This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Colgate-Palmolive. All opinions are mine alone. #FusionClean #CollectiveBias Here I’m sharing an easy recipe: Shredded Chicken Empanadas from Scratch with loads of photos and a step-by-step tutorial.
Do you enjoy family meal times and easy recipes you can make together as a family? You’ve come to the right place!
I love to cook and I come from a family that loves to cook. For our family, meal time is an important time for bonding, sharing and laughter. Having my family with me in the kitchen to help me prepare food makes the preparation of food extra special.
These Shredded Chicken Empanadas are made from scratch. The flaky crust is baked to perfection and the savory cheese melt surrounding the chicken is sink-your-teeth-into-it tender and packed with flavor. Bonus: you can make this recipe with your kids and teach them a valuable life skill while you prepare this meal — how to cook!
Meals Together – Taste Better!
Eating meals together is an important tradition to our family and very important in the Latino culture. Both my parents instilled in my sisters and I the value of family, of being together and of sharing time with one another while having fun. Family gatherings are the perfect time to share old traditions and create new memories.
When my sisters and I gather together now as adults, we’ll often engage in a cook-a-thon, preparing meals for the family in a friendly competition. A love of cooking and a love of eating together as a family, is a legacy I want to pass on to my own children.
Easy Recipe: Shredded Chicken Empanadas from Scratch
Empanadas are a special treat that seem like they take all day to make but with this super simple recipe, you spend a fraction of the time in the kitchen and still come out with a delicious and satisfying dish. Rolling out the dough, folding and crimping the edges can be fun for both kids and moms! You can make a dozen or five dozen, it’s up to you. The recipe I’m sharing here makes about two dozen Shredded Chicken Empanadas.
Easy Recipe: Shredded Chicken Empanadas from Scratch
The Shredded Chicken (cooked in a crock pot one day ahead of time)
- 3 Skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 2 Cups of chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon garlic salt
Once shredded, you’ll add the chicken to the center of the Empanada with a Tablespoonful of each of these two ingredients.
- Enchilada Sauce (set aside approx. 1 Cup)
- Finely shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican 4 Cheese, or sharp cheddar) (set aside 1 -2 Cups)
Preparing the Empanada Dough (makes approx. 2 dozen 6″ discs)
- 3 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 Sticks of unsalted butter (6 oz.) – cold butter is recommended
- 1 Egg
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 4-5 Tablespoons of Water
Sides and Toppings (optional)
- Sour Cream
- Cilantro
- Green Leaf Lettuce
- Roma Tomatoes
- Sliced Limes
Easy Recipe: Shredded Chicken Empanadas from Scratch Directions
I planned ahead and cooked the chicken breasts in a crock pot a day ahead of time. If you don’t have that sort of time, you can boil the chicken in a pot with the broth for about a 40 minutes or so on a stove top. Just keep an eye on the chicken – when the meat pulls apart with a fork and all the pink color is gone, you’re ready to shred the chicken.
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Step 1: Cook the Chicken. Pour the chicken broth into a crock pot and add garlic salt, and skinless, boneless chicken breast. Cook on high for approximately 3 1/2 hours or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees.
Step 2: Shred the Chicken. Remove from crock pot and shred chicken. I shred chicken using two forks. Set aside. Keep in the oven, covered on warm if you’ve cooked the chicken on the same day as you preparing the empanadas, or store in the fridge overnight of you cooked then a day ahead of time.
Step 3: Pre-heat the Oven. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.
Step 4: Make the Empanada Dough. Dump the flour and salt into the mixer and mix. Once combined, add in the cold butter, water and eggs and mix until a lumpy dough forms. I used the whisk attachment on the KitchenAid to mix the dough on a low setting (2-3).
Step 5: Form a Dough Ball. Remove the dough and use your hands to form it into a ball. If you started with butter at room temperature, set the dough ball in the fridge for half an hour to cool. If not (and your butter was cold when you started) gather all the ingredients and set on the counter for easy assembly.
Step 6: Roll out the dough and make the empanada discs. Since the dough will be cool, you may need to throw it down onto the counter to soften it up a few times before you roll it out. You’ll need a sturdy rolling pin to roll out the dough. Once rolled, use a cookie cutter, small bowl, or large cup to cut out the discs.
Once the discs are cut, if you want them thinner, just roll them again to thin them even further. You want the discs thin enough to be easy to eat once baked.
Step 7: Add the filling. Add 1 Tablespoon of shredded chicken, 1 Tablespoon of Cheese and 1-2 Teaspoons of enchilada sauce to the center of each dough disc.
Step 8: Fold and Crimp the Empanada Dough. Use your fingers to push the filling to the center and fold of the dough and then fold the dough in half around the filling.
Press the edges together with your fingertips and then use a fork to seal the edges closed. Coating the exterior shells with egg white is optional. It creates a nice golden crust on your empanadas.
Step 9: Bake the empanadas. Bake the empanadas on a parchment lined cookie sheet on 375 degrees F for 18-25 minutes. Serve with sour cream, fresh cilantro, additional shredded cheese and salsa if desired.
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What’s your favorite recipe for a family meal?
Do you have a favorite recipe for family meals? How do you enjoy family meal time preparation together? I’m always looking for new ideas! Please leave a recipe idea or comment below and join the conversation. I love hearing from my readers.
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