Recipe
Smoked Chicken Salsa Empanadas
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 2 hr
Serves: 16
The combination of smoked chicken and fruit packs a burst of flavour into these puff pastry empanadas. Making them into triangles avoids too much unused pastry, but for a more traditional look you can cut out 5 inch (12.5 cm) circles and fold. Serve over your favourite mixed greens for a new salad idea.
Contributed By: Developed for CFC by Emily Richards
Ingredients
2 tbsp (30 mL)
light brown sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL)
ancho chili powder
1 tbsp (15 mL)
smoked paprika
2 tsp (10 mL)
kosher salt
1 tsp (5 mL)
each dried sage leaves and oregano
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL)
each ground cumin and coriander
1
chicken, about 2 lb/1 kg
1
small red onion, quartered
1
tomato, seeded and diced
1
mango, finely diced
1/3 cup (75 mL)
fresh cilantro, chopped
pinch salt
1
lime
2
pkgs (400 g each) butter puff pastry sheets
Instructions
1
Combine sugar, chili powder, paprika, salt, sage, oregano, cumin and coriander and rub all over chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
2
Place quartered onion in cavity of chicken and place in preheated 350°F (175°C) smoker. Close lid and smoke for about 1 ½ hours or until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of the leg reaches 180 F (82 C). Remove from smoker and let cool until easy enough to handle and remove onion and reserve. Remove meat from the bones.
3
Chop chicken meat and place in large bowl. Finely dice reserved red onion and add ½ cup (125 mL) to the chicken. Stir in tomato, mango, cilantro and salt.
4
Using a rasp, remove ½ tsp (2.5 mL) of lime zest and add to bowl. Juice lime and stir into chicken mixture.
5
Unroll pastry sheets and cut each into 4 squares. Fill each with about ⅓ cup (75 mL) of the chicken mixture. Fold into triangle and press edges to seal. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush empanadas with egg wash. Bake in 400°F (200°C) oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.