Puerto Rican Pastelillos (Emanadas)
These pastelillos are awesome right from the oven and also freezer friendly, making them a convenient item to serve for lunch, dinner, or a quick snack. Just thaw and pop them in the toaster oven to reheat quickly.
Ingredients
- 3 packages 10 count frozen Goya pastry disks (I use a mixture of the orange and plain disks)
- 2 lb. of cooked shredded chicken
- 2 medium-sized potatoes diced into ¼ inch cubes
- 2 cups shredded cheese cheddar or Mexican blend
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 packets of Sazon con culantro y achiote seasoning made by Goya
- 6 tbsp Sofrito Goya makes a version that is found in the freezer section
- 6 tbsp lime juice
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup of water
- Cooking spray or olive oil in a MISTO
Instructions
Step One
- First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and gathering all of our ingredients.
- You'll also want to make sure that you have a few baking sheets ready and lined with parchment paper.
Step Two
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic and sofrito until fragrant. Next, add the shredded chicken, lime juice, and potatoes, cover, and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the Sazon packets along with 1 cup of water and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Next, stir in cheese and remove from heat.
- Allow chicken and potato mixture to cool slightly and transfer to a large bowl.
Step Three
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry disks out just a tiny bit, until they are slightly larger in diameter and thinner.
- Place 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken and potato mixture on one side of the pastry disk. (Really, just eyeball this…you will get the hang of the correct amount as you go along.)
- Moisten the edges of the disk with water and fold the disk in half, creating a half-moon-shaped pastry. Next, use a fork to crimp the edges to seal.
Step Four
- Transfer pastelillos to a cookie sheet. In addition, use your MISTO or cooking spray to lightly spray the tops of the pastelillos. (This will help give them a slightly crispy, “fried” feel, even though we are going to bake them.)
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until crispy.
Video
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Notes
If you have kids, this is a great recipe to set up an assembly line and get everyone involved. Recently, I had a friend over and we spent an afternoon making 4 batches of these pastelillos. After we were done baking, we each poured a glass of wine and divvied these up in freezer bags for our families!
Servings: 30