Easy & Creamy Chicken and Chorizo Empanadas

So today we have a… hybrid recipe? I came across a Brazilian recipe for some little stuffed pastries filled with chicken and linguiça calabresa, which is basically a thin, spicy, smoked Brazilian sausage made with pork and chicken, created by Italian immigrants in Brazil. Unfortunately, that specific sausage isn’t super easy to find here in Portugal, so I went with a spicy chorizo (called linguiça) instead and honestly? Maybe even better! ;P

I’m calling it hybrid because the inspiration is Brazilian, but the ingredients and recipe are pretty much my invention hahahaha. The original recipe also called for a dry filling, but I’m not about that life, so I made it creamy instead. So yeah, heheheeh the inspiration is becoming loosely as time goes by… Either way it came out absolutely delicious, so let’s check the recipe!

Easy & Creamy Chicken and Chorizo Empanadas

Servings: 18
Time: 50mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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I call these creamy because the filling is a very creamy chicken filling, it can make it a bit trickier to stuff but the end result is totally worth it!

Ingredients

Shortcrust Pastry – 1 roll (+/- 200g)
Chicken – 1 breast
Chorizo – 70g (Spicy variety)
Onion – 1
Garlic – 3 cloves
Butter – 2 tablespoons
Flour – 2 tablespoons
Milk – 1 cup (Warm)
Egg – 1 (For brushing)
Olive Oil – A drizzle
Paprika – A pinch
Pepper – A pinch
Salt – A pinch

Directions

Start by sautéing the chopped onion and garlic in a large skillet, followed by the chopped sausage. Let the onion brown.

Once the onion is golden, add the coarsely chopped raw chicken and cook until lightly browned.

Add the butter and heat the cup of milk.

Add the flour, mix well, and add a little of the hot milk (I didn’t use the whole cup). Mix and add more milk until you reach your desired consistency, a very thick but creamy batter.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC ((356°F) or the temperature recommended on the shortcrust pastry package) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a round mold or a glass, cut out circles of dough, fill each one, and fold the dough in half to make a crescent-shaped pastry, pinch the sides so the filling doesn’t come out. Add these to the lined baking sheet.

After making all the pies, whisk an egg and generously brush each one. Bake them in the oven for about 20 minutes (since the filling is cooked, you only need to be careful with the outside).

When they are golden brown, remove them and they’re ready to serve. Enjoy!

Notes & Tips: Don’t overcook the chicken in the pan! It’s going to keep cooking while it sits in the filling anyways, and then again in the oven. Dry chicken is the enemy here, so just give it some color and move on to the butter and flour stage.

These are a perfect way to use up leftover chicken as well. If you’ve got a rotisserie chicken sitting in the fridge or some leftovers from last night’s dinner, just shred it and toss it straight into the sauce with the chorizo, skipping the initial searing step entirely.

These are also absolutely fantastic for parties and picnics. They’re easy to make ahead, hold their shape well, and are just as good at room temperature as they are warm. Make a double batch if you’re bringing them somewhere, seriously.

I seasoned this very plainly, but you season the hell of these totally to your taste, from a little spicier with smoked paprika and nutmeg, to a lot more with chili flakes and cayenne pepper, or a bit more herbaceous with some oregano or thyme, or maybe with a curry twist, with some garam masala or any other curry spice mix, you can really make it your own.

Serve with a spicy dipping sauce like sriracha or a good garlic aioli on the side for extra points, hehehe.

This recipe for Easy & Creamy Chicken and Chorizo Empanadas was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Empadas de Frango e Linguiça foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.