 hours.
• Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees F. Fry the empanadas until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes.
• For the aioli dip: Mix together the mayonnaise, adobo sauce and lime juice. (The flavor will enhance if it sits in the refrigerator.)

EMPANADAS (APPETIZER)

Steps:

• To make beef filling, crumble and saute beef and onion in a skillet until beef is cooked and onion is soft.
• Drain; stir in red chile salsa, chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, coriander, salt and pepper.
• Set aside.
• Place thawed patty shell dough on a floured board and roll out all in one piece to about 1/16 inch thickness.
• Cut dough into rounds with a 3 inch round cookie cutter or a large drinking glass.
• Put 2 teaspoons of filling on each dough circle.
• Fold each over into a half circle.
• Moisten edges with water and press edges together with a fork.
• Place empanadas slightly apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Prick tops with a fork.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown; serve hot.
• These may be wrapped carefully after baking and frozen.
• To reheat, bake frozen empanadas uncovered at 400 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes.

ARGENTINEAN-INSPIRED BEEF MINI EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Prepare filling: Cook ground beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a large, nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat until vegetables are tender and beef is browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Add olives, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir in chopped eggs.
• Scrape mixture into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until fully chilled, 1 to 2 hours; this ensures the dough will not be soggy when the empanadas are baked.
• Prepare dough: Whisk flour and salt together in a medium bowl until combined. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Whisk cold water, egg, and vinegar together in a small bowl. Pour into the dry ingredients and blend with a fork. Use your hands to finish blending the ingredients until they come together in a ball. Flatten the ball into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface. Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut circles, rerolling the scraps as necessary. I got about 18 circles.
• Hold each circle in your hand and place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center. Gently fold the ends over the top and press to seal all the way around. Reserve extra filling for another use.
• Set empanadas on a baking sheet. Press around the sealed edges with a fork if desired.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown on the bottoms, about 18 minutes. Flip and bake until the other side is browned, about 5 more minutes.

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.