Empanadas hail to the fabulous and flavorful cooks from the Southwest and South America. These small, hand held pastries are commonly made with chicken and beef, along with other Mexican, Latino and Southwestern flavors as inspired by the cook who makes them and is often referred to as "Street Food." My recipe for Southwestern Chicken Empanadas is no different!

In this recipe I made use of leftover rotisserie chicken, which I purchased from my local deli. Just by adding a few ingredients, this recipe becomes authentic and is great to pull out of your recipe box for a quick and delicious snack, entertaining or as a tapas (small plate.) If you cannot find Goya Culantro base in your area (which is what I used in this recipe,) then a great substitute would be a jar of salsa verde (mild, medium or hot) depending on your heat level.

I love Goya products, which are what I used in this recipe and are abundant in New York. So, please substitute the necessary ingredients that are available to you for this recipe. For the pastry I used Goya brand frozen discs, which come in a package of 12. These are the perfect size for these empanadas and measure 5" in diameter. Alternatively, you may make your own pastry or buy regular frozen pastry sheets from your grocery store. This recipe makes approximately 18-20 empanadas.


Ingredients

2 cups rotisserie chicken, chopped fine (or other leftover chicken)
1 cup Goya Culantro base (1/2 cup if using salsa verde)
1/4 cup canned corn (or frozen, defrosted)
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin powder
1 heaped tbsp. chopped green chilies, canned (not in vinegar)
1 package of Goya frozen turnover discs (defrosted in the refrigerator)
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water
Sour cream and/or salsa for dipping (optional)

Method

1. Combine the chopped chicken, culantro base or salsa, corn, pepper, cumin powder and green chilies and set aside.

2. Place a disc of pastry in front of you and spoon approximately 1 heaped tablespoon of the filling onto the disc. Wet the edges all around with a wet fingertip and fold over the pastry. Crimp the pastry edges either by folding over at an angle (pictured) or crimp with the tines of a fork to seal. Brush with the egg wash and bake on a greased foil lined, shallow pan for approximately 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with condiments of your choosing. Enjoy!