3/4cupunsalted buttercut into little cubes then chilled
5-6tablespoons ice water
For the Filling
2pieceschicken breastsboneless, skinless
1small carrotdiced
1smallpotatodiced
1/4cupfrozen green peas
½cupraisins
4clovesgarlicminced
1small oniondiced
1cupcooking liquidfrom boiling the chicken
1tbspsoy sauce
3tbspsugar
1/4tspsalt to taste
1/4tsppepper
1 and 1/2tspcornstarch
2-4tbspcooking oil
For the egg wash
1largeeggbeaten
Instructions
For the crust:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add the shredded cheese and use your fingers to rub them into the powders until a coarse mixture forms.
Add the cubed butter. Use a pastry blender to cut them into the mixture until the mixture looks like a coarse meal with some bits of butter here and there. Pour 5 tbsp of ice water and use a rubber spatula to stir the mixture until it clings together. If the dough is still very dry and loose, add 1 more tablespoon of water. Using your hands into the bowl, press the dough together and gather it into a ball. The dough should still be a bit crumbly but clings when pressed together. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill in the fridge for 2 hours to overnight.
For the Filling:
Place the chicken breast in a small pot. Cover it with enough water and let it boil. Lower heat and simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let cool. Reserve the cooking liquid. Shred the chicken into chunks using two forks. Set this aside.
Heat cooking oil in a large skillet. Cook the garlic and onion until soft. Add the carrots and potatoes and toss around for 2-3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and let simmer and cover. Cook until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Add the chicken, peas, and raisins and toss the ingredients around. Add sugar and soy sauce and stir them in. Add salt and pepper. In a small cup, dissolve cornstarch in the remaining 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Pour the mixture into the skillet and stir, until the ingredients are lightly coated with a thick sauce. Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off heat. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool.
Assembly
Take the dough out of the fridge and let stand for a few minutes at room temperature. On a floured surface, roll dough to about ¼ inch thick using a rolling pin. Using the rim of a round bowl, a cookie cutter or anything round of about 5 inches in diameter, cut circles from the flattened dough. Gather the scraps and roll it out again. Cut more circles and repeat until all the dough is used up.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the filling into the center of circular dough and fold in half, covering the filling. Pinch the edges and fold it inwards to seal. Refrigerate the empanadas for about 15 minutes. Brush the surface of empanadas with egg wash. Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes or until empanadas are lightly golden.
Notes
Make sure to seal the empanadas well to prevent them from opening during baking.
Freezing the Chicken Empanadas
The empanadas can be frozen for up to two weeks (without brushing with egg wash). Dust with a little flour, seal in a freezer bag or tight container.
To bake, preheat oven to 400F, brush empanadas with egg wash and bake for 20 minutes until light golden brown. You do not need to thaw prior to baking.
Pie crust recipe adapted from The Pie and Pastry Bible from Rose Levy Berenbaum.
Nutrition Facts
Baked Chicken Empanada
Amount Per Serving (1 piece)
Calories 294Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Cholesterol 58mg19%
Sodium 332mg14%
Potassium 198mg6%
Carbohydrates 28g9%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 1194IU24%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 89mg9%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.