Textual Chef Textual Chef

Empanaditas de Pollo

Mini golden pastries filled with a savory Cuban-style chicken sofrito. Deep-fried until crunchy for a handheld snack or party appetizer.

50 minMediumServes 6340 cal/serving

CubanAppetizerStovetopStandardNut-FreePork-FreeAlcohol-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 12 mini empanada dough discs
  • 2 cups vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. 1

    Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

  2. 2

    Add 1 cup diced yellow onion, 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper, and 4 minced garlic cloves, cooking for 5 minutes until soft.

  3. 3

    Stir in 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1 tsp ground cumin, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook for 5 minutes until filling reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, then cool slightly.

  4. 4

    Place a tablespoon of chicken mixture on each of the 12 mini empanada dough discs, fold in half, and crimp edges with a fork to seal.

  5. 5

    Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F and fry empanaditas for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Questions

What is Empanaditas de Pollo?

Mini golden pastries filled with a savory Cuban-style chicken sofrito. Deep-fried until crunchy for a handheld snack or party appetizer. This reference files it under Cuban appetizer: made on the stovetop, rated medium and about 50 minutes start to finish.

How hot should the oil be for Empanaditas de Pollo?

For Empanaditas de Pollo, the target internal temperature is 165 F (about 75 C), given in step 3. A probe thermometer removes the guesswork. The frying oil is held at 350 F (about 175 C) in step 5. Hotter scorches the outside before the inside cooks, and cooler turns it greasy.

How do I know when Empanaditas de Pollo is done?

Go by the cues in the method rather than the clock. Step 5: cook until golden brown. A reading of 165 F on a thermometer settles it.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts in Empanaditas de Pollo?

Yes. Boneless thighs at the same weight are more forgiving and stay juicier. Give them two to four minutes longer; they are at their best around 175 F rather than 165 F. As written, the entry for Empanaditas de Pollo uses 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded.

How do I store and reheat Empanaditas de Pollo?

Refrigerate what is left of Empanaditas de Pollo within two hours and eat it within three days. Reheat uncovered in a 400 F oven (or an air fryer) for a few minutes to bring the crust back; the microwave softens it.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,530 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More Cuban entries

All Cuban recipes · All Appetizer recipes · All Chicken recipes