Empanada Fillings that will BLOW YOUR MIND! | Party Empanadas
Want to become a legend because of the incredible food you served for your Big Game Party? You came to the right place. Today we present to you 2 fantastic, non-traditional empanadas to add to your party food arsenal!
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Sweetwater Spice Co. Brine (There are many flavors that will work. We used Smoked Habanero)
Your favorite Chicken Rub (We used Plowboys BBQ Yardbird Rub.)
6 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup good mayonnaise (We love Kewpie Mayo)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t white pepper
Empanada wrappers (After tons of research, Goya brand is the best)
Note: The following step must be done the day before. If you will be performing steps 2-7 the day before your party, do step 1 two nights before.
1. Mix one cup of Sweetwater Spice Co. Brine with 1 cup of water. Pour into a gallon sized Ziplock bag. Add your thawed chicken and refrigerate overnight. Note: The following steps can be done the day before to save time on the day of the party.
2. Set out a 6 oz package of cream cheese and allow to come to room temperature (about 2-3 hours)
3. Pre-heat smoker to 225F.
4. Remove your chicken thighs from the Ziplock bag, discard brine.
5. Pat the chicken dry, then add your favorite rub.
6. Place the chicken on a grate covered sheet pan and place on the upper rack and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
7. Place the cream cheese in a glass bowl and place it on the top shelf of the smoker. Smoke the cream cheese for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. It will be a light khaki color when done.
Note: If steps 2-7 were performed the day before, place the cream cheese and chicken thighs in the refrigerator until about 1 hour prior to making the empanadas. Then allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature. Slice the chicken into french fry sized slices.
8. If not already done, slice the chicken thighs into french fry sized slices.
9. In a mixing bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, parmesan cheese, salt, peppers, and cream cheese.
10. Preheat your deep fryer to 350F. You can also shallow fry the empanadas if you wish.
11. Add 1-2 T of the cheese mixture to one side of the empanada wrapper. Be sure to leave room at the edge of the empanada wrapper to allow for sealing. Top with 4-5 chicken slices.
12. Dampen the edges of the empanada wrapper with water then fold the wrapper over and seal. If you are skilled in the ways of empanada sealing, the “fold the corner over repeatedly” method will yield you a very sexy empanada. If you are less artistic, pressing the edges together with a folk will yield a slightly less sexy result.
13. Place the empanada in the deep fryer and fry until golden brown (4-5 minutes).
14. Remove from fryer and allow to cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack. Serve and ENJOY!
Equipment used:
Yoder YS640S Smoker
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