Cheesy baked chicken empanadas are absolutely delicious and surprisingly easy to make. These are the perfect party food, or a fun and easy dinner!
Cheesy Baked Chicken Empanadas Recipe
Chicken empanadas are the perfect handheld size for parties, appetizers, and quick meals.
These easy baked chicken empanadas are filled with lots of cheese, chicken, scallions, and some spices for an amazing flavor.
Whether you serve these for a quick dinner, a Cinco de Mayo party food, or on game day, you’ll see them disappear in the blink of an eye!
Why you’ll love this Easy Chicken Empanadas recipe:
- PERFECT SIZE: These are easy to hold and eat on the go, which makes them a great party food.
- BAKED NOT FRIED: Baked empanadas are a little bit lighter, and a lot easier to make in big batches.
- EASY RECIPE: This recipe couldn’t be simpler. The filling is easy to make, and pre-made dough means it’s hassle-free.
How to make Chicken Empanadas from Scratch
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Preheat oven to 375F and prepare baking sheets. Set the dough out on the counter for 15 minutes before assembling the empanadas.
- Make the chicken empanada filling by combining ingredients (cheese, scallions, and spices) in a large bowl. Then gently add in the chicken (shredded or cubed).
- Roll out the dough and cut into a total of 14 pastry rounds.
- Whisk together an egg with water to make the egg wash, then brush it over the edges of the dough.
- Place 1 tablespoon of chicken filling in each pastry round, fold them over in half, and gently press the filling down to bring edges together.
- Brush them with the egg wash, press edges together, and use a fork to crimp the edges.
- Sprinkle them with sea salt, arrange them on the baking sheets, and make slits in each empanada.
- Bake 20-22 minutes, switching tray placement halfway through.
Is it better to bake or fry empanadas?
While fried empanadas will give you the crispiest results, I prefer baked empanadas. They’re easier to make, especially in large batches.
They’re also a little bit healthier without all the oil. And they end up just as delicious (and still pretty crispy)!
What goes with chicken empanadas for dinner?
If you want to serve these for dinner, add a few side dishes to bulk up the meal. I recommend making some rice, beans, and maybe a veggie or salad for something fresh.
Try this cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice, refried beans, and confetti corn salad or Peruvian chopped salad.
Can you make these ahead of time?
Yes, these can easily be made ahead of time. Follow the instructions right up until bake time, then cover them (uncooked) on the baking sheets with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate until ready to bake, up to 48 hours ahead of time. When ready to bake, just add 5-7 minutes to the listed cooking time.
If you want to partially prepare things, you can also cook the chicken, or even make the entire chicken mixture, ahead of time, and store it in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
Tips!
- You can make your own dough for this recipe if you want to make them fully from scratch, but using store-bought pastry dough really speeds things up.
- Be sure to make small slits in the dough to allow steam to release while baking (otherwise you’ll end up with messy, exploding empanadas).
- The egg wash gives them a nice color, helps hold the dough together, and leaves you with a crispier finish. So don’t skip it!
- 1 tablespoon of filling is the perfect amount for this size of dough. Don’t overfill or the empanadas might leak filling.
- To store leftovers: tightly wrap chicken empanadas in aluminum foil, or place them in resealable bags and remove as much air as you can. Keep them in the fridge up to 3 days.
Make a batch of these cheesy baked chicken empanadas for your next quick dinner or party and be sure to serve them wit some delicious dipping options!
More Mexican Inspired Recipes we Love
- Beef Folded Tortillas Quesadilla
- Corn Tamales
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Chicken Taquitos
- Baked Chicken Tacos
- Easy Chilaquiles
- Homemade Mexican Pizzas
- Sweet Potato Empanadas
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Baked Cheesy Chicken Empanadas Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 ounces Queso Fresco softened
- 1 teaspoons chili powder I love Penzey’s Chili 9000
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup shredded Pepper Jack
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken
- 2 Pillsbury Pie Crusts or Homemade
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water
Topping:
- Flake Sea Salt optional
- Serve with:
- Apple Jicama Slaw with Honey-Chipotle Vinaigrette
- Sliced avocadoes
- Diced fresh tomatoes
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375°F. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil and spray lightly with nonstick spray.
- If using store-bought pie dough, set it on the counter 15 minutes before using.
- In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, Queso Fresco, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, Pepper Jack and scallions with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add chicken and mix until incorporated; set aside.
- Unroll the dough and use a rolling pin to create a 12” round. With a 4” round cookie cutter, cut the dough into 7 (4-inch) rounds per pie crust.
- Make an egg wash by whisking 1 egg with 1-teaspoon water.
To Make the Empanadas:
- Brush the edges of the dough rounds with egg wash.
- Place 1 rounded tablespoon of chicken filling in the middle of each pastry round and fold the dough over to form a half-moon empanada. Press the filling down a little to bring the dough together.
- Brush each empanada with egg wash.
- Press the edges of the dough together and then use a table fork, to crimp the edges to seal.
- Lightly sprinkle the empanadas with flake sea salt, if desired.
- Place the empanadas, 1-2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Make 3 tiny slits in the top of each empanada to release steam.
- See *Note if making ahead.
- Place a tray on the upper-middle oven rack and the lower-middle oven rack. Bake at 375°F for 20-22 minutes switching and rotating baking sheets halfway through baking. Cool a few minutes then serve with avocado slices and Apple-Jicama Slaw (or just the Honey-Chipotle Vinaigrette).
- Enjoy!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
Nutrition Information
These look fantastic, and I have most of the ingredients in my kitchen already. Thank you for giving me an excuse to make something fun this weekend. Do you have any recommendations on how to reheat them?
Also, would you share the recipe for the Apple and Jicama Slaw? Thank you!
If you can, it would be best to save ones you know you won’t eat and bake them when you’re ready for the leftovers so they are fresh! I don’t have a recipe for that slaw quite yet!
Becky,
Since there are just two of us, can the empanadas be frozen raw or would they freeze better already baked. Thanks for all your recipes. This one look delish!
I haven’t frozen these yet! You can try baking them a little beforehand!