Description
These savory Breakfast Empanadas feature a flaky, buttery dough filled with a flavorful blend of spicy chorizo, sautéed vegetables, scrambled eggs, and melted cheese. Perfectly baked to golden perfection, they make a hearty and delicious meal to start your day or for a satisfying snack any time.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 3/4 cups (349 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- Pinch of paprika
Filling Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 pound chorizo, casings removed
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 small potato, peeled and diced
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
- 1/2 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- 5 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
- 3 tablespoons water (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine water and butter, stirring until the butter fully melts. In a large bowl, whisk flour, salt, and paprika. Make a well in the center, pour a little warm butter mixture, and mix with fingertips to form a wet paste. Add remaining butter mixture and knead until you get a wet, oily dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prepare for baking.
- Cook chorizo: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo, stirring to break it up, and cook for about 10 minutes until fully browned. Remove chorizo with a slotted spoon to a large bowl and set aside.
- Prepare seasoning blend: In a small bowl, combine sea salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, and onion powder. Divide this blend into two equal portions; one half for the vegetable mixture and the other half for the scrambled eggs.
- Cook vegetables: Using the same skillet at medium heat, add diced potatoes, chopped onion, red and green bell peppers. Cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes until potatoes and peppers are soft and onions translucent. Add diced garlic and half the seasoning blend; stir well. Remove this vegetable mixture to the bowl with chorizo.
- Scramble eggs: In the same skillet over medium-low heat, scramble the beaten eggs with shredded Mexican blend cheese and the remaining seasoning blend. Cook gently and remove from heat while the eggs are still slightly wet to allow for further cooking in the oven.
- Shape dough circles: Tear off golf ball-sized pieces of chilled dough and roll into smooth balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball with a rolling pin into 1/4-inch thick circles about 5 inches in diameter.
- Assemble empanadas: Place about 1 tablespoon of scrambled eggs in the center of each dough circle, followed by 1 tablespoon of the chorizo and vegetable mixture. Fold dough over to form a half-moon shape, pressing edges firmly to seal. Crimp edges with the back of a fork to ensure they stay closed during baking.
- Apply egg wash: Beat together 1 egg and 3 tablespoons water. Brush each empanada gently with this egg wash to promote browning.
- Bake empanadas: Arrange the empanadas on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm.
- Storage tips: Refrigerate leftovers wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze cooked empanadas wrapped and stored in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Reheat by warming in a 300°F oven or toaster oven for about 10 minutes until heated through.
Notes
- Allow the dough to rest and chill for at least 2 hours to develop the right texture for rolling and folding.
- Keep scrambled eggs slightly moist before baking as they will continue cooking inside the empanadas in the oven.
- You can adjust the level of spiciness by modifying or omitting cayenne pepper in the seasoning blend.
- Ensure edges are well sealed to prevent filling from leaking during baking.
- These empanadas are delicious served with salsa, sour cream, or hot sauce on the side.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: breakfast empanadas, chorizo empanadas, Mexican breakfast, savory empanadas, baked empanadas, weekend brunch recipe, handheld breakfast
