Some call these empanada’s, some call these chebureki, either way these fried tortillas with a meat filling inside are a great appetizer and snack. Could also be eaten for dinner. I made a batch of these for a Super Bowl party this year and they were a big hit! These are convenient to bring to a get together/party, because they can be cooked in advance and you just pop them in the oven to preheat them. I do have another recipe for tortillas with meat filling on the blog, but this is my go to, easier version recipe. These are best served hot, and reheat very well in the oven. I actually like them best preheated in the oven on 300 degrees for about 10 mins as they get extra crispy this way!
Empanada’s (Fried tortillas with meat filling) {Yields 18}
Ingredients:
- 1 LB Ground Chicken or Turkey (I just use 2LB Ground Turkey now as we found it to be our favorite)
- 1 LB Ground Beef
- 1 Onion (pureed in food processor)
- 1 pack of Raw, Uncooked, Tortilla’s (Can be bought in refrigerator section in Costco, Walmart, a few other grocery stores) Should be about 18 tortillas
- Spices: 1 1/2 tsp Salt, 1/4 tsp Garlic Salt, 1/8 tsp Pepper, 1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash (Or any salt free seasoning of your choice)
Directions:
1) Put ground chicken and ground beef in a big bowl. Puree 1 Onion in the food processor (or shred it using a shredder) and add to the bowl of ground meat. Add the spices and mix thoroughly.
2) Set up an empanada making station. I set up a big sheet of foil on the counter with the tortillas, the bowl of meat filling, and a small cup with water and a brush (to stick the tortillas together).
3) Lay each tortilla out and fill with meat mixture, one by one. I add about 2 TBS of meat filling to each tortilla. Brush the outline circle of the tortilla with water using the brush. Stick both sides of the tortilla together and seal tightly by pressing on ends with a fork. This also makes a nice rigid design. Set the done emanada’s aside. Set a pan with enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan, on Medium heat (I did 5.5) and let the oil heat up.
4) Once oil heats up and starts fizzing a bit, add 2 empanada’s at a time to the pan. Fry on each side until golden (about 3 Minutes per side). Have a tray lined with paper towels or napkins to put the fried empanada’s on so the extra oil would drain off.
Serve hot. To reheat place in the oven for 10 minutes on 300 to 350 Degrees until hot and crispy!
