Colombian Chicken Empanadas
A couple of years ago, one of the first recipes I posted on the blog and channel was my recipe for Colombian empanadas which has been a great success! So, thank you for all for all the views it has gotten over the last two years. As a thank you, I’m now posting my recipe for making Colombian chicken empanadas since so many of you have asked me how to make them with chicken instead of beef. All I do to my recipe is just substitute the meat and add some cooked white rice, some times I also add boiled eggs but in all honesty, you can add whatever ingredients you want.
I also wanted to address one of the issues some of you have had while making empanadas and that’s how to avoid cracks in your dough. Remember that you’re working with pre-cooked cornmeal which tends to dry quickly if you don’t keep it moist or if you stop working with it. What I highly recommend you do is to fry the empanadas as soon as you assemble them and don’t let them sit out on your counter while you assemble the rest because your dough will dry out fast. Another tip is to place a damp cloth or paper towel on top of them to keep them moist, but frying them as soon as you put them together works best.
With that said, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as you have enjoyed the first version of Colombian empanadas.
¡Buen provecho!
Chicken Empanadas
Ingredients
- 1 medium half chicken breast
- 2 green onions (white part only)
- ¼ white onion
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- Water (Enough to cook the chicken)
- 2 large russet potatoes (cut into cubes)
- 1½ tsp (salt, or to taste)
- Water (Enough to cook the potatoes)
- 3 cups 720 ml hot water
- 1 chicken bouillon (optional)
- 1½ tsp food coloring (Sazón Goya, Triguisar o homemade)
- 2 tbsp softened or melted butter
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 3 cups 450 g pre-cooked cornmeal (To make arepas)
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 green onions (finely chopped, white part only)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 chicken bouillon (Optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- ½ cup 125 g cooked white rice
- ½ cup 25 g cilantro, finely chopped (Optional)
- Oil for frying (Vegetable, canola, corn)
Instructions
- Place the chicken breast, green onions, white onion and garlic in a medium pot and cover with enough water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil on high heat, then lower to medium and cook for about 35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool. Shred with your hands and set aside.
- Place the potatoes in a medium pot, cover with water, and season with salt. Cover the pot and bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce to medium and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain and mash with a potato masher or fork and set aside.
- To make the masa (Dough), add hot water in a large bowl (You can also use the water in which you cooked the chicken), add the chicken bouillon, food coloring, butter and salt. Stir well and then slowly add the pre-cooked cornmeal. Knead with your hands until it's soft and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 20 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add the chopped green onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 3-5 minutes or until they're softened. Season with cumin, chicken bouillon, salt and pepper to taste. Add the cooked rice, mashed potatoes and shredded chicken, stir well. Test for seasoning and add more salt, if needed.
- To assemble the empanadas, cover a tortilla press with plastic, place a small ball in the center and press. You can also flatten the dough ball with a plate or the bottom of a small pot.
- Place about 1 tbsp of filling in the center of the dough, then with the help of the plastic fold the dough in half to form a half moon. Press the edge of the dough with your fingers and then make a clean cut around the border with a small bowl or large cup. Continue this process until you are done assembling the empanadas.
- Deep fry the empanadas at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 5-7 minutes or until they are golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with Colombian hot sauce or Colombian green hot sauce and lime wedges.
Really nice post. thanks
Can you make empanada dough with pre-cooked cornmeal ahead of time before you fill them and cook them?
I have tried but I haven't had very good results because the precooked cornmeal always ends up absorbing all of the moisture and you end up with a big, round, dry piece of dough.
This looks really good, plus the colors! 🙂
Can I make the dough ahead of time in between plastics and fill them? Also, after I fill them, can I freeze them or do I have to do everything in one day? I’m sure I can make the filling ahead of time, right?
Thanks!
Hi Helen, the dough tends to dry out pretty quickly and doesn’t store very well. What I usually do is make the empanadas, (don’t fry them) place them on a cookie sheet, cover them and freeze them for about 30 minutes. Once they harden I put them in a resealable bag and freeze them for up to three months. When you’re ready to fry them you can just throw them in the hot oil for about 10-15 minutes without having to thaw them out. They come out great!
Oh no, the tool where you can x2, x3 etc messed me up with the cornmeal. It says 450g no matter which you choose, I was using weight so I didnt pay too much attention to the cups. I doubled it and only added 450g cornmeal to the water and I don’t have anymore. Everything else is ready. *cries*
Yeah, unfortunately, it only doubles or triples the recipe amounts for the original measurements, which I provide only in cups. After a few people started asking for the amounts in grams and milliliters I started adding them as approximate measurements only and the recipe card does not read those extra notes that I add.
But even if you already mixed the ingredients for the dough, you can still add more cornmeal or more water as you knead until you get the right consistency. Making these type of empanadas is not as complicated as making bread from scratch and you can easily adapt it without ruining the dough.