Taco Empanadas

Servings Per Recipe: 5-6 People

Makes 9  Empanadas

Chef Joan J

Ingredients

1  each Puff Pastry Sheet, thawed

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil, Extra Virgin

1 lb. Turkey, ground**

1 medium. White Onion, small dice

1 clove Garlic, minced

2 tsp. Salt, kosher

1 tsp Black Pepper

3 Tbsp. Chipotle Peppers in Adobo, minced

2 tsp. Cumin

2 tsp. Chili Powder

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Garlic Powder

2 Tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped

3 each. Green Onion, thinly sliced.

3/4 cup. Cheddar Cheese, shredded.

1 TbspFlour, All Purpose

1 each. Egg, beaten

Let’s Get Cooking

1. Preheat oven to 400º
2. Gather all mise en place, and place a medium skillet over medium heat.
3. Add olive oil into the skillet and allow to heat. Once small ripples have formed on the surface, the oil is ready. Add in diced onion and allow to cook down for 3 minutes.
4. Once onions have become almost translucent add in ground turkey. Stir occasionally with a spatula or spoon to break up the ground meat. Once the turkey has lost its pinkish hue add in salt, pepper, chipotle peppers, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder. Mix in seasonings well, making sure all the meat is covered and finish cooking.
5. Once meat is fully cooked, remove from heat and mix in cheese, cilantro, and green onion.
6. Add 1 Tbsp of water to the beaten egg to make an egg wash. (grab a pastry brush if you have one on hand, but fingers work fine also.)
7. Lightly flower your work surface to prevent sticking and roll your puff pastry dough to a 10in square. Using a knife cut 3 strips down and 3 strips across, resulting in 9 equal squares.
8. Brush edges of the square with the egg wash. Add 3 Tbsp of the filling to the center of the dough and press edges together. Use a fork to crimp edges and seal filling. Then using a small paring knife, slice 2- 1 in slits at the top to allow steam to escape.
9. Place on lined baking sheet and repeat with the other 8 dough squares. Brush tops with excess egg wash and place into oven.
10. Allow to cook for 12-15 minutes until pastry has become golden brown. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.
11. Allow to rest for 15 minutes and enjoy!

Chefs Notes

Swap in your favorite kind of ground meat. (Beef and chicken would work also)

Add one minced jalapeño into filling mix to create a nice kick.

Top with your favorite taco toppings (Sour Cream, Guac, Salsa, or extra shredded cheese)