Easy – Prep time: 25 mins
Cooking time: 80 mins
Ingredients
- 600g chicken thigh fillets
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 6 tomatillos, drained & chopped
- 80g pitted green olives, roughly chopped
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tbs lime juice
- 100g cheddar cheese, grated
- Sea salt & cracked black pepper
- 5 short crust pastry sheets
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
Place chicken thighs in a large bowl, add oil, cumin, oregano, salt, garlic and mix well to coat. Heat a large frypan (fitted with a lid) over a medium-high heat and cook chicken thighs for 5-10 minutes until browned on both sides. Add tomatillos and 250ml of water, cover, and reduce to a low simmer for 40 minutes until chicken is tender. Shred the meat and transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool. Add the olives, red onion, coriander, lime juice, cheese, season with salt and pepper and mix well to combine.
Preheat oven to 180°C Fan
Cut 4 12cm circles from each pastry sheet and fill with a heaped tablespoon of the empanada filling. Fold pastries in half so you have a crescent shape and crimp the edges together. Transfer empanadas to a baking tray lined with baking paper and brush with egg wash and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Serve hot and squeeze a little bit of lime juice for extra flavour
Recipe & image by FALCON