Empanadas Appetizer Recipes

EMPANADAS (APPETIZER)

Steps:

• To make beef filling, crumble and saute beef and onion in a skillet until beef is cooked and onion is soft.
• Drain; stir in red chile salsa, chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, coriander, salt and pepper.
• Set aside.
• Place thawed patty shell dough on a floured board and roll out all in one piece to about 1/16 inch thickness.
• Cut dough into rounds with a 3 inch round cookie cutter or a large drinking glass.
• Put 2 teaspoons of filling on each dough circle.
• Fold each over into a half circle.
• Moisten edges with water and press edges together with a fork.
• Place empanadas slightly apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Prick tops with a fork.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown; serve hot.
• These may be wrapped carefully after baking and frozen.
• To reheat, bake frozen empanadas uncovered at 400 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes.

EMPANADAS

Steps:

• For the empanada dough: Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the lard with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg and then whisk in the stock. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and knead until a dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, for the empanada filling: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and garlic salt and cook until the beef is cooked completely. Drain the grease and set the beef aside.
• In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, cumin, chili powder, oregano, seasoned salt, garlic, bell peppers and onions. Cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the beef and let them love each other with fire over low heat for about 5 more minutes. The mixture should be moist but not dripping wet. Now you are ready to fill the empanadas.
• Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 4-, 5- or 6-inch rounds, depending on how large you prefer. Add some meat filling to each empanada and fold the dough over in half to enclose the filling. Use a fork to press and seal the edges closed. You can refrigerate the uncooked empanadas for up to 3 hours.
• Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees F. Fry the empanadas until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes.
• For the aioli dip: Mix together the mayonnaise, adobo sauce and lime juice. (The flavor will enhance if it sits in the refrigerator.)

MINI CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a small bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. On a lightly floured surface, roll each pie crust into a 15-inch circle. Cut with a floured 3-in. round biscuit cutter., Place about 1 teaspoon filling on 1 half of each circle. Moisten edges with water. Fold pie crust over filling. Press edges with a fork to seal., Transfer to greased baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove to wire racks. Serve warm.