Shortcut Chicken and Green Chilies Empanadas
Perfect as an appetizer or dinner, only 6 Ingredients are needed to make these delicious Shortcut Chicken & Green Chilies Empanadas.
If you have a half hour and 6 basic ingredients, you can make these delicious bundles of Chicken and Green Chilies goodness.
Using premade pie dough for empanadas
From scratch crust isn’t always an option for those short on time, so this recipe uses boxed pie crusts, which simply need to be unrolled.
How to cut the dough for chicken empanadas
A round cookie or biscuit cutter is all you need to cut these into shape. Even a large lid of a jar would work great!
Variations for Quick Chicken Empanadas
I found the filling for these quickie empanadas to be delicious as written, though they do lend themselves well to additional spices or hot sauce. Possibly even something like corn or green onions as well. Really it is up to your preferences if you’d like to tweak the recipe.
What type of cheese to use for empanadas
Another way to change up the base recipe is to use your favorite blend of cheese. Monterey Jack would be delicious, as well as many store bought cheese blends.
Ingredients needed
- 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
- 4 oz can fire-roasted diced green chilies
- 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup shredded cheese any flavor
- 1 package refrigerated pie crusts (2 sheets in a box)
- 1 large egg, for egg wash
Method
Combine the shredded chicken, green chilies, cream cheese and shredded cheese together in a bowl.
Lay out the pie crust on a lightly floured counter. Cut into 3-inch rounds. Add a spoonful of filling to each pie crust round. Fold over one side and pinch shut. Crimp edges with a fork. Add a light egg wash over the top of each empanada.
Bake at 400-f degrees for 12-15 minutes.
Looking for more chicken recipes?
- Mexican Chicken Haystacks – Seasoned chicken and rice are piled over tortilla chips, topped with a delicious sauce and lots of beans and veggies!
- Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Braid – Another super quick and so delicious shortcut chicken dinner. Using puff pastry gives this so much more flavor than other recipes using crescent dough.
- Hot Chicken Salad Casserole – This family favorite recipe has a very comforting flavor with the combination of chicken, gruyere, sliced almonds, water chestnuts and more.
Shortcut Chicken and Green Chilies Empanadas
Equipment
- 3-inch round cookie/biscuit cutter (I've also used a 2-inch cutter, as pictured above)
Ingredients
- 2 each chicken breasts seasoned with salt & pepper, cooked and shredded
- 4 oz can fire-roasted diced green chilies do not drain
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup shredded cheese any flavor
- 1 package refrigerated pie crusts 2 sheets in a box
- 1 large egg for egg wash
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, chilies, cream cheese, and shredded cheese.
- Unroll the pie crusts onto a lightly floured, flat surface. Cut out into rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Re-roll dough as needed. Repeat procedure with remaining pie crusts.
- Arrange the rounds on a clean, flat surface. Place a small spoonful of chicken mixture in the center of the round. Fold dough over the filling, pressing edges with a fork to seal. Repeat until finished.
- Arrange empanadas on a prepared baking sheet. Brush with an egg wash. Bake 12-15 minutes until lightly browned. Ovens vary so keep a close eye on them.
Ali, I went over and checked out the recipe on Mom Sparks, yum!! These look super simple and delicious! I recently did the same thing – took advantage of store bought pie crust – to make homemade pop-tarts and they turned out wonderful! You can see them here if you're interested: http://cookincowgirl.blogspot.com/2014/05/Strawberry-Rhubarb-Pop-Tarts.html
I look forward to trying your idea! Thanks again!