I grew up eating all kinds of fish, seaweed, and crustaceans. The first introduction for kids to sea products is almost always by offering an Empanada, especially if it goes with cheese.
My childhood vacations were spent in a tiny sea town in Chile, and these Shrimp & Cheese Empanadas were a staple. In Chile, Langostinos are also called Camarones (shrimp).
Empanadas queso camaron is a type of empanada popular in Chile, particularly in the coastal areas where shrimp is abundant. “Empanada” is a Spanish word that means “wrapped,” It refers to a pastry typically filled with meat, vegetables, cheese, or other ingredients.
Empanadas queso camaron specifically are stuffed with cheese and shrimp. The filling mixes cooked and chopped shrimp with grated cheese and minimal spices. The filling is then placed on a round disc of dough, folded over, and sealed shut to form a half-moon shape.
The empanadas de Queso Camarón are fried until golden brown and crispy and served hot. They are a typical snack or appetizer, served with various sauces such as salsa verde (similar to Chimichurri).
You may also like this recipe: Picante de Camarones.
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Langostino and Cheese Empanadas
Fantastic Chilean empanadas.
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6
Ingredients
- 6 empanadas dough thawed (in Latin supermarket, on the frozen aisle) or homemade
- 1 cup raw shrimp or Langostinos, peeled and cleaned, without the tail
- 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 are good choices
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Make the filling: In a medium skillet, heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-low heat, add the green onions and sauté until lightly browned and tender, about 3 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and Merquén, stir well, add the shrimp, and cook until they get pink. Remove from heat and let cool. Add the cheese, and mix.
- Thawed the dough and separate it carefully. Place two teaspoons of filling of shrimp and cheese. Close the empanadas, slightly wet the edge with water, and then crush with a fork to seal the border. 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 for 1 minute. Serve and eat hot.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Savory
- Method: Fried
- Cuisine: Chilean
Keywords: Shrimp empanadas, cheese empanadas, chilean cuisine, langostino empanadas
Which sea Town?! I did too!
Close to Iloca, VII Region.