Sometimes you just need a cheesy, chorizo-y, potato-y, spicy pocket of pure goodness. Empanadas are some of my favorite foods to indulge in. The recipe starts out with one of my favorite breakfast hashes. The bold chorizo sausage is cooked down first. The potatoes are then sautéed in bacon fat along with onions and jalapeños. I use a steaming method to cook the potatoes till tender. Once the potatoes are the perfect texture, the heat is turned off and the potatoes and chorizo are tossed with fresh cilantro and shredded Monterrey jack. This filling is then placed in an empanada wrapper and sealed shut. The last and final step is to place them in the oven and cooked till golden perfection. It’s much more simple than you’d think it would be. It’s such a versatile thing to make. Can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. That’s what I love about Mexican food — you can eat it at any point of the day and it’s totally acceptable. Right? At least it’s acceptable in my world.
I love to pair mine with a spicy homemade queso and hot sauce. Maybe some guacamole too? Might as well go the whole nine yards. I’ve got a ton of queso and guacamole recipes that I’ll link below.
WHITE QUESO, AVOCADO PURÉE, + GUAJILLO CHILI HOT SAUCE
SPICY CHORIZO & POTATO EMPANADAS
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves: 12 empanadas
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tbsp bacon fat (olive oil works too)
- 5 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, diced in half inch cubes
- 8 oz chorizo, casing removed (like La Banderita)
- 2 tsp jalapeño seasoning salt (creole seasoning works too)
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced small
- 1 jalapeño, diced small
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 3/4 cup Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
- 12 frozen empanada wrappers, thawed (like GOYA)
- 1 egg, beaten
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Heat a large pan to medium high heat. Add in chorizo and cook till done, about 8 minutes. Remove chorizo from the pan but do not rinse the pan.
- Add in bacon fat and potatoes. Cook potatoes till brown on the edges, about 8 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add in onion and jalapeño and stir. Cook for an additional 4 minutes to let the onions and pepper cook down a bit. Add in seasoning salt and mix to disperse evenly throughout.
- Add in water and cover pan with a tight lid. Let cook 5 minutes on medium high heat until water is dissolved and potatoes are very tender.
- Turn off heat and stir in cilantro and cheese.
- To assemble: take an empanada wrapper and put a spoonful of the potato mixture in the middle. Paint the edges with a small amount of water to seal the edges. Fold the top half of the wrapper over the filling and seal shut with a fork. Repeat till all the empanadas are filled.
- Lightly brush the top of the empanadas with egg wash.
- Place in the oven for 15 minutes on a foiled baking sheet, or until the empanadas are cooked and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm with extra cilantro, hot sauce, and queso.