Chicken Empanada Filipino Style

These Filipino-style Chicken Empanadas are packed with a savory, flavorful chicken filling wrapped in a buttery crust, fried to golden perfection.

INGREDIENTS:

Filling

• 3 tablespoons Baguio Pure Coconut Oil
• 500 grams Chicken Thigh Fillet, cut into large dice
• 2 teaspoons Red Onion, chopped finely
• 2 teaspoons Garlic, chopped finely
• 1 cup sweet potatoes, cut into medium dice
• ¾ cup Carrots, cut into medium dice
• ½ cup Raisins
• ½ cup Water
• 4 teaspoons All-Purpose Flour
• ¼ cup Water
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Dough

• 3 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 3 tablespoons Sugar
• 125 grams Unsalted Butter, cold and cut into large dice
• ¾ cup Water

For Frying

• 4 cups Baguio Pure Coconut Oil

PROCEDURE:

1. Start with the filling. In a frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté first the onions and garlic and then add the chicken. 
2. Once chicken is almost cooked, add the carrots, sweet potatoes and raisins. Add a little water and sugar. Give a good stir and simmer until sweet potatoes and carrots are tender. Season it with salt and pepper.
3. Make a binding agent by mixing flour and water. Pour it in the filling mixture and continue stirring to avoid lumps. Set it aside.
4. Make the dough. Start with the dry ingredients by mixing the flour, sugar and salt. Mix until well blended. Add the cold butter and start doing the rubbing-in method until a crumbly texture is formed. 
5. Add water to the mixture and mix it well until dough is formed.
6. Knead the dough for 1 minute until it is smooth.
7. Wrap it with a cling wrap and rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
8. Time to roll out the dough. Put some flour on the table and on top of the dough. Roll it out into ¼ inch thickness. 
9. Cut the dough using a ring cutter and put it in a tray with parchment paper.
10. Start filling the dough with the mixture. Sprinkle some flour on the table and roll out each dough to 4 millimeters. 
11. Pour a spoonful of mixture at the center of the dough. 
12. Brush the sides of the dough with egg white and fold it down. Press edges to seal and stretch a little to have half inch allowance.
13. Start decorating the edges of the empanada dough. By fork seal method or half fold method. 
14. Heat oil over medium heat. Start frying the empanadas. Make sure to turn each side every 30 seconds for even cooking. 
15. To assemble, place empanadas in a serving dish. Serve while hot.