Green Chile Chicken and Queso Empanadas

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Yield: 20 empanadas
  • Total: 3 hr 10 min
  • Prep: 55 min
  • Inactive: 1 hr 30 min
  • Cook: 45 min
Advertisement

Ingredients

8 medium tomatillos (about 1 1/2 pounds), husked and rinsed

1 to 2 jalapenos, stemmed

1 Spanish onion, quartered

3 garlic cloves

1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

1 lime, juiced

Salt

2 cups finely shredded, cooked chicken, preferably dark meat

1 cup crumbled queso fresco

1 recipe empanada dough, recipe follows

Empanada Dough:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup masa harina 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled 

1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash 

Butter, for greasing the pans

Directions

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil; add the tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, and garlic. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the tomatillos are soft. Drain and cool slightly. Combine the tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice in a blender. Add 1/4 cup of water and process to a coarse puree; season with a generous pinch of salt. You should have about 3 cups of this salsa verde. 
  2. Combine the shredded chicken and queso fresco in a large mixing bowl. Pour in 1 1/2cups of the salsa verde and fold the ingredients together to moisten. Use as a filling for empanadas. Serve the remaining salsa verde on the side.

Empanada Dough:

  1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the melted butter. Gradually add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water, working it in with your hands to incorporate; the dough should be easy to handle and not sticky. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
  2. Lightly flour your rolling pin and counter. Divide the dough in 1/2 so it will be easier to work with and roll it out to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 4-inch cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out 10 circles of dough; repeat with the other 1/2. 
  3. Spoon 2 generous tablespoons of filling into the center of each pastry circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush the edges with the egg wash and then fold the dough over in 1/2 to enclose the filling and form a semi-circle. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork. Chill at least 30 minutes before baking. 
  4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the empanadas on a buttered baking sheet and brush the tops with additional egg wash. Using a fork, prick a few holes in the top of the empanadas for steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.

Let's Get Cooking!

Sign up for the Recipe of the Day newsletter to receive editor-picked recipes,tips and videos delivered to your inbox daily. Privacy Policy

Thanks for subscribing to the Recipe of the Day newsletter. Check out all our other great newsletters from Easy Recipes, Healthy Eating Ideas and Chef Recipe Videos.

We're sorry, there was an error signing you up. Please try again later.

Advertisement

Robert C.

After reading reviews, I made a double recipe of the dough, and ended up with 42 empanadas with enough dough scraps left over for cinnamon sugar pastry crisps for dessert. <div><br /></div><div>The dough was perfect, though I was at first skeptical, as I've never made pastry dough with melted butter (cold butter is traditional). But it turned out perfect, and the masa added a lovely corn flavor. </div><div><br /></div><div>I also made them slightly larger than four inches, to make sure there was enough room for a large spoonful of filling. </div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, I slightly modified the salsa recipe as follows: I broiled the tomatillos, onion, and garlic until slightly blackened (boiling seemed like a sure way to diminish flavor). Instead of jalapeños, I added about eight whole roasted Hatch green chiles, since I'm from New Mexico and they are fantastic! Finally, no water was needed in the blender, as the tomatillos have plenty of moisture to make a thick salsa. </div><div><br /></div><div>I also used seared pork chops instead of chicken, because it was on hand. They turned out great, and my kids loved these empanadas! </div><div><br /></div><div>I used slightly more meat, salsa, and cheese than the recipe called for, which was just enough for the double batch of dough. Two empanadas was plenty per serving, and the rest are in the freezer for a future meal. So for those who only want to make a single recipe, cook less chicken or other meat than called for. </div>

See All Reviews