Empanadas (EN)

Empanada Dough

August 9, 2019 by Pilar Hernandez 19 Comments

Versión en español

A traditional and handy recipe for Empanada dough, you can use it for your oven or fried savory recipes. Enjoy. Empanadas are a staple of the Latin cuisine, found in all countries with different fillings.

Uses of Empanada Dough in Chile:

The most traditional ones are the Empanadas de Pino (onion, beef, hard-boiled egg, raisins) many families eat them every Sunday for the big family lunch. Also, the Fried Shrimp & Cheese Empanadas are found on coastal towns and restaurants. Kids are usually big fans of the Cheese Empanada.

Empanada Dough

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

Author: Pilar Hernandez
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 20
Category: Savory
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Chilean

Description

A basic empanada dough, perfect for the oven or to fry.

Ingredients

•   1 cup milk
•   1 cup of warm water
•   1 tablespoon salt
•   1 kilo or 2 pounds of all-purpose flour
•   4 egg yolks
•   180 grams lard, butter or shortening, melted

Instructions

1.   Make a brine with the milk, water, and salt, stir to dissolve the salt completely.
2.   In a large bowl or on a stand mixer with the paddle attachment mix the flour and egg yolks, mix for a minute to incorporate. Add the melted shortening and work a little more, at this point you will see only crumbs.
3.   To form the dough star adding the brine with the mixer running on low speed until the dough is soft and flexible. If you need more moisture, keep adding water.
4.   Separate the dough into 20 portions and cover with a moist cloth. Work each piece individually, rolling until thin, cut in a circle about 7″ and fill and bake as directed on the recipe.

Keywords: Empanada dough, Chilean cuisine

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Chilean Beef Empanadas

June 6, 2019 by Pilar Hernandez 66 Comments

Versión en español

Empanadas is a popular dish that exists across Central and South America. Their strength is in their versatility with versions both fried and baked with endless possibilities for fillings. Every country has a classic, and the Chilean Beef Empanadas are the traditional favorite in Chile.

This dish brings to mind the comfort and familiarity of home. In fact, some families have empanadas for lunch every Sunday. I learned to make mine with my grandmother a long, long time ago. And, although they are not in our weekly rotation, I do try to make them at least once a year.

If you want to streamline the process, you can make the Pino (ground meat filling) the day before. Once baked, they keep well for 2-3 days in the fridge.

Serve your Chilean Beef Empanadas with these for a full Chilean feast:

Pebre Sauce (appetizer)
Borgoña (drink)
Sopaipillas (appetizer)
Leche Asada (dessert)

Chilean Beef Empanadas

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Author: Pilar Hernandez
Prep Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Yield: 12
Category: Savory
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Chilean

Description

A traditional Chilean empanada with the perfect dough and filling.

Ingredients

For the Pino,

•   1 kilo or 2 pounds of ground beef 90%
•   1 cup beef broth
•   3 large or 4 medium onions chopped into small cubes
•   2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•   2 tablespoons red pepper or paprika or Merken (Chilean smoked chili)
•   1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
•   salt and pepper
•   4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Optional,

•   20 black olives
•   40 raisins
•   4 hard-boiled eggs

For the dough,

•   1 cup whole milk
•   1 cup warm water
•   1 tablespoon salt
•   1 kilo or 2 pounds of all-purpose flour
•   4 egg yolks
•   180 grams/ 6,5 oz of melted shortening, warm

Instructions

1. For the Pino, always prepare it the day before,
In a large saucepan heat the oil and fry the meat until lightly browned, about 8 minutes, add the paprika, salt, pepper, and cumin, saute a few minutes.
Add the broth and simmer 30 minutes over low heat. Add the onion and mix well and cook over medium heat until onion is tender about 30 minutes.
Add the flour and stir well and adjust seasoning if necessary, cook two more minutes. Cool and refrigerate.

2. For the dough,
Make a brine with the milk, water, and salt, stir to dissolve the salt altogether. In a large bowl or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment mix the flour and egg yolks, mix for a minute to incorporate.
Add the melted shortening and work a little more, at this point you will see only crumbs. To form the dough start adding the brine with the mixer running on low speed until the dough is soft and flexible. If needed, keep adding water. Separate the dough into 20 portions and cover with a moist cloth.
Work each piece individually, rolling until thin, cut in a circle about 7″ and fill with two tablespoons of Pino, a quarter of a hard-boiled egg, olives and raisins if desired. Close by smearing the edge, pressing firmly and make the folds. Brush with an egg wash before baking.

3. Preheat the oven to 350F or 180C. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden.
4. Serve hot. To reheat, use the oven at the same temperature for 15 minutes.

Notes

Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 2 months.

Keywords: Beef empanadas, chilean empanadas

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Chilean Cheese Empanadas

May 2, 2019 by Pilar Hernandez 8 Comments

Versión en español

Chilean Cheese Empanadas are very popular in Chile; they are a classic appetizer, but also popular as snacks or lunches. Empanadas abound throughout Latin America with different fillings and doughs.

In this case, the recognizable touch is the use of Chilean cheese: Chanco “queso de Fundo” cheese. It is a ripe cheese with a milky flavor that melts very well. In the USA the nearest cheeses are the Havarti or Muenster.

In the recipe, I explain how to make them fried or baked. It is essential that the dough is left thin so that it is crispy after cooked.

You can buy the dough premade frozen and use this plastic empanada sealer/press (affiliate link) if in a hurry.

Maybe you are interested in the recipe: Chilean Beef Empanadas.

Chilean Cheese Empanadas

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Author: Pilar Hernandez
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Yield: 20 1x
Category: Appetizer
Method: Oven-baked
Cuisine: Chilean

Description

A great dough for these easy empanadas.

Scale

Ingredients

1 cup of cold milk
1 cup of hot water
1 tablespoon of fine salt
1 kilo of all-purpose flour
2 whole eggs
180 grams of warm shortening or melted lard or butter
800 grams of Havarti cheese or any cheese that melts well in pieces 4 cm x 1 cm

Instructions

Make a brine with milk, water, and salt, stir until the salt is completely dissolved.
In a large bowl put all the flour, add the eggs, incorporate stirring with a wooden spoon or with a fork or with the tips of the fingers. You want to obtain sand of different thicknesses.
Add the butter and work a little more in the same way, at this point you will only have crumbs, not a dough yet.
Continue working the dough while adding the brine until you obtain a soft and elastic dough. This will take about 10 minutes of kneading by hand. If you need more moisture, to form a dough, keep adding water or milk without salt.
Preheat the oven to 350F or 180C or the oil to fry at 350F or 180C too.
Separate the dough into 20 portions or 30 and cover with a damp cloth.
Work each portion individually, roll into a thin dough (3 mm.), cut into a circle. I do not recommend extending half of the dough and cutting several circles at once, because there are going to be a lot of dough left and each time you re-roll it gets harder. With this method, they make sure that their empanadas are pretty since the dough will have sufficient flexibility.
Place a piece of cheese on one side of the circle. Close the edge with milk, press firmly and make the folds or close using a fork.
Brush with an egg beaten before taking to the oven. Do not brush if frying.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until they are golden, watch them during cooking if they are puffy, bury a toothpick to deflate them, so they do not open.
Or fry on one side and then the other, it’s fast, about 2 minutes per side.
Serve hot. To reheat put the empanadas in the oven at the same temperature for 15 minutes.

Keywords: Chilean Cheese Empanadas

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Chilean Abalone Empanadas (de locos)

October 3, 2016 by Pilar Hernandez 3 Comments

Versión en español

Recipe Chilean Abalone Empanadas sponsored by TABASCO. All opinions are mine.

One of the fondest memories of my childhood is eating freshly caught fish and seafood all Summer long. We used to spend the Summer with my grandparents in Lipimávida, a coastal little town of barely 100 houses at that time, on the shore of the 7th region in Chile. In Chile, the combo country/beach is very common and it’s wonderful being able to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables and combining them with the best seafood and fish, sometimes caught or harvested by ourselves.

I can vividly remember going fishing with my family to the rocky shores or when my cousin’s friends would pick him up to go and harvest razor clams because they had appeared close to the shore. On the weekends, we would drive to slightly larger towns Duao or Iloca to buy cleaning supplies and beef. There would be plenty of eateries offering fried empanadas, mariscales (seafood dish with raw clams, seaweed, and onions), fish stews, churros and cuchuflís (manjar-filled wafers).

Abalones, limpets, sea urchins, ultes (a kind of seaweed), piures (a kind of seafood) were a fundamental part of my childhood. My grandfather and uncles would put the abalones inside the inner tube of a car tire and would bang them against the wooden fence… It was a necessary step to soften them… then remove the meat and cook them to be used in Carbonada, chupe or delicious empanadas. Total perfection.

The filling of abalone empanadas are very simple, barely browned onion, oregano and a touch of paprika. I used the Chipotle TABASCO sauce because it has a smokey touch that goes very well with abalones, it will surprise you.

In the USA canned abalones can be bought from Amazon. They are pricey but well worth the price for Chileans living abroad. They have a similar taste to chicken, but with a firmer texture. They can be substituted with cooked shrimp or other seafood such as clams, or cooked chicken.

Abalone Empanadas

yields 24 small empanadas
Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced
2 cans abalones or 800 grams cooked abalones (or cooked chicken)
1-2 teaspoon Chipotle TABASCO sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup cold water
oil, salt, and pepper
24 pre-made empanada discs (see the recipe for empanada dough)
1 egg, beaten

Preparation:

In a medium skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and cook stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
Lower heat to medium. Add chopped abalones, oregano, Tabasco sauce, stir, add salt and pepper. Taste.
Add flour dissolved in cold water or cooking water from the abalones. Stir well and cook for 1 minute. Let cool.
Preheat oven at 350F or 180C.
Assemble the empanadas placing one spoonful of abalone mix into each dough disk. Close and fold edges as shown in the picture.
Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with oregano.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until they are golden and the dough is cooked.
Serve hot.

Pre-made empanada dough can be found in the frozen Latin food section. You can also use phyllo or puff pastry.

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Rajas Empanadas

November 20, 2013 by Pilar Hernandez Leave a Comment

Versión en español

This recipe is sponsored by Cacique and Latina Bloggers Connect. However, all opinions are my own and have not been modified by others.

Rajas are the Mexican name for strips of roasted chiles, usually found in tamales or with cream, in tacos. Empanadas are our family obsession, the favorite food of my daughters and the vehicle to try endless combinations. These are simple, but the roasted poblano gives them a?delicious smoky flavor. Remember to use different edges for different fillings.

I used Cacique cheese Quesadilla and I loved it. ?And what is the Authentic Cheese Society? It’s a Facebook page where Cacique shares deals, run sweepstakes (each month 125 members will be randomly selected to receive a coupon to try a free Cacique cheese) and my favorite part you can receive their newsletter with wonderful recipes developed especially for you to learn to get the most out of each cheese of the month, ?with them I learned the trick of using Queso Fresco cheese outside a quesadilla. Join the?Authentic Cheese Society too!

Rajas Empanadas with cheese

for 10 empanadas
Ingredients:

1 package Quesadilla?Cacique Cheese
1 or 2 poblano
1 package of empanadas dough defrost and at room temperature
1 egg

Preparation:

Wash and dry the poblano pepper. Light the flame on the stove and place the poblano on top of the rack, let it burn completely, using tongs turn until all the skin burns. Turn off the heat. Place the poblano in a plastic bag or bowl with lid, close. Let it cook in the steam for 10-15 minutes.
Remove from the bag and rinse under the running?faucet, remove all the burnt skin. With a knife cut the stem and open lengthwise. Remove the ribs and seeds. Cut into thin longitudinal strips.
Cut the cheese into cubes or rectangles or grate.
Preheat oven to 200C or 400F.
On a Silpat or parchment paper, place an empanada disc of dough and spread lightly with the rolling pin.
Place cheese and rajas on top, close the empanadas. Press the edges with your finger and make small pieces waves.
Beat the egg for 1 minute with a fork.
Place empanadas on the baking tray and brush with beaten egg.
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and cooked.
Check them after 5 minutes of cooking, if they are inflated, prick with a toothpick ?1 or 2 times to let the vapor to escape and do not burst. Serve hot.

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Seafood Empanadas

May 16, 2012 by Pilar Hernandez 2 Comments

Versión en español

My whole childhood vacations were spent on a very small sea town in Chile. I grow up eating all kinds of fish, seaweed, and crustaceans. By almost always the first introduction for kids to the sea products is by the offering of a Seafood Empanadas, especially if it is with cheese. I’m planning on doing just this with my kids, wish me luck.

Visit our collection of Chilean recipes here.

Chilean Seafood Empanadas

Author: Pilar Hernandez
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Yield: 6 1x
Category: Savory
Method: Fried
Cuisine: Chilean

Description

Fantastic Chilean appetizer empanadas.

Scale

Ingredients

10 empanadas dough Goya (on Latin supermarket, on the frozen aisle)
1 cup raw shrimp, peeled and cleaned, without the tails
5 washed and finely chopped scallions white and green parts(green onions)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder or merquén
salt and pepper
1 cup of cheese coarsely grated, Havarti or Monterrey jack is a good choice
oil for frying

Instructions

Make the filling: In a medium skillet heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-low heat, add the green onions and saute until lightly browned and tender, about 3 minutes, add salt, pepper, and Merquén, stir well and add the shrimp and cook until they are getting pink. Remove from heat and let cool, add the cheese and mix.
Thawed the dough, separate carefully. Place 2 teaspoons of filling of shrimp and cheese. Close the empanadas, slightly wet the edge with water and then crushed with a fork to seal the edge. You can also make small folds, after sealing the edge, my favorite way.
Heat oil in a deep pot to avoid splashing, test the oil with a piece of dough left over, get out to the surface and brown quickly in about 1 minute per side, or 400F. Place the empanadas to be fried, 2 or 3 at a time. Allow to brown on both sides, remove to a plate with an absorbent paper towel and let drain 1 minute, serve and eat hot.

Keywords: seafood empanadas, chilean cuisine

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