In case anyone wonders why I suggest my pie crust for the empanadas, I ran a little taste test today. I made half of the empanadas with a coconut oil pie crust, and half with a more traditional eggy crust made with shortening/lard. No one in my family preferred the taste of the unhealthy crust. It was slightly more pliable to work with, making the empanadas easier to stuff, so some of them looked more professional. But if you’re not making empanadas to photograph for a magazine, might as well go with the healthier crust.
Filling them can be a challenge if you happen to be in a stressed-out rush, but if you can either take your time or enlist a helper or two, they’ll come out great.
I filled them with what I like in empanadas, of course you can substitute ingredients. If you want them soupier, you can leave out the tomato paste. To fill them with a soupier filling, seal the dough on one end to make a pocket, then fill the pocket and seal the top.
Ground Turkey Empanadas
Double recipe of 9” Coconut Oil pie crust
4 medium potatoes, diced
1 T avocado or hemp oil
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 large chopped onion (~1 cup)
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 chopped bell pepper (~1 cup)
1 finely chopped carrot (~3/4 cup)
2 t ground cumin
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t Lawry’s
1/2 t paprika
1 C broth
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 C raisins
1 egg
Dice the potatoes and cover them in a pot with hot water and put on high heat to start softening them. Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat oil over medium heat, and add the ground turkey, onion, and garlic. Cook until turkey browns.
Drain the potatoes and add to the turkey. Add the pepper, carrot, and seasonings. Stir and cook 6-8 minutes. Add the broth, tomato paste, and raisins and stir until well combined. Cook an additional five minutes while you roll out half the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4” thick. Cut the dough into rectangles or circles, about 6” across. Add some filling to each and fold the dough over in half to enclose the filling. Use a fork to press and seal the edges closed.
Put all of the empanadas on a sprayed parchment-covered baking sheet. Whisk an egg with about 1 tablespoon of water and brush it over the empanadas. Bake 25 minutes.
