Vida Recetas Editorial
Cordon bleu empanadas are the Latin American take on the classic European dish: a precooked corn dough, the same one used for arepas, filled with breaded chicken, ham and cheese that melts as it fries. They are typical of Venezuela and the Caribbean, where fried corn empanadas are street food, and today they are made across Latin America.
The trick is the contrast: corn dough has no gluten, so it rolls out easily and comes out crispy outside while the filling stays juicy. These amounts make 10 medium empanadas, they fry 3 to 4 minutes per side at 180 °C, and you can assemble them ahead and fry them from the freezer.
They work as a starter or for a generous afternoon tea, just like pine empanadas. For a lighter version, brown the breaded chicken cutlets in the oven and finish the empanadas in an air fryer.
Prep
35 min
Cook
20 min
Servings
10
Calories
360 kcal
Dissolve the salt and sugar in the warm water, add the precooked corn flour in a steady stream and then the oil; mix by hand and let it rest for 5 minutes so the flour hydrates.
Knead for 3 or 4 minutes until smooth and it no longer cracks when you shape a ball; if it splits at the edges, add water a tablespoon at a time, cover with a damp cloth and set aside.
Flatten the chicken breasts to 1 cm, season with salt and pepper and coat them in flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs, pressing so the crust holds.
Brown the breaded cutlets in a pan with 2 tablespoons of oil, 3 minutes per side; drain on kitchen paper, let them cool and cut into 1 cm strips.
Take a piece of dough the size of a large golf ball, place it between two oiled plastic sheets and flatten it with a plate into a 3 mm disc.
Place a strip of breaded chicken, a slice of ham and a slice of cheese on one half of the disc, leaving a 1 cm free edge; the filling must be cold and juice-free.
Fold the dough over the filling using the bottom plastic sheet, press the edge with your fingers and trim it with a plate or a glass so it is sealed and even.
Heat the oil to 180 °C (a scrap of dough should bubble right away) and fry 2 or 3 empanadas at a time, without crowding the pan, so the oil does not drop in temperature.
Fry 3 or 4 minutes per side, until golden and blistered on the surface; lift them out and drain on a rack, never stacked on paper.
Serve hot with pebre, tartar sauce or guasacaca; leftover ones keep raw and separated in the freezer for up to 3 months.
This recipe has a medium difficulty level, which means it's accessible for cooks of all levels.
The preparation time is 35 minutes and the cooking time is 20 minutes.
This recipe is designed for 10 servings.
Yes, many ingredients can be substituted with similar alternatives. We recommend checking the recipe variations.
Store the preparation in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Some preparations can be frozen for up to 3 months.
