This chicken empanada recipe (empanadas de pollo) is the perfect way to use leftover chicken! Shredded chicken and caramelized onions are simmered in spices for a flavorful empanada filling, then folded in a buttery shortcrust and baked until golden. You will love this easy baked empanadas recipe!
What is an Empanada?
Empanadas are baked or fried hand pies with endless possibilities for fillings, from savory to sweet. Empanadas recipes all have one thing in common: they are delicious!
For this recipe for baked empanadas, cooked and shredded chicken breasts are simmered with caramelized onions and warming spices, then baked in a shortcrust empanada dough for a delicious treat.
Chicken Empanada Ingredients
Making the homemade empanada dough is completely optional. If you are short on time, premade Goya discos (found in the frozen foods section of most grocery stores) also work well. Otherwise, I put together a simple pie dough recipe for these baked empanadas.
Dough Recipe for Empanadas:
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pinch granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup cold water
For the chicken empanada filling:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions, diced or thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded
- One teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red chili
- 1 cup hot water
How to Make Empanadas with Chicken Filling
Homemade empanadas are easy to make, from the dough to the filling. You can always use ready-made dough, like Goya discos, instead of making a pie dough recipe by hand, but empanada dough is easy to make and so tasty. I recommend giving it a try for this recipe for empanadas if you have the time.
How to make pie dough by hand:
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a dough blade, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Slowly add in the melted butter, followed by enough water to create a soft and smooth dough.
- Form the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
* If using Goya discos, make sure to thaw them for at least 30 minutes before making the filling, so they’re ready to bake when you need them.
To make the empanada filling and assemble the chicken empanadas:
- Drizzle oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and caramelized, 15-20 minutes. Add garlic and cook until just fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Stir in the shredded chicken and season with the paprika, cumin, salt, black pepper, and ground chili. Add water and cook, uncovered, until most has evaporated. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. At this point, the filling can be refrigerated until the next day if desired.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or lightly grease.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a thin sheet. Use 4 3/4 inch circular cutter to cut out circles of dough. If you don’t have one, use a small plate or bowl and cut around it as a guide.
- Place about 2 tablespoons of the cooled chicken mixture in the center of each circle. Brush the edges lightly with a little beaten egg, fold the dough over the filling, and press the edges together to seal. Seal completely using the tines of a fork or create a rope appearance by pulling the edge out slightly and folding over, starting from one end and finishing at the opposite side. Repeat with remaining empanadas.
- Place the chicken empanadas two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with beaten egg and bake until golden, 20-25 minutes.
Can you make empanadas ahead of time?
One of the best things about this easy empanada recipe is that you can prepare both the empanada filling and homemade dough ahead of time! And, if you’re wondering what to do with leftover chicken, this is the perfect recipe to use it in. Leftover chicken breast recipes have never looked so good!
The pie dough recipe can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to two days in advance. After simmering the chicken empanada filling, it can also be refrigerated overnight. This will even give the flavors more time to develop and deepen, so I recommend trying it if you want to make this recipe ahead of time.
Can I freeze this chicken empanada recipe?
Yes! After assembling and sealing the chicken empanadas, you can arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, unbaked, and freeze until solid.
Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to three months. You can bake them straight out of the freezer with a quick brushing of egg wash before placing in the oven, but you may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.
Tips for Making Baked Empanadas
- I made these Chicken Empanadas using a homemade pie dough, but you can easily substitute with premade Goya discos. Goya discos can be found in the frozen section of most grocery stores.
- If you’re not sure what to do with leftover chicken, all kinds, like shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken breast, work perfectly for the empanada filling.
- Be careful not to overfill the empanadas, or the crust may become difficult to close and split open while baking.
- To seal the empanadas, I made a rope appearance by pulling the edge out slightly and folding over, starting from one end and finishing at the opposite side. You can also use a fork to crimp the edges. or a empanada press. Whichever technique is used, the important part is to make sure the empanadas are completely sealed to keep the chicken filling inside.
What goes with homemade empanadas?
This chicken empanada recipe can be enjoyed on its own as an easy lunch, snack, or dinner, or you can serve it with sides for a fuller meal. For side dishes, we recommend serving baked empanadas with rice, beans, or both. Puerto Rican rice is a great choice to serve with these empanadas; check below for a link to our Puerto Rican Empanadas for an explanation of Puerto Rican rice!
You could also serve them with a light, zesty salad. A southwest salad, for example, would be a perfect choice, but you could also opt for a fresh vegetable salad.
If you want to enjoy an adult beverage with your chicken empanadas, try Moscato Sangria. Its citrusy flavor pairs well with the empanada filling!
Looking for more empanada recipes?
What could be better than an easy empanada recipe? Try a few more below:
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Let us know what you think of this recipe below and your favorite recipes with chicken. We love to hear from you.
Chicken Empanada Recipe
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pinch granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup cold water
Chicken filling:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions diced or thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red chili
- 1 cup hot water
Topping:
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
To make the empanada dough:
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a dough blade, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Slowly add in the melted butter, followed by enough water to create a soft and smooth dough.
- Form the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
To make the empanada filling:
- Drizzle the oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and caramelized, 15-20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Stir in the shredded chicken and season with the paprika, cumin, salt, black pepper, and ground chili. Add the water, bring to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until most of the water has evaporated, 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. At this point, the filling can be refrigerated until the next day if desired.
To assemble and bake the chicken empanadas:
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or lightly grease.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a thin sheet. Use 4 3/4 inch circular cutter to cut out circles of dough.
- Place about 2 tablespoons of the cooled chicken mixture in the center of each circle. Brush the edges lightly with a little beaten egg, fold the dough over the filling, and press the edges together to seal. Seal completely using the tines of a fork or create a rope appearance by pulling the edge out slightly and folding over, starting from one end and finishing at the opposite side. Repeat with remaining empanadas.
- Place the empanadas two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Brush the tops with beaten egg and bake until golden, 20-25 minutes.
Video
Notes
- I made these Chicken Empanadas using a homemade pie dough, but you can easily substitute with premade Goya discos, which are found in the frozen section of most grocery stores.
- Be careful not to overfill the empanadas or the crust may become difficult to close and even break open while baking.
- To seal the empanadas, I made a rope appearance by pulling the edge out slightly and folding over, starting from one end and finishing at the opposite side. You can also use a fork to crimp the edges. Whichever technique is used, the important part is to make sure the empanadas are completely sealed along the edges to keep the chicken filling inside while baking.
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