Mexican Empanadas with Green Sauce
These Mexican Empanadas with Green Sauce are made with a tasty pork ground mixture within a corn masa dough, fried to crispy golden perfection and served with a delicious green sauce/salsa verde. Excellent snack, appetizer or meal!
Servings: 8
Calories: 284kcal
Ingredients
- oil for frying empanadas
EMPANADA FILLING
- 1 lb ground pork (ground beef or chicken)
- ¾ onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 4 oz tomato sauce
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
EMPANADA DOUGH
- 2 cups of Maseca corn meal found in the international food aisle with the mexican products
- 1 ½ water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
GREEN SAUCE
- 1 lb tomatillos husks removed
- 3 serrano peppers stems removed
- 3 garlic cloves peeled
- ¼ cup chicken broth or water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Empanada filling
- In a nonstick pan cook ground pork over medium heat. Breaking up the meat with a wooden or plastic spoon. Cook until no longer pink.
- Add the chopped onions and garlic. Cook until soft and aromatic.
- Add the tomato sauce, cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. Set meat aside to cool before filling empanadas.
Green Sauce
- Remove husks off tomatillos and rinse well. (Skin is sticky)Remove stems of serrano peppers. Peel garlic cloves.
- Cook tomatillos, serrano peppers and garlic cloves in a saucepan with water to cover over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Drain and add all ingredients to a blender and puree. Add about a ¼ cup of the chicken broth (or water) to sauce. If you prefer even a thinner sauce, add more.Note: do not taste the sauce at this point and get intimidated with the taste or the bitterness. After sauce sits for a few minutes, all the flavors come together.
Empanada Dough
- Take 2 cups Maseca Cornmeal flour and put in a medium bowl. Add 1 ½ cups warm water. Add salt. With your hand mix and knead all together. Continue kneading for about 3 minutes until a large ball has formed. If you feel you need to add a little more water or a little more cornmeal, do so. Dough is ready when it is not sticking to your hands and fingers.
Form Masa Balls
- Form about 8 balls. Make a little bigger than the size of a golf ball. (refer to pictures)Set aside on a tray and place a damp paper towel on top of them to keep them moist as you work individually with each one to form the empanadas.
Empanada Discs
- Get a large Ziploc bag and open sides so that you have two flaps. Place one ball on top of one side and cover masa ball with the other side of the plastic. (refer to pictures)
- Take a heavy pot like a cast iron pot or a plate and press down to form a disc if you do not have a tortilla press. Form disc about an ⅛ of inch. (refer to pictures)
- Lift one of the folds to show raw dough, fill with about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of empanada filling. (refer to pictures)
- Lift and roll the plastic over to connect with the other side of the dough. Through the plastic, press or pinch down on edges to seal empanada. (refer to pictures)Remove empanada from plastic and place on a platter. Cover with a damp paper towel. Continue and repeat the same process with the other balls until they are all formed.
Cooking Empanadas
- Heat up a skillet over medium heat with about an inch of vegetable or canola oil. Wait till oil is hot enough to add empanadas. Do not over crowd skillet or they will not fry well. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
- Serve immediately with Green Sauce/Salsa Verde dipping sauce. Take a bite and spoon green sauce each time you take a bite! Enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 8g | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 470mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 11.1mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1.4mg