My mother is from Chile and empanadas have been a staple in our household for years. I have searched and searched and never seem to find the right one, so here is our family-favorite recipe for Chilean empanadas. My mom likes to sprinkle sugar on hers, while I prefer to dip mine in a little mustard — we all have our own cravings! This recipe makes about a dozen large empanadas, depending on the size.
Preparation Details
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup chopped black olives
- 3 large hard-cooked eggs, chopped
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Steps
- Make the filling: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until onion is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add pork and cook until completely browned and crumbly, 7 to 10 minutes more. Drain fat from the skillet. Stir in raisins, olives, and hard-cooked eggs.
- Whisk water and cornstarch together in a small bowl; pour into the skillet and stir until liquid thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Make the dough: Whisk milk and melted shortening together in a bowl until evenly blended. Stir flour and salt together in a separate large bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture; whisk until well combined and a dough forms. Let rest for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut into 12 circles with a round cookie cutter or glass. Spoon filling into the center of each circle. Fold each circle in half and press the edges with a fork to seal. Brush the tops with beaten egg. Place empanadas onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
