Empanadas de Amarillo con Pollo y Hoja Santa
Antojitos & The Masa Life: Street Food at Home
If you grew up in a Mexican household, the smell of toasted corn masa on a hot comal is the definitive smell of home. In Oaxaca, an empanada isn't a baked pastry pocket—it is a massive, hand-pressed tortilla, filled, folded, and cooked to a crisp right on the griddle. We rely on Mole Amarillo, a vibrant, broth-forward sauce thickened with a masa slurry so it gently oozes without turning the dough to mush. Paired with shredded chicken and the complex, anise-pepper bite of fresh hoja santa (or cilantro, in a pinch), this is a hyper-authentic masterpiece engineered to work flawlessly on a busy Wednesday night in Ohio.
Before you start
Make the mole up to three days in advance.
Store the finished Mole Amarillo in an airtight container in the refrigerator; the flavors will deepen, and it transforms the empanadas into an incredibly fast weeknight dinner.
Shred the chicken.
Use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time, or gently poach two chicken breasts in salted water with onion and garlic, saving the broth for your mole.
Ingredients
- dried Guajillo chiles5 med
- dried Ancho chile1 med
- Roma tomatoes3 med
- tomatillos3 med
- white onion1/2 large
- cloves garlic4 med
- pork lard1 tbsp
- chicken broth3 cup
- cumin seeds1/2 tsp
- whole cloves3 med
- whole allspice berries3 med
- black peppercorns5 med
- dried Mexican oregano1 tsp
- masa harina1/4 cup
- warm chicken broth1/2 cup
- masa harina2 1/2 cup
- warm water2 cup
- kosher salt1 tsp
- cooked chicken breast2 cup
- fresh Hoja Santa leaves3 med
Method
- 01
Roast the aromatics on a dry skillet.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet or comal over medium-high heat and lay down the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion wedges, and unpeeled garlic cloves, letting them roast until soft and blistered in spots.
- 02
Toast the chiles and whole spices.
Remove the aromatics, then press the guajillo and ancho chiles flat in the skillet for 10 to 15 seconds per side until fragrant; soak them in hot water for 15 minutes, and quickly toast the cumin, cloves, allspice, and peppercorns in the dry skillet for 15 seconds.
- 03
Blend the mole base until perfectly smooth.
In a blender, combine the softened chiles, roasted vegetables (peel the garlic first), toasted spices, oregano, and 1 cup of the chicken broth, blending on high.
- 04
Fry the chile puree to build depth.
Heat the lard in a medium pot over medium heat, carefully pour in the blended puree to fry for 5 minutes, then stir in the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer.
- 05
Whisk in the masa slurry.
In a small bowl, thoroughly whisk 1/4 cup of masa harina with 1/2 cup of warm broth until completely lump-free, then slowly pour it into the simmering mole.
- 06
Simmer until the mole becomes a thick gravy.
Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes; the masa will gelatinize and significantly thicken the sauce so it doesn't make your empanadas soggy.
- 07
Mix and knead the masa dough.
In a large bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups of masa harina and the salt, slowly stream in the 2 cups of warm water, and knead vigorously for 3 to 5 minutes until the dough feels like soft Play-Doh, then divide into 2-ounce, golf-ball-sized portions covered by a damp towel.
- 08
Press and sear the tortilla.
Preheat your cast-iron skillet over medium heat, use a plastic-lined tortilla press to flatten a masa ball into a 6-inch oval, and lay it on the dry skillet for exactly 30 seconds until the edges lift, then flip.
- 09
Fill and seal the empanada on the hot comal.
Immediately spread a spoonful of thick mole on one half of the tortilla, top with shredded chicken and a torn piece of hoja santa, then fold the empty half over and press the edges together to seal.
- 10
Cook until deeply charred and crispy.
Let the sealed empanada cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side until the masa is cooked entirely through; if a little bit of the yellow mole oozes out and caramelizes on the pan, count yourself lucky.
Notes
The Masa Slurry.
Do not skip thickening the mole with masa. It is the defining architectural secret of this dish that keeps the empanada dough from turning into mush.
Substituting Hoja Santa.
If you cannot find fresh hoja santa, use a generous handful of fresh cilantro. Never use dried hoja santa; it loses all its volatile oils and tastes like dust.
From Cook Oaxacan in America.