Chilean-Style Cheese Empanadas (Fritas de Queso)
A quick Chilean-style recipe for fried cheese empanadas, featuring a molten mozzarella filling.
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Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 200F to keep empanadas warm.
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Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar in a large bowl, then mix in vegetable shortening.
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Heat milk and water in a saucepan until almost boiling. Stir the hot liquid into the flour mixture, adjusting consistency with more water or flour as needed.
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Knead dough until homogenous, divide into 16 balls, and let rest for 5 minutes.
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Grate or finely chop cheese.
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Roll each dough ball into a 6- to 7-inch circle and place 1 ounce of cheese in the center.
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Fold dough in half to form a semicircle. Press edges firmly to seal, then roll the edge inward and press again; crimp decoratively with a fork.
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Heat several inches of vegetable oil to 350F in a deep skillet. Fry empanadas in batches, turning until golden brown.
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Drain empanadas on paper towels. Serve warm or keep in the preheated oven for up to 1 hour.