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    Home » Most Recent

    Spicy Chicken and Pickled Jalapeno Empanadas

    June 2, 2017 By Patrick 14 Comments

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    Once you've got a reliable empanada dough recipe to work with then you can move on to the more important question...what should I put inside?!   I've been eating this Chicken and Jalapeno version all week and I think it's a combo worthy of being considered for your next batch.

    Don't forget that there are a few tips to keep in mind to keep your empanadas tender and flaky, so it's worth checking out the Beef and Cheese Empanadas post at some point, but I'll hit all the key topics in this post as well.

    Here's a great combo to consider for your next batch of homemade empanadas: spicy chicken and pickled jalapenos. Don't forget to chill the dough before rolling it out as this will keep them light and flaky. So good! mexicanplease.com

    Spicy Chicken and Pickled Jalapeno Empanadas Recipe

    I'm using a batch of our homemade Pickled Jalapenos but you don't have to pickle your own just for these empanadas; a canned version would work too.

    Here's a great combo to consider for your next batch of homemade empanadas: spicy chicken and pickled jalapenos. Don't forget to chill the dough before rolling it out as this will keep them light and flaky. So good! mexicanplease.com

    So that's 1/2 cup of pickled jalapenos (and some carrots who don't want to miss out on the fun).  These will be diced up fine to make it easier to fit them in the empanadas.

    You don't have to worry too much about exact seasoning for the chicken in this dish so feel free to get creative.  For this batch we used 1 Tablespoon crushed New Mexican chile, 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, freshly ground pepper, and 1 Tablespoon olive oil.

    This Spicy Chicken and Pickled Jalapeno Pizza is the perfect example of Mexican cooking ingredients influencing just about everything in my kitchen. A super easy and delicious recipe with no special pizza gear needed! mexicanplease.com

    Chop up a large chicken breast and combine it well with this mixture.  This will get sauteed off with 2-3 Tablespoons of chopped onion.

    Ancho and New Mexican dried chilis create a delicious Colorado Sauce that's served up taco style with chipotle infused refried beans and grilled chicken. So good! mexicanplease.com

    You'll also need one cup of cheese.  It seems like you can taste the cheese better when diced into bigger chunks (as opposed to grating) so it's worth trying that for this combo.

    But of course, before we do any work on the fillings it's probably best to get the empanada dough started...

    Mix 1.5 teaspoons of salt into 3 1/4 cups of all purpose flour.  Dice up 6 oz. of butter (1.5 sticks) into small 1/2″ chunks and plop them into the flour.  Use your fingers to mix it in just enough to make the mixture crumbly with a few chunks of butter laying about.

    Flaky, tender dough make these empanadas a recipe worth repeating. We're using a delicious spicy beef mixture to kick them up a notch. So good! mexicanplease.com

    In a separate bowl, combine 2 small eggs, 1.5 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar), and 1/2 cup of ice cold water.  Add this mixture to the flour and  roughly combine.

    Dump onto a work surface but don't knead it!  Overworking the dough will result in dense empanadas so just use your hands to gently combine this mixture into a cohesive ball.

    Flaky, tender dough make these empanadas a recipe worth repeating. We're using a delicious spicy beef mixture to kick them up a notch. So good! mexicanplease.com

    Cover with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for 2 hours or so, or overnight works too.  Chilling the dough is an important step so don't skimp on it.

    Once chilled, give your work surface a light sprinkling of flour and gently flatten the dough down to 1/4″ or less using a rolling pin.   If your best surface is a cutting board then pull off 1/4 of the dough at a time to roll it out.

    Flaky, tender dough make these empanadas a recipe worth repeating. We're using a delicious spicy beef mixture to kick them up a notch. So good! mexicanplease.com

    You can use a biscuit cutter, a small bowl, or even a glass to carve out an empanada circle.  The above bowl was about 4" in diameter and produced a medium-sized empanada (12 of them for this batch).

    Add 1-2 Tablespoons of the chicken, some diced jalapenos, and plenty of cheese.  You can dice up the chicken into smaller bits after cooking if you want.

    Here's a great combo to consider for your next batch of homemade empanadas: spicy chicken and pickled jalapenos. Don't forget to chill the dough before rolling it out as this will keep them light and flaky. So good! mexicanplease.com

    Pull the edges up and pinch them shut with your finger.  Then use a fork to lightly press down on the edges and seal them further.

    Here's a great combo to consider for your next batch of homemade empanadas: spicy chicken and pickled jalapenos. Don't forget to chill the dough before rolling it out as this will keep them light and flaky. So good! mexicanplease.com

    Brush them with some eggwash and bake for 20-25 minutes at 400F, or until they are golden brown.  This batch took the full 25 minutes in the oven.

    Flaky, tender dough make these empanadas a recipe worth repeating. We're using a delicious spicy beef mixture to kick them up a notch. So good! mexicanplease.com

    Let them cool for a bit and then take a bite!  They should be light and flaky with a burst of flavor from the chicken and jalapenos.  So good!

    Here's a great combo to consider for your next batch of homemade empanadas: spicy chicken and pickled jalapenos. Don't forget to chill the dough before rolling it out as this will keep them light and flaky. So good! mexicanplease.com

    I haven't tried freezing these yet but probably will soon.  They take a little bit of work to put together so building a big batch seems optimal.  I think freezing them just before baking makes the most sense; then bake them directly from the freezer with an additional few minutes of baking time.  Will report back when I try this.

    Okay, don't forget to chill that dough!  Even though it takes a bit of pre-planning to add in the chilling time, it's actually the quickest route to a batch of flaky, delicious empanadas.

    Buen Provecho.

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    Here's a great combo to consider for your next batch of homemade empanadas: spicy chicken and pickled jalapenos. Don't forget to chill the dough before rolling it out as this will keep them light and flaky. So good! mexicanplease.com

    Here's a great combo to consider for your next batch of homemade empanadas: spicy chicken and pickled jalapenos. Don't forget to chill the dough before rolling it out as this will keep them light and flaky. So good! mexicanplease.com

    Spicy Chicken and Pickled Jalapeno Empanadas

    Here's a great combo to consider for your next batch of homemade empanadas: spicy chicken and pickled jalapenos. Don't forget to chill the dough before rolling it out as this will keep them light and flaky. 
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 55 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 475kcal
    Author: Patrick Calhoun | Mexican Please

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup pickled jalapenos
    • 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

    For the chicken:

    • 1 large chicken breast (or 2 smaller breasts)
    • 1 Tablespoon crushed New Mexican chile or your choice of chili powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder (optional)
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • freshly ground pepper
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2-3 tablespoons chopped onion

    For the empanada dough:

    • 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
    • 6 oz. butter (1.5 sticks)
    • 1.5 teaspoons salt
    • 2 small eggs
    • 1/2 cup ice cold water
    • 1.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
    • 1 egg (for the eggwash)

    Instructions

    • Start by mixing 1.5 teaspoons of salt into 3 1/4 cups of flour. Dice up 6 oz. of butter (1.5 sticks) into small 1/2" chunks and plop them into the flour. Use your fingers to disintegrate some of the butter into the mixture but don't worry about getting all of the butter dissolved. Mix it in just enough to make the mixture crumbly with a few chunks of butter laying about.
    • In a bowl, combine 2 small eggs, 1.5 tablespoons vinegar, and 1/2 cup ice cold water. Add this mixture to the flour and use a fork or spatula to roughly combine.
    • Dump onto a work surface but resist the temptation to knead! Just combine it enough to form a cohesive ball. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
    • Chop a single chicken breast into bite-sized pieces and combine with the listed seasoning ingredients in a bowl.  Saute 2-3 Tablespoons of onion in a drizzle of oil over medium high heat for a few minutes.  Add the chicken and cook 3-5 minutes per side or until done.  Set aside until needed.
    • Finely dice the jalapenos.  Cut the cheese into chunks.
    • Once the dough has been chilled you can roll it out. If using a cutting board roll out 1/4 of the dough at a time. Sprinkle your work surface and rolling pin with flour before starting. Roll the dough down to 1/4" thickness or less. 
    • Use a biscuit cutter or bowl to cut out circles of empanada dough. Fill each round with 1-2 Tablespoons of chicken mixture, some diced jalapeno, and plenty of cheese chunks. Lift both edges of the round and seal the edges using your fingers. Use a fork to seal the edges further.
    • For the eggwash, crack an egg in a bowl, add a splash of water and whisk. Brush the empanadas with the eggwash.
    • Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. 

    Notes

    Dough recipe adapted from a popular recipe on Epicurious.
     
    Don't worry about disintegrating all of the butter into the flour, leaving a few chunks will help the dough form layers. 
     
    Chilling the dough before rolling it out is muy importante. 
     
    Resist the temptation to knead the dough.
     
    Using cold butter and ice cold water is recommended. 
    Like this recipe?Click the stars above to rate it or leave a comment down below! @mexplease

     

    Our latest recipe is a Spicy Avocado Hummus.

    If you're new to Avocado Hummus you're in for a treat! Avocados and chickpeas combine to make this one of the creamiest, most delicious dips you'll ever have. So good! mexicanplease.com

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Beth Ritter

      October 11, 2021 at 12:25 pm

      Hi, Patrick,
      Can you use dark-meat chicken in the chicken empanadas? I've used it in Enchiladas Suizas, and it worked out well. Thanks always, for these great recipes!

      Reply
      • Patrick

        October 11, 2021 at 4:24 pm

        Yeah go for it Beth, that should work just fine. Cheers.

        Reply
    2. Crissy

      September 14, 2018 at 4:20 pm

      5 stars
      Omg these were soooooo delicious! So much flavor in so few ingredients, I used store bought pie crust but will definitely use your recipe next time. I used taco seasoning on the chicken too! Made it so easy, I loved them, so flaky, cheesy and spicy. Will make again for sure!

      Reply
      • Patrick

        September 14, 2018 at 10:28 pm

        Glad you found a keeper recipe Crissy! It's been a few months since I've had these and am now officially craving them!

        Reply
    3. Chef Garrin

      June 16, 2018 at 7:11 am

      Here's a great method for you to try, place your measured amount of butter in the freezer overnight, then quickly grate into the flour mixture with the large hole side of a box grater. I use this method for tea-biscuits and pie dough, the results are amazing.

      Chef Garrin

      Reply
      • Patrick

        June 18, 2018 at 6:04 pm

        Hey thanks much for the tip Chef!

        Reply
    4. Andrea

      March 26, 2018 at 10:48 am

      5 stars
      Hi just sending comment about freezing epernidae they taste even better when freezing so much flavor. I make a big batch take out when i want quick snack.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        March 26, 2018 at 8:32 pm

        Awesome Andrea thanks much for the update. Glad the frozen empanadas are working out, makes me want to make a batch!

        Reply
    5. Andi

      September 20, 2017 at 9:45 am

      Did you eventually freeze any and how did they turn out?

      Reply
      • Patrick

        September 22, 2017 at 2:58 pm

        Good question Andi! I still haven't tried freezing these empanadas yet, sorry I can't report back on that one yet. Cheers.

        Reply
      • Mary Ellen

        October 07, 2019 at 12:51 am

        I made the beef empanadas and they froze beautifully. After filling I froze them on a sheet pan and once frozen transferred to a freezer bag. I baked them frozen and they were just as good as when baked fresh. Fast, easy meal from the freezer - thank you for the recipes ! 😃

        Reply
        • Patrick

          October 07, 2019 at 2:34 pm

          Hey thanks much for your note Mary Ellen, very helpful!

          Reply
    6. Karly

      June 08, 2017 at 10:51 am

      Hi, I'm Karly, and I'm obsessed with empanadas. There, I said it. These seriously look SO good- I could sit and eat them all day long!

      Reply
      • Patrick

        June 09, 2017 at 5:58 pm

        Hi Karly! Admitting your obsession is the first step 🙂 Hope they treat you well.

        Reply

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