Jump to Recipe·Leave a Review

Learn how to make homemade Chicken Empanadas (aka empanadas de pollo) filled with warm spices, juicy chicken thighs, onion, bell peppers, and cheese. The filling is loaded with Puerto Rican flavor and wrapped in flaky empanada dough before being fried to crispy perfection.

A tray of cheesy chicken empanadas.

If you enjoy Latin cuisine, you’re going to love these Puerto Rican chicken empanadas (typically called empanadillas or pastelillos in Puerto Rico). The tender chicken filling is seasoned to perfection with lots of sofrito & sazon.

Stuffed inside of crispy fried empanada dough with a layer of melted cheese, it’s a finger food you’ll never forget.

Serve these alongside a homemade Chimichurri or this easy 5 minute Cilantro Lime Sauce and thank me later!

Step by Step Instructions

Sazon seasoned chicken frying in a pan.
Rub the chicken thighs with the spices. Add the chicken to a pan warming with olive oil. Cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Peppers and onions frying in sofrito.
To the same pan the chicken cooked in add the sofrito and cook a few minutes before adding the diced veggies. Cook until the onions begin to turn translucent. 
Chicken empanada filling in a pan.
Dice up the chicken thighs before adding them back to the pan with the veggies. Cook everything together for a few minutes before covering and removing from the heat.
Chicken empanadas being closed.
Fill the empanada dough discs with filling and cheese (if desired) before brushing with egg wash and crimping shut.
A plate of chicken empanadas.
Fry them in 350°F oil until golden brown. Garnish with minced cilantro, if desired.

Want More Empanadas?

If you enjoy making this chicken empanada recipe, you need to add these dessert empanadas with cream cheese and guava to your list!

Also worth a try:

Easy Ground Beef and Cheddar Cheese Empanadas

Empanadillas (fried Puerto Rican turnovers)

Super Easy Pizza Empanadas (Empanadillas de Pizza)

Apple Empanadas Dessert (Baked or Fried)
A tray of chicken empanadas.

Buen Provecho,

Salima written in cursive
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
A tray of cheesy chicken empanadas.

Cheesy Chicken Empanadas with Homemade Filling

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: 16 empanadas 1x
  • Category: Appetizer, Entree, Main Dish, Snack
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Latin, Puerto Rican
Print Recipe
Save Recipe

Description

Learn how to make homemade Chicken Empanadas (aka empanadas de pollo) filled with warm spices, juicy chicken thighs, onion, bell peppers, and cheese. The filling is loaded with Puerto Rican flavor and wrapped in flaky empanada dough before being fried to crispy perfection. 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1.5 lb chicken thighs (boneless skinless)
  • 2 tsp sazon seasoning (can also be store bought)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup sofrito (can also be store bought)
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, cubed
  • 1 green bell pepper, cubed
  • 16 empanada dough discs (can be store bought)
  • optional: shredded cheese (mozzarella, pepper jack, cheddar, etc.)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Season & cook the chicken. Rub the chicken with the sazon, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat before adding in the chicken. Cook, flipping every few minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from the pan and let rest.
  2. Cook the vegetables. To the same pan the chicken cooked in add the sofrito and let it simmer until fragrant before adding onion and bell peppers. Cook until the onions begin to soften. 
  3. Add chicken & finish the filling. Dice up the chicken thighs before adding them back to the pan with the veggies. Continue to cook everything together for a few minutes before covering and turning off the heat. 
  4. Assemble the empanadas. Add a scoop of the filling into the center of an empanada dough disc. Top with cheese if desired. Brush the border with beaten egg before folding the dough over the filling. Crimp the dough shut using a fork. Repeat this step until you run out of ingredients. 
  5. Fry. Heat oil in a clean pan to 350°F. Fry the empanadas until golden brown all around, flipping if necessary. Enjoy as is or with your preferred dipping sauce (I love mayoketchup or this cilantro lime sauce)!

Equipment

Notes

Olives & Raisins: If you’d like, add diced pimento olives and/or raisins with the chicken.

Enjoy this recipe?

If you tried this recipe, please consider leaving a review in the comment section. I love hearing feedback and your review helps to keep Salima’s Kitchen going!