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Most countries have some variant of these little savory hand pies but in Puerto Rico we call them empanadillas! You'll often find them filled with chicken, seafood, minced pork or cheese/tomato sauce for a pizza version (the pizza ones have a puffier, breadier pastry than the others). I remember in high school, there was a food truck in front of my campus where you could have a nice little lunch of a can of soda and one empanadilla de pizza for $1 ^_^ When I do make these I make a huge batch and freeze them for easy weeknight dinners. This recipe makes 20 empanadillas.

Ingredients

Filling

• 2 large chicken breasts (bone-in preferred, about 12oz each)
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil (or achiote oil)
• 2 tbsp sofrito)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 oz jar of diced pimientos morrones
• 4 oz jar of sliced spanish olives, sliced
• 2 envelopes of sazon with achiote y culantro
• 1 bunch of cilantro, divided
• 1 culantro leaf (optional)

Empanadillas

• 2 packages of 5-inch empanada disks, defrosted (10 per package)
• 2 tbsp cilantro leaves, chopped

Instructions

1. In a 5 quart saucepan, simmer chicken breasts, a few cilantro sprigs and the bay leaves in salted water until just short of being fully cooked (155°F)
2. Drain chicken, reserving about 3 cups of the cooking liquid
3. Shred the chicken
4. In the saucepan used to simmer the chicken, on medium high heat, saute sofrito, tomato paste, pimientos and olives until fragrant
5. Lower the heat to medium low. Add 2 cups of the cooking liquid, chicken, sazon, a few sprigs of cilantro and culantro
6. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Move to a large bowl
7. Line a half sheet pan with wax paper
8. On a floured surface, lightly roll an empanada disk, add 2 tbsp of filling on the bottom third of the disk and top with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro
9. Use your fingers to lightly brush water over the edge. Fold the disk in half. Seal edges with your fingers and seal again with the tines of a fork
10. Set the empanadilla on the sheet pan
11. Freeze any leftover filling for more empanadillas or pasteles
12. Fry in 350°F oil until golden.

Notes

I'm lucky they actually carry empanada discs here in Mississippi but there are good recipes online to make the dough by hand like this one from Salima's Kitchen