Who doesn’t like an empanada?

Having lived in the cultural mecca that is Miami, I’ve been exposed to these delicious savory pastries many times over. You can get them prepared in a variety of ways, but I say the best ones consist of some meaty goodness wrapped in dough. Thought to have originated in Spain, they’re also eaten all over South America…and I have to say – I really don’t care where they’re from – they’re popular everywhere, and for good reason. They’re delicious.

What makes these babies so perfect in my book is the endless options for fillings. You can totally play with it! Of course, I had to do two different types – one beef, one chicken. I found two Gourmet recipes on Epicurious, and then adapted them to my liking (omitted raisins, added corn, among other changes). I also bought the frozen empanada disks instead of making the dough – which I highly recommend if you want to save some time, so convenient. To make them somewhat healthier, I avoided the deep-fry method here and baked them in the oven. I was especially excited to do this after watching Sunny Anderson make her own version the other day on the Food Network; she brushed this ‘sazon butter’ over them before baking, which gave them this gorgeous orange-red coloring and helped them to brown so perfectly.

Biting into them is like biting into a little piece of meaty heaven; the outside so perfectly crisp, and the inside steaming hot and packed with flavor.

Beef Empanadas

• 2 hard-boiled large eggs
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 3/4 pound ground beef chuck
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
• 1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted
• 1/2 cup shredded white Cheddar
• 1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving 2 tablespoons juice, and chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon sazon seasoning
• 12 store-bought (6-inch) empanada wrappers
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Make filling:

Cook onion in olive oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic and spices and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in beef and cook, breaking up lumps with a fork, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

Add olives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and tomatoes with reserved juice, then cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced but mixture is still moist, about 5 minutes. Add your corn and cheese, and spread on a dish to cool.

Chicken Empanadas with Chorizo and Olives

• 3 whole chicken legs, including thighs (2 to 2 1/4 pounds total)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large onions, halved lengthwise, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/3 cup finely diced Spanish chorizo (1 ½ oz)
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 cup chopped pitted green olives
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon sazon seasoning
• 12 store-bought (6-inch) empanada wrappers
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Make filling:

Here you are going to braise your chicken, which takes longer but is totally worth it. The chicken will be so moist and have tons of flavor. To start, pat it dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken, turning over once, about 6 minutes total, and transfer to a plate. Sauté onions, garlic, and bay leaves in fat remaining in skillet, stirring frequently, until onions are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chorizo and paprika and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add olives, wine, and broth and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits. Return chicken to skillet along with any juices accumulated on plate, then reduce heat to moderately low and simmer chicken, covered, turning over once, until tender, 25 to 30 minutes total.

Transfer chicken to a clean plate. (Sauce in skillet should have thickened up to the consistency of heavy cream; if it’s not, briskly simmer until you get there, about 5 minutes.) When chicken is cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones and coarsely chop meat. Stir chicken into sauce and discard bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper, then cool filling, uncovered, about 30 minutes.

Form and bake empanadas:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Melt the butter with the sazon powder in a small pan over low heat. Stir well to combine and reserve.

Working with 1 wrapper at a time, scoop 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling into the center of the wrapper. Brush the edges of the dough with beaten egg, then fold the dough over to form a half moon, pressing out the air with your fingertips. Don’t put too much filling in or it will get messy! Use the edge of a fork to pinch and seal the edges, creating a border about 1-inch wide. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers.

Transfer the patties to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a pastry brush, coat the tops of patties with the reserved sazon butter. Bake according to dough package instructions, or until puffed and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.