Whenever there’s a crowd to feed, empanadas are our favorite go-to item. They can be eaten for any occasion at just about any time of the day, whether for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even an afternoon snack. Pastries stuffed with various meats and fillings can be found all over the world such as turnovers, pies, dumplings and pierogi. And it’s not difficult to see why they have maintained their popularity over the years. Empanadas can be made with many different kinds of filling and it seems as if everyone has their own secret family recipe that’s been around for generations.
Our Hatch Chile Beef Empanadas is a fun twist on the popular green chile empanadas. Hatch chiles are in their peak season and can only be found at this time of the year. Of course, with all the different ways to eat them, this is one awesome way to make the most of them. And when it comes to this recipe, you’re truly getting the best of both worlds. The sweet, spicy and unique complexity of the Hatch Chiles melds beautifully with the smokey and savory flavors of beef. You can make this recipe with any kind of meat you wish such as chicken or carnitas.
Hatch Chile Beef Empanadas
Yields: 20 servings
Prep Time: 3 hours
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of masa harina
- 1/2 cup of butter, unsalted and melted
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of water
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
For the filling:
- 2 Hatch Chiles, stemmed and chopped
- 2 cups of beef, shredded
- 2 cups of queso fresco
- 1 onion, chopped
- Cilantro, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tablespoon of salt
1. Place the Hatch chiles, onion and garlic into a pan and lightly sauté just until the onions have been sweated.
2. Add the sauteéd vegetable mixture into a blender with the lime juice and cilantro and blend until made into a puree. Sprinkle in some salt.
3. Place the puree with the shredded beef and queso fresco into a bowl and gently fold together. This will be your filling for the empanadas.
4. To make the empanada dough, sift the flour, baking powder, salt and masa harina together.
5. Once mixed throughly, gently stir in the butter.
6. Add 1/2 cup of water to the dough while using your hands to knead the mixture together.
7. Knead the dough into a ball and wrap it in some plastic wrap. Leave it in the refrigerator for 40 minutes.
8. Once the dough has been chilled, dust a flat countertop with flour.
9. Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch. Use a 4-inch cookie cutter and punch out 20 circles.
10. Place about 2 tablespoons of your filling in the middle of each pastry dough circle.
11. Make an egg wash by beating the large egg and adding a tablespoon of water.
12. Lightly sweep some of the egg wash onto the edges of the dough. Fold the edges together and close the edges by using the tines of a fork to make crimped indentations.
13. Place the empanadas on a lightly oiled baking sheet with another brush of the egg wash for a golden brown crust. Poke a couple of holes in the top of the empanadas.
14. Bake the empanadas at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
What do you like to fill empanadas with? What are some of your favorite things to do with Hatch Chiles?