Empanadas de Pollo al Horno
La Ventanita at Home (Mornings & Miami Rhythms)
The ventanita is a lifeline, dispensing cafecitos and hot pastries to the Miami faithful. But when you live a thousand miles away in the American suburbs, you have to build that lifeline yourself. This is the authentic, grandmother-approved architecture of the Cuban empanada—savory chicken, the briny hit of Spanish olives, and the indispensable dry, salty tang of vino seco. We skip the deep-fryer for the oven, making it a realistic weeknight endeavor, especially when leaning on store-bought pastry discs. Keep the filling bone-dry, seal the edges tight, and you will conjure the genuine taste of home without breaking a sweat.
Before you start
Shred a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
To save time on a weeknight without sacrificing flavor, pull the dark and white meat from a cooked rotisserie bird and discard the skin and bones.
Ingredients
- olive oil2 tbsp
- yellow onion1/2 med
- green bell pepper1/2 med
- garlic cloves4 med
- vino seco or dry cooking wine1/4 cup
- tomato sauce1/2 cup
- ground cumin1/2 tsp
- dried oregano1/2 tsp
- manzanilla olives stuffed with pimientos1/4 cup
- cooked chicken3 cup
- empanada dough discs for baking10 med
- egg1 large
Method
- 01
Build the foundational sofrito.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, then sauté the onion and green bell pepper until soft, about 5 minutes, adding the garlic for the final minute of cooking.
- 02
Deglaze and simmer the aromatic base.
Pour in the vino seco, tomato sauce, cumin, oregano, and olives, letting the mixture bubble and reduce slightly.
- 03
Incorporate the chicken and eliminate all moisture.
Fold in the shredded chicken and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated, as the filling must be absolutely dry to prevent soggy empanadas in the oven.
- 04
Chill the filling completely.
Remove the skillet from the heat and let the chicken mixture cool down, preferably in the refrigerator, to ensure the pastry fat remains solid during assembly.
- 05
Assemble and seal the empanadas.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place two tablespoons of the cooled filling onto each dough disc, fold the dough into a half-moon, press the air out, and crimp the edges firmly with the tines of a fork.
- 06
Glaze and bake to a golden brown.
Transfer the empanadas to a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush the exteriors generously with the egg wash, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until deeply golden.
Notes
Seek out vino seco.
It is an oxidized, salted cooking wine that gives Cuban food its distinct character, but if you must use standard dry white wine, add a generous pinch of salt to mimic the profile.
Buy the right dough.
Be certain to buy empanada discs labeled specifically for baking (para hornear), as the frying varieties lack the fat structure needed to turn flaky in the ambient heat of an oven.
From Cook Cuban in America.