Middle Eastern Ground Turkey Empanadas Recipes

TURKEY AND BLACK BEAN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine turkey, black beans, both cheeses, salsa, cilantro, and cumin. Mix well to combine.
• Unroll pie crusts onto a flat surface. Using 4-inch cutter, cut out 6 circles. Divide turkey mixture into equal portions and place each portion (in mounds) on top of the pie crusts. Fold over and pinch the edges together to seal. Using a fork, make hash marks on the edges of the empanadas to ensure they are sealed. Transfer empanadas to a large baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, make small slits in the top of each empanada to allow steam to escape during cooking. Brush with egg wash and place into preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

MOROCCAN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until beef is no longer pink, breaking up beef into crumbles, 5-7 minutes; drain. Stir in cream cheese, preserves, carrot and seasonings. Cool slightly., On a lightly floured work surface, unroll sheets of pie crust. Cut 40 circles with a floured 3-in. cookie cutter, rerolling crust as necessary. Place half of the circles 2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Top each with 1 rounded tablespoon beef mixture. Top with remaining crust circles; press edges with a fork to seal., Brush tops with egg yolk; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cut slits in tops. Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove from pan to a wire rack., Meanwhile, in a microwave, warm sauce ingredients, stirring to combine. Serve with empanadas. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked empanadas on waxed paper-lined baking sheets until firm. Transfer to a freezer container; return to freezer. To use, bake empanadas as directed, increasing time as necessary. Prepare sauce as directed.

SPICED TURKEY EMPANADA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle turkey with salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook turkey, breaking up with a spoon, until brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, olives and jalapeños. Cover; reduce heat to low. Simmer until turkey is cooked through and tomatoes are soft, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Coat a large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Cut dough into 4 equal portions. Pull dough into 4 flat disks, each 8 inches in diameter. Top each round with 1/2 cup turkey filling. Fold dough in half and fold bottom edge over top. Press closed. Transfer to cookie sheet and coat empanadas with cooking spray. Bake until dough is firm and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve with 1/2 cup baby carrots. Store empanadas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

TURKEY EMPAñADAS

Steps:

• Sauté turkey in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium heat until cooked through and brown, breaking up meat with fork, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer turkey to small bowl. Add onion to drippings in skillet and sauté until light brown, about 7 minutes. Return turkey and any juices to skillet. Add tomato sauce and Cajun seasoning; simmer until mixture is almost dry, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cool completely. Mix in cheese. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• On lightly floured surface, roll out 1 biscuit dough piece to 4-inch-diameter round. Place 1 tablespoon filling on round. Brush half of dough edge with beaten egg. Fold dough over filling to create half circle and seal edges by pressing with tines of fork. Set empanada on baking sheet and cover with damp cloth. Repeat with remaining biscuits and filling.
• Pour oil to depth of 1/2 inch into heavy large skillet. Heat oil over medium-high heat to 350°F. Fry empanadas in batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels. Serve warm or at room temperature.

MIDDLE EASTERN GROUND TURKEY EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Remove discos from freezer to defrost. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Brown ground turkey in skillet, drain fat.
• Add green onion, onion, red pepper, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook until soft. Add salt, spices, tomato paste and water. If you have no tomato paste, you can use some tomato sauce. If you have no baharat, you can substitute with a small amount of clove, cardamom, coriander, and nutmeg (or leave it out if you prefer). When filling has been sufficiently mixed, remove from heat.
• Take a disco from the packaging and place it on a piece of wax paper. Put a tablespoon or two of filling on one side. (You can use refrigerated biscuit dough or frozen pie crust if you cannot find discos, but you may need to adjust baking time and temp.) Seal edges using fork tines to go around the edge on the top and bottom of empanada. Then set aside on plate in fridge. Repeat this with the rest of the discos until all filling is gone.
• Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and lay the empanadas on the sheet. Brush tops of empanadas with beaten egg, for gloss. Bake empanadas ten minutes or until golden brown. Then bake second batch same way.