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How to Make Empanadas and Chimichurri

A step-by-step breakdown of empanadas and chimichurri, courtesy of Colin King, executive chef of Harvest Restaurant in Tucson, Arizona

An empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry. The name comes from the Spanish verb "empanar," which means to wrap or coat in bread. The filling of empanadas varies, but typical options are meats (such as chicken, beef or pork), vegetables and cheese. Empanadas are also popular as dessert or breakfast, with a delicious fruit filling.

Making empanadas is a two-step process. You have to make the empanada dough, then the filling that will be stuffed into the dough.

At Harvest Restaurant in Tucson, AZ, executive chef Colin King's empanadas are delicious morsels stuffed with spinach, ground beef, chopped figs and green olives. He's graciously shared the recipe for his version of empanadas, as well as chimichurri sauce, below.

How to Make Empanadas

Empanada Filling

Ingredients

1/4 cup white onion, minced
4 cups spinach, chopped
1/4 pound dried figs, chopped
2 egg whites, hard boiled and chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Latin seasoning (equal portions chili powder, cumin, paprika)
Green olives
Chili flakes
Olive oil

Preparation

In a large pan, sauté onions, garlic and chili flakes in oil until the onions are translucent. Add ground beef and cook until brown.

Add seasoning, figs and spinach; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cool the mixture down in the refrigerator.

Empanada Dough

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 pound cream cheese
1/4 pound butter
1 tsp salt

Preparation

Mix butter and cream cheese in a food processor, then add flour and salt slowly. Stop as soon as ingredients are mixed. Sprinkle flour on counter or cutting board. Roll dough in flour, being careful not to make it too sticky, and wrap in plastic film.

Let sit for four hours in refrigerator before using.

Sprinkle flour as before and use a wooden rolling pin to roll out dough. Once thin and even, cut circles about eight centimetres in diameter. Place about 1/3 cup of filling topped with chopped olive and egg whites inside the dough—or more as desired. Whisk a couple of eggs into a wash, brush it on half of dough and fold over, the brush other side to get a nice, golden crust.

Pierce with a fork to allow ventilation.

Place empanadas in a well-oiled pan in an oven pre-heated to 200°C, cook for five to seven minutes until golden brown and serve with chimmichurri.

Chimichurri sauce is a popular offering in many Latin and South American countries. Its exact origins are unknown. Chimichurri is used both as a dipping sauce and a marinade, and, in this case, it's a popular side to empanadas. 

How to Make Chimichurri

Ingredients

1/4 carrot, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/8 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 – 1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup basil
1/2 pablano pepper
1 garlic clove
juice of one lemon

Preparation

Purée herbs, poblano, garlic and lemon juice in a blender while slowly adding the oil.

Mix chopped and puréed items in a bowl with a spoon and season to taste.