Filipino Chicken Empanadas Recipe

Preparation

1. Make the filling. Pour the cooking oil into a pan and once the oil is hot, sauté the garlic and onion.
2. Add the chicken breast, then cook until the color turns light brown (about 5 minutes).
3. Add water and chicken cube, then simmer for 10 minutes. Put the carrots and potatoes and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the green peas, raisins, and 1 teaspoon of sugar, then simmer for another 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Turn off the heat, drain the excess liquid and reserve. Make the dough by combining the dry ingredients in a bowl starting with the flour, 4 Tbsp. sugar, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix well using a wire whisk.
5. Cut the shortening into small, thin pieces and place them in the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients (the butter should be cold and solid before doing this). Gradually add water and mix all ingredients well until a dough forms. You can use a stand mixer to make the process easier.
6. Divide the dough into individual pieces by taking a piece of the entire mixture and rolling it in your hand until it forms a ball. Do this until all the dough is complete.
7. Put the buns on a plate sprayed with non-stick spray and let them rest in a cool place for at least 20 minutes. After that time, assemble the discs for the empanadas: flatten each bun by pressing it with the palm of your hand against a flat surface. Use a rolling pin to fully roll it out while giving it a round shape.
8. Assemble the empanadas. Place a handful of the filling in the middle of the empanada disk. Fold the dough so that the opposite ends meet (you should have formed a crescent-shaped dough), then press the edges together and seal.
9. After having assembled all the empanadas, paint them with beaten egg.
10. Place a wax paper on top of a baking sheet or grease the baking sheet and then place the sealed doughs. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees for 10 minutes. Bake the empanadas for 25 minutes at the same temperature. Remove the Filipino empanadas from the oven and serve.

The Philippine chicken empanada is a type of dough that is filled with chicken meat, potato, carrot and sweet peas.. This is done by placing the filling in the middle of a flattened dough and sealing it by pinching and folding the edges (repulgue). It is similar to other types of empanadas, common in Spain and South America, which are filled with chicken or meat, but with its own imprint of seasonings and flavors. In fact, the Cuban picadillo almost resembles the stuffing of Philippine chicken empanadas in terms of ingredients and taste.

By LA NACION recipes