Chicken Empanaditas

By corlear

Chef's Note: Holiday time or any time, this hors d’oeuvre is one that is in constant demand. Our empanaditas are small, filled, savory turnovers.

Chef’s Tip: Cooked crawfish, shrimp and crabmeat are appetizing alternatives for the chicken in the empanadita filling.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh
• Creole Meat Seasoning (see recipe)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped poblano pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 tablespoon Louisiana hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
• Fresh pasta sheets or egg roll wrappers, amount varies depending on size of pasta sheets and quantity in packages of wrappers
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• All-purpose flour as needed
• 1 cup Creole Mustard Cream Sauce for dipping (see recipe)

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season chicken with 1 teaspoon Creole Meat Seasoning and roast 20 to 25 minutes, or until completely cooked through. Or, grill chicken. Cool chicken slightly, then chop finely; reserve.

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; sauté red and poblano peppers with onion 1 to 2 minutes, or until onion starts to become transparent. Add reserved chicken, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Sauté until hot.

Remove from heat, fold in cheese and adjust seasoning with additional meat seasoning, if needed; reserve.

Cut 2½-inch circles in pasta sheets or eggroll wrappers with a round cookie cutter. Combine egg and water in a small bowl. Brush pasta or eggroll circle around the edges with egg wash.

Place 1 heaping teaspoon reserved chicken filling in center of each circle. Fold each circle in half and crimp edges together using a fork dipped in a small dish of flour. Re-dip fork in flour when fork gets sticky.

At this point the empanaditas may be placed on wax paper on a sheet pan or wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen until time to use. They will keep up to 1 month in the freezer. If empanaditas are frozen, thaw slightly in refrigerator before cooking.

When ready to cook empanaditas, prepare Creole Mustard Cream Sauce; reserve.

Preheat oil in a deep fryer to 325 degrees. In batches fry empanaditas, 2 to 3 minutes, or until they begin to float and become golden. Remove and place on paper towels to drain.

Keep warm until all empanaditas are fried. Serve immediately with reserved Creole Mustard Cream Sauce.