Chicken with cider infused chorizo empanadas
Empanadas originate from the Galician region of northern Spain and often feature delicious fillings made with local ingredients of the area. This chicken with cider infused chorizo empanadas recipe draws inspiration from two famous dishes found in the northern corners of Spain: the empanada from Galicia, and Chorizo a la sidra (Chorizo cooked In cider) found in Asturias.
Both recipes combined create a flavor explosion. The delicious spices from the chorizo infuse with the cider during the cooking process, along with the soft texture of chicken and the gorgeous crunch of the baked empanada pastry. Our recipe is an ideal dish for tapas, and makes around 16-20 small tapas-sized empanadas.
About This Recipe
Throughout most regions of Spain, it’s most common to see tuna empanadas (empanada Gallega) that are made similar to a pie. You’ll find tapas bar counters hosting large slabs of this type of empanada, and it’s utterly delicious.
For when you want something a little different and perhaps are looking to impress with your tapas arsenal, this recipe will certainly do the trick! It combines easy-to-find ingredients and two classic Spanish recipes into one — chicken with cider infused chorizo empanadas recipe.
Origin of the Empanada
The origin of the humble empanada can be traced back to Galicia and Portugal as early as the 16th century, where “empanar” translates to ‘breaded’ and featured in some of the first cookbooks of that period.
Nowadays in Galicia, the empanada is made in a similar fashion to a large pie, with a baked crust and delicious fillings that can include meat, game meats, chicken, fish, seafood, and vegetables. Perhaps the most common are tuna fish empanadas, made with a stew of onion, tomatoes, and paprika, and then mixed with boiled egg, capers, and black olives.
Baked or Fried Empanadas
It’s common for smaller tapas-sized empanadas to be either baked or fried, and you’ll find plenty of options for both all over Spain. The larger baked pie-styled empanadas are typically found around the northern regions of Spain and are the original and authentic way of cooking empanadas (they didn’t have deep fryers in the 16th century according to the history books!).
Baking empanadas is a little healthier and also give plenty of opportunity to experiment with the cooking time and pastry. Some prefer a softer shelled empanada, while others go for the full crunch and rely on the moist filling for the contrast in textures. Either way is totally fine, just experiment and find your favorite.
If you’re going to fry your empanadas, make sure you use a decent olive oil and drain your empanadas before serving. Also, make sure you give them a little extra time to rest once they’ve been fried. The filling will be piping hot and may cause an unexpected surprise for hungry dinner guests!
Cooking with Cider
For this chicken with cider infused chorizo empanadas recipe, we’ve used a Galician cloudy cider which is a little different from many of the sweet carbonated ciders you’ll find. Galician cider has no gas and tastes quite mellow and tart. It’s perfect for cooking and leaves a delicious aroma and flavor in the chorizo in this recipe.
If you’re not a huge fan of cider, then use a dry sherry and just adjust the cooking time for a little longer. Both options work really well and add a subtle yet flavorsome combination of the ingredients with the meats.
Homemade Empanada Pastry or Store-bought?
Hey, of course, it’s more fun to make your own, but when time is of the essence, there are plenty of options for store-bought empanada pastry. Store-bought varieties come in a range of sizes from 4-inches, up to around 8-inches in diameter. The bigger they are the harder they are to handle once full of filling. The 4-inch empanada shells are perfect for tapas and what we’ve used in this recipe!
For those looking to make their own empanada pastry, the world is your oyster! Give yourself plenty of time to experiment with texture and dough consistency. It may take a few attempts to get it just right, but persevere and you’ll be whipping up delicious empanada shells mas rapido!
How to Make Chicken with Cider Infused Chorizo Empanadas
Equipment
- An oven and large baking tray
- Parchment (baking) paper
- 1 large 8-inch mixing bowl (for the filling)
Method (step-by-step)
Ingredients
(Makes 16-20 tapas-sized empanadas)
For the empanada pastry
- 17.5 oz/500g plain flour
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 7 oz/200g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 2.5 fl oz/75ml cold water
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 egg
- 1 additional egg (beaten), to glaze
For the filling
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 3.5 oz/100g chorizo, diced
- 3.5 fl oz/100ml of cloudy cider
- 7 oz/200g cooked chicken, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp Mayonnaise (mixed with a little Olive Oil)
- 4.5 oz/125g pitted black and green olives, halved
- 1 tomato, grated and skin discarded
- 1 tablespoon of sweet Spanish paprika
- A squeeze of lemon juice
- A handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Salt and white pepper (for seasoning)
- 1 tablespoon of crushed Chilli flakes (optional for some spice)
Method (step-by-step)
To make the empanada pastry
- In a large bowl, add the flour and salt, and slowly add the butter, mixing it with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Next, in a separate small bowl, beat the egg and mix with the cold water and vinegar. Mix in quickly with the flour and butter mixture. Bring the ingredients together with your hands and knead until the ingredients form a smooth dough.
- Shape into a disc, wrap with clear film, and chill for an hour.
To prepare the empanada filling
- First, in a large frying pan, heat some of the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions and fry until soft and slightly golden. Add the grated tomato and the garlic with a tablespoon of sweet paprika and lower heat to medium. Cook for around 4-5 minutes.
- Next, add the chorizo and cider and simmer for around 6-7 minutes or until the cider has evaporated.
- Remove from the heat and add the diced cooked chicken pieces and mix well.
- Once cooled, move the pan ingredients into a mixing bowl and add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, olives, some chopped parsley, the rest of the olive oil with some seasoning to taste. Mix well and set aside for use later.
- Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C) in preparation for the next step.
Making the empanadas
- Use a rolling pin to roll out your pastry. (skip this step if you’re using store-bought empanada pastry). Ensure the pastry is even and thin, around 1-2mm is ideal. Use a small plate and a sharp knife to divide the pastry into small circular disks around 4 inches in diameter. Once you have made a disk, cover it with a small piece of parchment paper to keep it separated.
- Beat one egg in a small bowl, we’ll use this for sticking the empanadas and for glazing. Set aside with a glazing brush at the ready.
- Lay out one empanada disk and lightly glaze the perimeter (½ inch or so is perfect.
- Next, use a teaspoon to scoop some of the filling onto the center of the disk.
- Gently fold the pastry in half and crimp the edges slightly with a fork (or your fingers for a more authentic look).
- Glaze with a little beaten egg and add to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Repeat steps until you have the desired amount of empanadas.
Chicken with cider infused chorizo empanadas
Ingredients
For the empanada pastry
- 17.5 oz / 500 g plain flour
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 7 oz / 200 g cold unsalted butter cubed
- 2.5 fl oz / 75 ml cold water
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 egg
- 1 additional egg beaten, to glaze
For the chicken with cider infused chorizo empanada filling
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic crushed
- 3.5 oz / 100 g chorizo diced
- 3.5 fl oz / 100 ml cloudy cider
- 7 oz / 200 g cooked chicken roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp Mayonnaise mixed with a little Olive Oil
- 4.5 oz 125 g pitted black and green olives halved
- 1 tomato grated and skin discarded
- 1 tablespoon of sweet Spanish paprika
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Handful of chopped flat leaf parsley
- Salt and white pepper for seasoning
- 1 tablespoon of crushed Chilli flakes optional for some spice
Instructions
To make the empanada pastry
- In a large bowl, add the flour and salt, and slowly add the butter, mixing it with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Next, in a separate small bowl, beat the egg and mix with the cold water and vinegar. Mix in quickly with the flour and butter mixture. Bring the ingredients together with your hands and knead until the ingredients form a smooth dough.
- Shape into a disc, wrap with clear film, and chill for an hour.
To prepare the chicken with cider infused chorizo empanada filling
- First, in a large frying pan, heat some of the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions and fry until soft and slightly golden. Add the grated tomato and the garlic with a tablespoon of sweet paprika and lower heat to medium. Cook for around 4-5 minutes.
- Next, add the chorizo and cider and simmer for around 6-7 minutes or until the cider has evaporated.
- Remove from the heat and add the diced cooked chicken pieces and mix well.
- Once cooled, move the pan ingredients into a mixing bowl and add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, olives, some chopped parsley, the rest of the olive oil with some seasoning to taste. Mix well and set aside for use later.
- Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C) in preparation for the next step.
Making the empanadas
- Use a rolling pin to roll out your pastry. (skip this step if you’re using store bought empanada pastry). Ensure the pastry is even and thin, around 1-2mm is ideal. Use a small plate and a sharp knife to divide the pastry into small circular disks around 4 inches in diameter. Once you have made a disk, cover it with a small piece of parchment paper to keep it separated.
- Beat one egg in a small bowl, we’ll use this for sticking the empanadas and for glazing. Set aside with a glazing brush at the ready.
- Lay out one empanada disk and lightly glaze the perimeter (½ inch or so is perfect.
- Next, use a teaspoon to scoop some of the filling onto the center of the disk.
- Gently fold the pastry in half and crimp the edges slightly with a fork (or your fingers for a more authentic look).
- Glaze with a little beaten egg and add to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Repeat steps until you have the desired amount of empanadas.
- Bake for 15 minutes and check on the empanadas. If not golden enough, bake for an additional 3-4 minutes at 410°F (210°C). Remove from the oven once done and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving (the filling will be piping hot!).
Notes
Chicken with cider infused chorizo empanadas-nutrition facts