Buffalo Chicken Empanadas

Delicious and easy to make empanadas that will be the perfect addition to your NFL tailgating menu. This is part of a sponsored collaboration with the NFL and DiMe Media. However, all opinions expressed are my own. #FeelTheOrgullo

During the fall season, our busy family gets the football bug. Not only does my son play midget football, we also like to spend time watching our favorite NFL teams play. In Latino homes, food and family are the center of our gatherings. So I love that the NFL season brings my family together and also gives me an excuse to make delicious food.

As a proud Latina, I also love that the NFL has partnered with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation for the fifth annual NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards. Their goal is to recognize the work of Hispanic community leaders in all 32 NFL markets, celebrating their efforts and donating $2,000 to the nonprofit organization of their choice.

This recipe is a cross between a buffalo chicken wing and an empanada. These Buffalo Chicken Empanadas are very easy to make, but I can assure you that the simplicity doesn’t take away from how delicious they are.

Buffalo Chicken Empanadas

Ingredients:

Dough-
2 cups all-purpose white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter (cold)
1 egg
3/4 or a cup of cold water

Buffalo Chicken-
2 lbs of chicken breasts
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 cup of hot sauce
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup of unsalted butter (melted)

Instructions:

Dough-
Mix flour, salt, butter (slice up the stick of butter first) and egg with a mixer. Start adding water slowly until you get a nice stretchy dough consistency. If it’s too sticky, add more flour. Cover dough and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Although this step is not absolutely necessary, it does make the dough easier to work with.

Buffalo Chicken-
Season chicken according to taste preference and cook. I personally prefer to boil my chicken for this type of recipe. The chicken cooks without drying up. Just make sure to cut and discard any extra fat or skin. Shred with two forks and set aside.

Melt 1/2 cup of unsalted butter and mix with hot sauce, worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Pour sauce over shredded chicken and mix until well coated. You may have extra sauce leftover which you could use to dip your empanadas or save for future use.

For the dough, I decided I wanted my empanadas to look like mini footballs. I used a football shaped cookie cutter that I already owned and cut out two sides for each empanada. If you prefer a more traditional method, feel free to check out my beef empanadillas post.

Add a spoonful of buffalo chicken filling to the empanada dough and seal with a fork by pressing down on the edges.

Next, fry each side of the empanada in hot oil. Simply remove when the empanada gets a light golden color. This is the traditional way to cook them, although you are always welcome to bake them.

These empanadas are seriously delicious and perfect to eat while watching an NFL game.

Our family enjoys having them with a side of blue cheese, but you can also use ranch dressing if you prefer.

These empanadas are easy to make and simply delicious. It’s also a great way for me to introduce our Latino culture to my children. I always want my kids to be proud of their Hispanic heritage and love that www.NFL.com/HispanicHeritage offers a look at the personal stories of Hispanic players, past and present, who share an NFL legacy.  

To keep yourself up-to-date on the latest news, stats and analysis from the NFL in your language, visit www.NFL.com/espanol or follow them on Twitter @NFLEspanol.

What are some of your favorite NFL tailgating foods? I would love to hear from you!