Chicken Chimichurri Empanada Recipes

CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, add flour and salt, stir to combine. Make a well in the center and add olive oil, distilled vinegar and eggs.
• Using a wooden spoon, stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until a dough forms. Turn out onto a work surface and knead until smooth. If dough is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water. Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 1 hour.
• On a floured worked surface, roll dough out until it is a ¼ inch thick. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles of the dough. (The scraps can be rolled out one more time to prevent waste).
• Fill each dough round with about a tablespoon of chicken, portion of onions and cheese.
• Using a pastry brush, brush water around the edge of the dough. Fold the edges together to create a half moon. Crimp edges with a fork to seal and poke a hole in the top with a fork so steam can escape.
• Place on baking sheet and spray empanadas with cooking spray.
• Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until dough is lightly golden brown.
• Serve with our classic chimichurri.

CHIMICHURRI BAKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine parsley, 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, oregano, vinegar, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper in a bowl; mix the chimichurri thoroughly.
• Place chicken on a cutting board and remove the backbone using kitchen shears. Press down on the breast with the heel of your hand to flatten. Loosen the skin of the chicken carefully and rub the chimichurri underneath, distributing it evenly. Wrap the chicken in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Allow chicken to come to room temperature for no more than 1 hour before baking.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Rub 1 teaspoon olive oil over the chicken; season with salt and pepper. Place onion in a cast-iron skillet. Pour chicken broth over onion. Place seasoned chicken on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Allow chicken to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.

MAYO-MARINATED CHICKEN WITH CHIMICHURRI

Steps:

• Season chicken cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Whisk together mayonnaise and 1/4 cup chimichurri in a large bowl. Reserve remaining chimichurri. Add chicken cutlets to the mixture and turn to coat. Cook immediately, or for better flavor, transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.
• To cook on the grill: Heat a gas or charcoal grill over high heat for 10 minutes. Cook chicken cutlets directly over high heat, turning and flipping occasionally, until just cooked through and lightly charred all over, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Spoon some of the remaining chimichurri over the chicken and serve the rest in a small bowl on the side.
• To cook in a skillet: Heat a large (12-inch) cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water immediately balls up and dances across the surface. Add chicken cutlets in a single layer and cook, swirling them and flipping them occasionally until browned all over and just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Spoon some of the remaining chimichurri over the chicken and serve the rest in a small bowl on the side.

CHIMICHURRI CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the sauce: On a cutting board, smash and coarsely chop the garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mash the mixture using the side of your knife until a coarse paste forms. Move the paste to the side of the cutting board, then chop the parsley and oregano together with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Combine the garlic paste and the chopped herbs and chop and mash until the herbs are bruised and fragrant.
• Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the red-pepper flakes, black pepper, vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil; stir to combine. (You should have about 3/4 cup chimichurri. It can be prepared in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 days.)
• Make the chicken: Pat the chicken dry. If thickness varies greatly, pound to an even thickness, about 1/2-inch. Rub half the chimichurri all over the chicken and let sit for at least 10 minutes. (You could also refrigerate overnight; just let it come to room temperature before cooking.)
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Wipe off excess marinade from the chicken and cook until juices run clear, about 5 minutes per side for thighs and 4 minutes per side for breasts. (For grilling and oven instructions, see Tips below.)
• Serve with remaining chimichurri spooned over top.

CHICKEN AND OLIVE EMPANADAS WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

Steps:

• For the chimichurri sauce: Combine the parsley, oregano, cilantro, garlic, crushed red pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a food processor. Process until coarsely chopped. Add the vinegar and pulse to combine. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the oil and 2 tablespoons water. Set aside at room temperature. (Can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before serving. Makes 1 cup.)
• For the filling: Put a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Put the chicken thighs skin-side down in a large saucepan. Add the broth, parsley sprigs and bay leaf, turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until a meat thermometer inserted in a piece of chicken near the bone registers 150 degrees F, about 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. When cool enough to handle, discard the skin and shred the meat into large pieces; you should have about 2 cups. Place in a medium bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the broth. (Strain and keep the rest to make delicious soup!).
• Wipe out the saucepan, heat it over medium heat and add the lard. Add the onion, season with salt and cook, stirring, until soft but not brown, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with the cumin and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Stir in the flour. Whisk in the 1/2 cup broth and let it bubble and thicken, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Pour the mixture over the chicken, add the olives and toss to combine. Taste and add salt if necessary-the filling should be aggressively seasoned, since it will be wrapped in the dough. Pop the chicken into the refrigerator just until cool, about 10 minutes.
• To make the empanadas: Place a small bowl of cool water by your work surface. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Working with 1 wrapper at a time and keeping the rest covered, brush a little water on one edge of the empanada wrapper. Put 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of the wrapper and fold in half. Use your finger to press out the air, making a border of about 1/2 inch around the filling. Press with a fork to seal the edges. Transfer to the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
• Bake the empanadas until golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Serve warm with the chimichurri sauce.