Here’s an easy recipe for choriqueso empanadas, these mouthwatering empanadas or stuffed savory turnovers are filled with chorizo and cheese, and can be fried or baked.
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En Español
Choriqueso, also known as queso fundido con chorizo, is a warm dip made with chorizo and cheese; it is usually eaten with tortilla chips or as a filling for corn tortillas. Choriqueso is one of my favorite Mexican appetizers, so the idea to turn it into an empanada was a no-brainer. What a better way to stuff all that cheesy and chorizo goodness into a few bites than by putting into an empanada?
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Sometimes you have what you think is a great idea for a recipe and it turns out as you expected, a few times it turns out horrible and you wonder what the crap you were thinking. Then there are some occasions when it’s actually better than you imagined, this is exactly what happened with these chorizo cheese empanadas. It’s not just the empanadas themselves but the combination of the empanadas with the avocado sauce.
Chorizo is made with ground meat and spices; it can be made with pork and/or beef, though pork is more common. Spanish chorizo is dry cured and ready to eat when you buy it, while Mexican style chorizo is raw and must be cooked fully before eaten. Each Latin country has their own version of chorizo, the spices and condiments that are added make it unique to each place. For example, in Ecuador we don’t use spicy peppers in the chorizo, we add spices like cumin and achiote, but they are very mild.
You can find chorizo at most supermarkets in the US; some even sell their own chorizo mix. At Pike’s Place Market in Seattle there is a shop called Uli’s that makes all kind of sausages, including a really good chorizo. I used to shop there more frequently when I worked in downtown Seattle and just happened to go to the market with a friend last week, so I used their chorizo for this recipe. I noticed that many of the freshly made chorizos, Uli’s included, don’t add enough achiote, so I added additional achiote when cooking the chorizo so that it gets that nice bright red color. Uwajimaya, a local Asian specialty grocery store, also sells a really good chorizo made with both pork and beef called Taylor’s Sausage (made in Oregon) that is packed with flavor.
I used a mix of mozzarella and queso fresco cheese for these empanadas, you can also use Oaxaca cheese as it melts very well or Monterrey Jack. Queso fresco isn’t great for melting, but adds more flavor to the filling. I fried these empanadas and they were sinfully delicious, but you can also bake them for less fatty alternative. I didn’t have any problem with the filling leaking out while frying them, but for baking I recommend making sure they are well sealed and chilled before baking to avoid any leaks. You can either make the empanada dough yourself or use the empanada discs that are sold in the frozen section of most Latin grocery stores. Dipping sauces are a must have for serving empanadas. For these I made an avocado sauce, sort of a creamier more liquid version of guacamole, which worked out really well.
When I told my husband that I was posting a new empanada recipe he said “Oh, don’t you already have a ton of empanada recipes?”…There is no such thing as enough empanada recipes, the wonderful thing about empanadas is that as long as you can think of a new empanada filling the possibilities are endless. The kids’ reaction was better; they loved the idea – since they love chorizo and cheese – and devoured them. Alex (10) likes to open them from one end and then stuff them with the avocado sauce – I got the highest review ever from them for these empanadas.
Choriqueso empanadas
Mouthwatering empanadas filled with chorizo and cheese, can be fried or baked. Served with a creamy avocado sauce.
4.88 from 149 votes
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Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch, Snack, Starter
Cuisine: Latin American, Latin fusion, Mexican, Tex-Mex
Keyword: Cheese, Choriqueso, Choriqueso empanadas, Chorizo, Empanadas
Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Refrigeration time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
Servings: 24 empanadas
Ingredients
- 24 empanada discs for frying can use store-bought or homemade dough – recipe below
Choriqueso filling:
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- ½ white onion finely diced – about 1 cup
- 1 lb. Mexican style fresh chorizo pork or beef based on your preference
- ½ to 1 tablespoon of ground achiote – optional
- 3 cups or 12 ounces of grated mozzarella oaxaca or monterrey jack cheese
- 1 cup or 4 ounces of crumbled queso fresco
- Optional: jalapeno slices
If baking:
- 1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon water whisked together to use as egg wash to brush on empanadas
To serve:
- Avocado sauce
Instructions
Heat the butter or oil in a frying pan over medium low heat, add the diced onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Remove the chorizo from the casings, break it up in chunks and add it to the onions. Cook the chorizo meat on medium heat until it is fully cooked; stir frequently to help break up the pieces of chorizo. Add additional achiote powder if desired. Let the chorizo cool down completely before using.
Mix the grated mozzarella with the crumbled queso fresco.
To assemble the empanadas add a spoonful of the cheese mix topped with a spoonful of the chorizo on to the center of each empanada disc. For extra heat you can add slices of fresh jalapeños.
Fold the empanada discs and gently seal the edges with your fingers. Twist and fold the edges of the empanadas with your fingers. For extra sealing you can use a fork to press down on the edges.
Chill the empanadas for at least an hour, this will help them seal better and prevent leaks. This is especially needed if you are baking the empanadas.
If baking the empanadas pre-heat the oven to 400 F. Also, brush the empanadas with egg wash right before baking to give them a nice golden glow. Bake the empanadas for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
Fry the empanadas in a deep fryer or in a frying pan, if using a frying pan, make sure to add enough oil to cover at least half of the empanada. Let the oil get very hot and fry each empanada until they are golden on each side, about a minute per side. Place the empanadas on paper towels to drain any excess grease and serve immediately.
Serve the empanadas with avocado sauce.
Recipe for homemade empanada dough for frying
Recipe for homemade empanada dough for baking
Recipe for avocado dipping sauce
How to make empanada dough for frying
Easy recipe for making homemade empanada dough for frying. This fried empanada dough is made using all purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, orange juice, and water.
4.73 from 854 votes
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Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: Ecuadorian, Latin
Keyword: Dough, Empanadas, Frying
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 -15 medium size empanadas or 20-25 small empanadas
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tablespoon of sugar – optional if you want a hint of sweetness in the dough
- 1 stick of butter 1 stick = 4 oz
- ¼ cup or 4 tablespoons of orange juice
- ~2/3 cup sparkling water or still water add more if needed
- Your choice of fillings
- Oil for frying
Instructions
Mix the flour, salt, sugar (if using), and baking powder in a food processor.
Add the pieces of butter and pulse until mixed.
Add the orange juice and sparkling water – start with ½ cup of water and then add more as needed, pulse and mix until clumps of dough start to form.
Form a ball with the dough and knead lightly.
Place the dough in bowl, coat with small amount of oil, cover and let rest at room temperature for about an hour.
To make the empanada discs or rounds, you can either roll out the dough into a thin layer and cut out round disc shapes for empanadas (use round molds or a small plate). Or you can make several small balls of dough, about 1.5 oz to 2 oz in weight, then use a tortilla press or a rolling pin to roll them out – they don’t need to be perfectly round. It’s really important to get the discs very thin since they cook very quickly when you fry them, if after cutting out the round shapes or pressing them with a tortilla press, they are still thick, try rolling each disc a little more until it is very thin. Some people also use a pasta machine to get the dough very thin.
The empanada discs can be used immediately or stored in the refrigerator or freezer to use later.
To fill, assemble, and fry the empanadas:
Use a spoon to place your choice of filling on to the center of each empanada disc.
Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges, first pressing gently with your fingers, then use your fingers to gently twist the edges of the empanada. You can also use a fork to press down and seal, or one of those empanada molds if you have one.
If you have time, I recommend chilling the empanadas for 30 minutes to an hour (or longer if you are making them ahead of time), before frying them.
The empanadas can be fried either a deep fryer or a simple frying pan, just make sure to have enough oil to cover at least half the empanada if using a pan. Heat the oil, it should bubble when you add the empanadas to the oil, and fry each empanada until they are golden on each side. Don’t overcrowd the pan and if any of them break/leak remove it immediately from the oil.
Place the fried empanadas on paper towels to drain any extra oil.
Serve warm.
Notes
To make the empanada dough by hand, follow the same instruction but use your hands to mix the ingredients together.
Step by step preparation photos for chorizo and cheese (choriqueso) empanadas
