Spanish Chicken Empanada Recipe

There is nothing better than a Spanish chicken recipe that can be a complete dinner or lunch, and that is easy to transport in any lunch box or even save to eat in a few days. 

A dish that excels in all these requirements is the chicken empanada recipe. Not only are they portable, but they are easy to make and pretty cheap. 

They are perfect if you are hosting a party and you want people to have something that is delicious, and filling, but also simple to carry around and even eat standing up. 

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Here, I’ll show you how to make the best chicken empanada recipe, as well as some other tricks to replace ingredients and store them. 

So keep scrolling and don’t miss out on any of our Andalusian recipes. 

Background of the Dish

The empanada is basically a stuffed dough, in this case with chicken, baked or fried in oil or fat. 

Its name comes from the Spanish word empanar, which in this case means to enclose something in dough or bread to bake it in the oven. 

The recipe for chicken empanada dates back a great number of years ago when it was customary to fill loaves with chicken (or vegetables or meat), which shepherds and travelers brought to consume in the field. 

However, as time went by it became a popular dish in any Spanish home. 

All the people who traveled to Spain or to Latin American countries (which were Spanish colonies) enjoyed the wonderful empanadas. 

If you want to bring this treat to your home then continue reading and impress everyone with this chicken empanada recipe.  

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Things You’ll Need for Chicken Empanada Recipe

To make this easy empanada recipe you will only need a handful of ingredients and little to no equipment. 

Some pots and a rolling pin will be enough (if you don’t have one you can use an empty glass bottle, a perfect trick for home cooks).

The ingredients are the basic ones, for the part of the empanada dough recipe, you’ll need flour, butter, and water. 

And the best part is that if you make this a baked empanada recipe then you won’t even need the oil for cooking them.  

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 2 kilos)
• 1 1/2 kg onion
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup (100 gr) chopped olives
• 1 cup (150 gr) green onion chopped
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili pepper powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika 
• Salt to taste
• 8 cups (1 kg) all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup (200 gr) butter (replaceable with the same amount of oil or fat)
• Warm water

How to Make Chicken Empanada Recipe – Step by Step Guide

1. To start with your Spanish empanadas, cut the chicken into small pieces and boil it for no more than 30 minutes. Take the chicken out and let it cool for a little. Don’t throw away the remaining chicken broth, since it will make it come out juicy.

2. Grab a separate pot, and sauté the onion with a few tablespoons of oil, and make sure that it doesn’t burn. While cooking, bone the chicken and cut it into small pieces.

3. When the onion is transparent, add the chicken and add salt little by little. Add a little bit of the broth, just cover the meat, and add the cumin, the Chili pepper powder, and the paprika.

4. Once you’re satisfied with the flavor, let it cool and reserve it for about 1 or 2 hours in the fridge.

5. In a pot, boil the eggs, and when they are cooked, cut them into pieces of any size that you like, it depends on how much you want to feel them in the empanada.

6. Add the eggs, onion, and olives to the chicken mixture, and you have the filling ready.

7. In a large bowl, put the flour, add the salt, and mix. Make a hole and add the butter at room temperature, and add the warm water little by little until you get a soft dough.

8. After that, let the dough rest in the fridge for 30 minutes, then separate it into small rolls and make them flat with your hands or a floured rolling pin, so you will have the flat discs to fill.

9. Then, put about 1 or 2 tablespoons of filling in each empanada, and close it by making the classic repulgue, or with the help of a fork, you can seal the ends.

10. You can cook them in the oven at medium to high heat (or 180°C) for 35 minutes. Or fry them in abundant hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes per side. And that’s it, your chicken empanada recipe is ready. 

Substitution of Ingredients

If you want to make empanadas de pollo,  but you don’t have some of the ingredients, don’t freak out, there are many substitutions that you can make to the listed ingredients and you will still get an amazing dish.

For example, there are different ways to make chicken, so if you don’t like the seasoning listed you can just add salt and pepper. 

You can also get more innovative and use other seasonings such as turmeric, five spices, or classic herbs like rosemary and oregano. 

For other empanada fillings, you can choose to make them with ham and cheese, which is super common in countries of Latin America. 

Or you can make a beef filling just like the one in the Spanish beef empanadas recipe or try some vegetarian empanadas. Either way, they’re irresistible.

If you liked this recipe, then you should definitely give it a try to other popular Andalusian recipes, like the Spanish chicken stew, Spanish chicken croquettes, or mushroom croquettes.

Inspire your next meal from this recipe and try the best Spanish chicken chorizo pie recipe, one of the easiest comfort foods out there.

And in case you wanted a dessert empanada, know that we have two delicious recipes for apple empanada and fruit empanada recipe, with strawberries.

Tips on Serving Chicken Empanada Recipe

The best part about this authentic empanada recipe is that you can have them for lunch, dinner, or even as an afternoon snack. 

To be honest, I am not going to tell you how to live so if you want to have them for breakfast just go ahead.

They are the perfect treat at any time of the day, and if you serve them along with some dipping sauces you’ll impress everyone. 

You can dip them in honey mustard, buffalo sauce, or the classic tomato sauce. 

Spanish chicken empanadas are a perfect entree or a game-day dish. If you are making this a fried empanada recipe, you can serve it as a main dish if you have 2 per person, since they are even more filling.

If you are looking for recipes with chicken, we encourage you to try the Spanish grilled chicken recipe or the Spanish garlic chicken.

And if you like seafood recipes, you must definitely try the Spanish shrimp empanadas recipe.

How to Store Chicken Empanada

Spanish chicken empanada recipe is probably the best dish to make if you are a meal-prep fan. 

You can make them ahead, and they have the perfect size to be stored and to fit any lunch box. They can last up to 1 month in the freezer or 5 days in the fridge.

One problem that you might have is that this is a flaky empanada dough recipe, so by freezing them it is probable that some of that flakiness will go away. 

However, it will still taste amazing and the texture won’t be bad. 

If you want to avoid this problem, you can make the empanada filling recipe, and freeze just the filling. Then on a different day make the dough or use the store-bought one. 

Recipe Card: Chicken Empanada Recipe

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