Turkey Empanadas

By á-2323

These yummy Turkey Empanadas are a great new way to use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or Christmas! Don't have turkey, use chicken instead.

Ingredients

• 16 medium sized empanadas discs, homemade or store-bought (see my Empanada dough recipe)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 white onion, sliced thinly
• 1/2 bell pepper, sliced thinly
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground achiote or annatto (I used 2 packages Sazón Goya con cilantro y achiote)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cups turkey, shredded
• 2 tablespoons turkey gravy (I used 1 1/2 teaspoons Epicure gravy mix)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoons fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt, to taste
• 1 egg, separated

Details

Servings 16

Preparation

Step 1

Melt the butter in a medium size frying pan.

Add the onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, achiote, and cumin. Cook for 10 minutes over medium low heat, stirring occasionally.

Mix in the shredded turkey and stir well. Add the turkey gravy mix and balsamic vinegar; continue cooking over low heat for another 5 minutes. Let the turkey filling cool down, and then add in the chopped oregano.

To assemble the empanadas spoon the turkey mixture onto the center of each empanada disc. Brush the edges of the empanada discs with the egg whites, you can also use water but the egg white acts as a natural “glue” that helps seal the empanada.

Fold the empanada disc and seal the edges gently with your fingers, twist and fold the edges of the empanadas with your fingers. To seal the edges further you can use a fork to press down and finish sealing the empanadas.

Let the empanadas rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until ready to bake, this will help them seal better and prevent leaks.

Lightly brush the top of the empanadas with the egg yolk; this will give them a nice golden glow when they bake.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 F and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden, exact time will depend on the size of the empanadas and your oven.

Serve warm.