Leftover Air Fryer Empanadas

There’s always leftovers. That’s why Tupperware is so popular. But, what to do with them is always a good question. Just reheating the same thing gets boring. Repurpose, is the answer. In this case, turkey leftovers. My flaky creamy leftover pot pie is delicious. Some people, like open face sandwiches. Well, I’m going to keep the same idea in mind with wrapping the protein in starch and make leftover air fryer empanadas, because, they’re different and delicious.

The cost of food is not going down, so, it’s important to save everything. This whole thing is not new, we’ve been reheating leftovers for years. We’re just a little luckier today, in that we have better ways of storing leftovers and more gadgets to recook them with. In this case I saved all the meat from the turkey carcass. However, chicken works just as well. Allowed to cool, the meat is easier to remove. The bones that are left will make a good stock. Throw them in the slow cooker. Save whatever meat you have. It’ll freeze well, to be thawed out another day. I’m going to save some to make my empanadas. A cup or so is enough for 10 empanadas.

I chose empanadas because I love them. They’re easy to make, portable and a great snack. I say portable because, they’re all wrapped up, don’t leak, just stay in their crusty outer shell. Empanadas, or their counterparts like Jamaican patties, Cornish pasties, hand pies etc. have been around forever. There are many ways to cook empanadas, but the most popular is baked or fried. I prefer baked over fried from a health standpoint, however, it should be noted that fried have a better crunchy crust than baked. That being said, I’m impatient, I don’t have the 20+ minutes for the oven. And, that’s where one of the new kitchen gadgets comes in handy, the air fryer.

The air fryer isn’t that new. It’s been around since the middle of the 20th century, but it was designed as more of an industrial tool. It has since found it’s way into our kitchens, and, has proven itself quite handy. Air fryer chicken drumettes are really good. The great thing about the air fryer is, not only does it cook quickly, but without the oil of a fryer. This, in turn, makes it healthier, and that’s always good.

Moving on to the filling, and starting with the protein. The whole bird has flavor cooked into it, the light meat, dark meat, skin, stuffing, everything. So get a bit of everything and dice it really fine. The idea is to pack as much flavor from the original dish into the crusty pastry pocket. On to the gravy portion. This, again, is packed with flavor. Homemade is obviously the best, but store bought is good too. But, everything starts with the savory base, the mirepoix. Finely diced onion and garlic. Everything is diced fine because it fits better into the empanada dough round.

Empanada dough rounds are usually found in the frozen section, you may have to seek out a Latin market locally to find them. However, there are always options, the easiest alternative is to use pie dough. Rolled thinner, less than 1/4 inch, and, approximately 6 inches in diameter. The only thing is pie crust will tend to cook flakier than empanada dough. If you’re handy in the kitchen you can make your own.

Making the filling is easy. Preheat a pan over medium heat, add oil, when hot add the onions and garlic. Sauté them, and let them get some color. It’s the Maillard reaction, and, it’s essential to the flavor of anything we cook. Now add the turkey and seasoning. I use complete seasoning by Badia. It’s one of those “all-in-one” seasonings in the spice aisle. You probably have a favorite that you already use. Stir well, allow the seasonings to warm and the flavors to mix. Now add the gravy and mix everything together. It should have a really thick consistency, and will hold it’s shape on a spoon.

Now for the assembly. Put about a tablespoon of the filling just off the center of the dough round. Brush the edge of the dough with the beaten egg. This will act as a glue to hold everything together. Fold over the dough to cover the filling, press the edges together with a fork to seal. Finally, brush the outside with the egg wash, this will give a golden crust when cooked. There, you have an empanada ready to cook. Repeat till you’re out of dough rounds or filling.

The cooking process is very simple. Place two empanadas in the air fryer basket, set the temp to 325 degrees and cook for 8 mins. Be careful not to burn yourself when you take them out. Set on a plate and allow to cool. Serve as a sit down snack or to go snack, either way these leftover air fryer empanadas are delicious. Enjoy and thanks for reading.