Baked chicken empanadas are Spanish-inspired appetizers made with ground chicken and peas that are encased in a pastry and baked to a golden brown. These are perfect when served as appetizers at potluck parties, reunions, and other large gatherings.
Growing up in India, I always believed that India was the home of the samosa and that it was unique to us. But as I traveled, I marveled at the curry puff in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, but still thought that it was “Indian” in origin. But when I saw the Cornish pasty and read that it was from the 12th century, a whole world opened up to me. My intrigue with this dish grew as I traveled.
Obviously, I have sampled many types of empanadas. Some were savory and some were sweet. While there is certainly a lot to be said about the flavor of deep-frying empanadas, I can now say that I have perfected my baking technique so that the taste is almost the same.
Origin of empanadas:
Fried or baked pastry dishes encasing savory meat and veggies or sweet fruit and nuts. Sound familiar? I don’t think that there is a cuisine that does not have some version of this. It is called by various names and made in different ways. You can call it a Cornish Pasty in the UK, Kibinai in Lithuania, Börek in Turkey, Sambusak all over the Middle East, Bolani in Afghanistan, Samosa in India, Xian Bing in China, or Panada or Pastel in Indonesia, and Empanada in historically Spanish-influenced countries. But the concept of a compact and ever-so-tasty pastry stuffed with savory or sweet fillings is an idea that can not be beaten. You just can’t go wrong with it. In fact, there’s even a 9th century ode to the to the ‘sambusak’ by the poet Ishaq ibn Ibrahim-al-Mausili and an observation of this delicacy by the noted historian Ibn Battuta in the 13th century.
For an appetizer, it is certainly well-traveled. With the spice trade, merchants carried the ‘sambusak’ along the trade routes both West and East. With the Moorish invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century came the sambusak which eventually became the Spanish empanada (covered with bread). With the Columbian Exchange, the empanada truly crossed continents. Equally with the expansion of Caliphates to the East, the sambusak came to India and spread to the rest of Asia. This dish traversed the continents. While the fillings were modified to account for regional taste variations and locally sourced ingredients, the basic idea took the ancient and the modern world by storm. There are truly only a handful of these global dishes.
A few additional facts about why I prefer baking to deep-frying:
Baking reduces acrylamide formation: When dough is exposed to high temperature, the starch in the dough can produce acrylamide, which can cause cancer. While baking is cooking at a high temperature, baking foods to a golden yellow, or lighter color, and at lower oven temperatures will reduce acrylamide levels.
When compared to deep frying, baking reduces damage to heart, kidneys, and lungs: Heat oxides oils. Oxidized oils can produce harmful compounds and toxic by-products which can affect the heart, kidney, and lungs. There is also the risk of increasing high blood pressure. Baking reduces the risk significantly because there is no or very minimal oil.
Calories: When we deep fry, we basically submerge the food in oil at high temperature. Fried foods contain relatively more calories and thus increase calorie intake. Furthermore, the trans fats in fried foods may affect the hormones that regulate appetite and fat storage, thus accelerating weight gain.
I believe that taste should never compromise health and all my recipes try and reflect that philosophy. This baked chicken empanada showcases my approach to healthy and tasty food, as I encourage the use of whole spices and fresh herbs.
A word on ingredients for the baked chicken empanadas:
- The use of cinnamon and bay leaves to complement the ground chicken is both healthy and adds an additional flavor dimension to the chicken filling. If you do not have access to whole spices, you could use a little cinnamon powder.
- I found that oregano adds a fresh, bold, and earthy spin to the filling because of its slightly bittersweet flavor. If you cannot find oregano, you can substitute with sage or thyme or even just parsley.
- In this recipe, I have used both chili powder and paprika to provide a quick hit of spice and sweet. I have found that while chili powder is seasoned with other spices, paprika is just ground smoked bell and other sweet peppers. So, the chili powder with its 30,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) provides the spiciness, the paprika with only 500 SHUs provides the sweetness. You can adjust the spicy to sweet ratio based on your taste by adjusting the chili powder and paprika mix.
- I love grinding fresh tomatoes into a purée. You can use tomato paste as an alternative, but it tends to be sweeter and has a full-bodied flavor. Another alternative is to use canned tomatoes but be sure to drain and purée them.
Filling:
One thing that you should note is that you should be careful about overstuffing the filling. Overstuffing causes two problems. First, the pastry is delicate and can break when baked if full. Secondly, it will be difficult to seal the empanadas.
- While I have used ground chicken in this recipe, you can just as well shred some leftover chicken and follow the instructions. Alternatively, I have also used minced lamb to make empanadas. These taste great as well.
- You could add other veggies such as carrots, French beans, and peppers. I added frozen peas as there is not much room in each empanada for a lot of filling.
Dough:
- I have used homemade empanada dough that tastes awesome.
- If you are running out of time, frozen pie shells or puff pastry sheets will do the trick.
Baked v deep-fried chicken empanadas:
Substitution: Baked empanadas is better than deep fried for the obvious reason of not frying in oil. The refined white all-purpose flour used in this recipe will be digested at the same pace as the protein. You could substitute with whole-wheat flour. I usually do this on a 1:1 ratio of whole wheat and all-purpose flour.
Amount of butter: The amount of butter added in the pastry is your individual choice. The quantity that I have used is just enough to give a good crust that is crunchy and layered. Baked empanadas erase the guilt that goes with consuming deep-fried goods.
Deep frying: If you want to deep fry the empanadas, then do so on low heat. The oil must be hot, and then turn it down to low heat. Let the empanadas fry in the oil until golden brown.
Air fried: Air fried empanadas are as good as the baked ones, for it is also another healthy method of cooking.
Why you would love the baked chicken empanadas:
- Diabetic-friendly
- Buttery crust that is baked
- Complete protein intake with the chicken and the veggies
- Easy to make ahead of time and freeze for parties
How to cut and shape the dough:
- Use a butter knife or a blunt knife to cut a circle for the pastry shell. The edges need not be even as it will not show when you press and bake them.
2. Use an empanada cutter- see image below. I used the other side by locking the pastry cutter to get the crimped edges.
3. Among the countless times I have made empanadas, I have also used a large cookie cutter, filled the shell and crimped the edges like we do for pies or used a fork for the edges.
How to make the baked chicken empanadas:
1. How to make the chicken filling:
2. How to make the pastry dough:
- How to make the chicken filling:
- Heat a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the cinnamon and bay leaf and sauté for a few seconds.
- Add the onions and caramelize for about 3 minutes. Add the tomato purée and stir for 2 minutes.
- Add the ground chicken.
- Mix in the rest of the ingredients and spices. Cook for 10-12 minutes without adding any water.
- Add the frozen peas and sauté until dry but slightly moist.
- Remove the cinnamon and bay leaf. Turn off the heat and add the lime juice.
2. How to make the pastry dough:
- Use a pastry cutter to rub the butter into flour sifted with salt.
- Rub the butter until the flour-butter mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Whisk the egg yolk with ice cold water using a fork. Add the sugar to the yolk mixture and knead lightly to a firm dough. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 1 hour.
1. Seal the edges of the empanadas well or the filling will ooze out.
2. Place less filling into the empanadas as they will crack or ooze out.
3. Egg wash will give a golden brown color on top. My family prefers the heavy cream brushing which also gives a glossy finish.
How to serve the baked chicken empanadas:
Empanadas are appetizers that can be served with ketchup or a salad or Tabasco sauce. You could try the Greek Semolina Cake or the Ground Hazelnut Cookies for dessert with this appetizer.
How to store:
Baked chicken empanadas can be stored in airtight containers or sealable bags and frozen. You could also seal the pre-made empanadas (that are not baked) and store in the freezer. Thaw the empanadas and bake them on the day of.
Baked Chicken Empanadas
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
For the filling:
- ½ lb ground chicken
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tomato purée
- 1 small red onion
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp paprika powder
- ¾ tsp cumin powder
- ½ cup peas frozen
- 1½ tsp lime juice
- ¼ tsp oregano dried
For the pastry:
- ½ lb all purpose flour
- 6 ounces butter unsalted
- 1 tsp powdered sugar
- ⅓ tsp salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp water cold
- 2 tbsp heavy cream for brushing
Instructions
How to make the filling:
- Heat a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the cinnamon and bay leaf and sauté for a few seconds.
- Add the onions and caramelize for about 3 minutes. Add the tomato purée and stir for 2 minutes.
- Add the ground chicken.
- Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Cook for 10-12 minutes without adding any water.
- Add the frozen peas and sauté until dry but slightly moist.
- Remove the cinnamon and bay leaf. Turn off the heat and add the lime juice.
How to make the pastry dough:
- Use a pastry cutter to rub the butter into flour sieved with salt.
- Rub the butter until the flour-butter mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Whisk the egg yolk with ice cold water using a fork. Add the sugar to the yolk mixture and knead lightly to a firm dough. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Roll out the dough and stamp out the empanadas. See blog post for different ways to cut and shape the empanadas.Pre-heat the oven to 4000 F for 20 minutes on a lined baking sheet.
Notes
- Brush with cream or egg yolk mixed with a little water (egg wash) for a golden brown crust.
Nutrition
these are so delicious!