Easy Picadillo Empanadas

Rating: 3.36 stars
11 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 3
  • 4 star values: 4
  • 3 star values: 0
  • 2 star values: 2
  • 1 star values: 2

Go deep this Super Bowl Sunday: Serve empanadas. These turnovers are perfect 'finger food' -- no knife and fork required. And because the recipes use refrigerated biscuit dough, it's an easy score. All you have to do is make the fillings.

 By Ben Shapiro
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Ingredients

20
Original recipe yields 20 servings
The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified

Directions

  • Adjust oven rack to center; heat oven to 450 degrees.

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  • Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and apple until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add spices; saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, raisins and olives; simmer until filling is thick and moist but not too liquid, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Stir in garlic, almonds, salt and pepper. Transfer to a medium bowl; cool to room temperature.

  • Separate biscuits onto a cornmeal-coated work surface. Sprinkle with cornmeal as necessary, and roll each one into a 5 inch circle. Fill each one, using a scant 2 Tbs. filling and leaving a 1/2-inch border. Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. (At this point, can be frozen up to 2 weeks.)

  • Brush tops with oil. Bake until golden, 16 to 20 minutes (longer if frozen).

NOTE

If 7.5-ounce can is not available, use a larger size, roll circles slightly larger and increase filling proportionally.

Copyright 2005 USA WEEKEND and columnist Pam Anderson. All rights reserved.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:
140 calories; 6.6 g total fat; 13 mg cholesterol; 313 mg sodium. 14.3 g carbohydrates; 6.4 g protein; Full Nutrition

Reviews (10)

Read More Reviews

Most helpful positive review

SNOWPEECH
Rating: 4 stars
04/16/2006
my friends and i made this recipe and everyone really enjoyed it. we left out the almonds because someone had nut allergies but it still was very enjoyable. Read More
Helpful
(21)

Most helpful critical review

ELIZBADER
Rating: 2 stars
02/03/2006
My husband was really excited to try these...until he did! Cute idea very easy to make but the filling was just a little weird for our tastes. Read More
Helpful
(49)
11 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 3
  • 4 star values: 4
  • 3 star values: 0
  • 2 star values: 2
  • 1 star values: 2
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
SNOWPEECH
Rating: 4 stars
04/16/2006
my friends and i made this recipe and everyone really enjoyed it. we left out the almonds because someone had nut allergies but it still was very enjoyable. Read More
Helpful
(21)
ELIZBADER
Rating: 2 stars
02/03/2006
My husband was really excited to try these...until he did! Cute idea very easy to make but the filling was just a little weird for our tastes. Read More
Helpful
(49)
SNOWPEECH
Rating: 4 stars
04/16/2006
my friends and i made this recipe and everyone really enjoyed it. we left out the almonds because someone had nut allergies but it still was very enjoyable. Read More
Helpful
(21)
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Dylan's Nana
Rating: 5 stars
12/17/2008
Delicious little turnovers! I actually used pre-fab pie dough (from the deli section of the grocery store) and cut out 5" rounds. They were flakey and tasty with great flavor. Since I was making them for the first time (and for a party) I thought they needed some sort of dipping sauce. I made the Ginger Dipping Sauce the Mustard Cream Sauce and Bloomin' Onion Dipping Sauce and got rave reviews for everything. I made the Empanadas 2 weeks before the party froze them on a cookie sheet then put them in a zip lock bag. About a half hour before serving I popped them frozen into the oven and they came out perfect. Read More
Helpful
(17)
nana the beautiful
Rating: 1 stars
12/14/2009
name is very deceptive since "picadillo" is ground beef not shredded chicken Read More
Helpful
(8)
rachycez
Rating: 4 stars
04/15/2009
Of course using canned biscuit dough does not make for the most authentic crust but it was a LOT easier than making it from scratch and still came out great. They were a unanimous hit at our potluck! Read More
Helpful
(7)
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ComfortCook
Rating: 2 stars
12/17/2008
I'm not a big fan of using canned biscuits when you are trying to duplicate a dough that is as delicate as an Empanada or pie dough. It's just not the same. I prefer a flakier crust. The Picadillo filling just didn't work for me either. This recipe just didn't quite hit any of the highs for me. Read More
Helpful
(6)
G.C. Hung
Rating: 5 stars
02/09/2011
I wanted to make Cuban Empanadas with Picadillo the old-fashion way by making fresh yeast dough from scratch using an original recipe from Ivonne Cuban in the Midwest blog. The results are wholesome and just as tasty with seasoned ground beef known as "picadillo" in Spanish with raisins. Golden Empanadas con Picadillo yield 16 empanadas for 2.5 cups of flour and one active yeast envelope. Read More
Helpful
(6)
Kristie
Rating: 4 stars
02/11/2008
I loved the mixture of tastes all in a neat package - and it was easy to make and double the recipe. I have two more dinners sitting in the freezer! Watch the cook time 450 is too hot for 16 minutes. They would have burned - it was closer to 11 minutes! Read More
Helpful
(4)
SirTaylor
Rating: 4 stars
05/31/2012
gave them a try and I'm so glad that I did. Made these last night as posted and they were very good couldn't get enough of them. Even my three picky eaters want more. This recipe has ignited an empanada spark in my home. As I understand it empanadas can be fill with just about anything and I'm willing to try empanadas with many different fillings. Thanks for sharing. Read More
Helpful
(1)
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