There is nothing like a good low carb snack to keep you on track on your diet. When you feel like indulging yourself, it is always nice to have options and be able to do it without breaking the rules.
This is why I love Keto Empanadas with buffalo chicken filling!
This particular low carb empanada dough is made of mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, egg and almond flour – aka the fathead dough.
The filling is made of shredded chicken. You can try different filling types that you like. I season chicken with butter and hot sauce. If you don’t like hot sauce, just simply sprinkle some salt and pepper.
This recipe will yield 10-12 empanadas, but I would definitely recommend making a bigger batch, freeze it and just pop it into the oven when you feel like eating a delicious snack.
If you decide to freeze it I would recommend following all the steps until you place the empanadas into a greased baking sheet.
Once you do that, move the baking sheet to the freezer for about 1 hour and after that, place the empanadas in regular freezer bags. This will ensure they don’t stick to each other, allowing you to bake only the amount desired at the time.
When baking the frozen empanadas, make sure to add a few extra minutes in the oven to ensure it is properly cooked.
There are many ways to modify this gluten-free empanada recipe. You can use beef instead of chicken or even venture using shrimp or crab (I bet this would be delicious).
I like the idea of adding crunchy elements such as celery or even adding extra cheese to the filling if your diet can spare the calories. But really what I like the most is eating this delicious snack without any guilt!
How to Make Low Carb Empanadas
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a microwave-safe bowl, mix the cream cheese and mozzarella. Microwave for one minute. Remove the bowl and stir before heating for another minutes. Stir thoroughly.
Add the beaten egg and almond flour to the cheese and stir well. Add more almond flour as needed until the mixture no longer sticks to your fingers. Set aside.
In another bowl, pour the buffalo sauce over the chicken and mix thoroughly.
On a flat surface, lay either parchment paper or plastic wrap and dust with almond flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Grease your rolling pin with coconut oil. Flatten the dough until a quarter-inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut circles in the dough. If you don’t have a cookie cutter, use a cup. Roll all the excess dough and repeat the process until all the dough has been cut into circles.
Spoon chicken onto one side of the circle and fold the other half over the filling.
To form empanadas, press the edges of the dough together firmly. To prevent spilling, slightly roll the edges.
Place the empanadas on an oil-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Once the dough becomes golden brown, remove from the oven. Top with chives if desired and serve on a plate.
Watch how I prepared this here:
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Related:
- Keto Beef and Pepperoni Empanadas
- Buffalo Chicken Totchos with Cauliflower Tater Tots
- Grilled Cheesy Buffalo Chicken
*Credit: This recipe is adapted from Mince Republic.
Keto Buffalo Chicken Empanadas
Ingredients
Empanada Dough
- 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
- 3 oz cream cheese
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 egg whisked
Buffalo Chicken Filling
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and preheat it to 425°F.
- Mix the mozzarella and cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl. Place inside the microwave for a minute. Remove then stir. Afterwards, reheat for one more minute. Remove again and stir to combine the mixture thoroughly.
- Pour the beaten egg and add the almond flour in the cheese mixture. Stir well. Keep adding more almond flour as needed until the mixture does not stick to your fingers anymore. Set aside for later.
- In a separate bowl, pour the buffalo sauce over the shredded chicken. Mix thoroughly until the chicken is entirely covered in sauce.
- Lay some plastic wrap or parchment paper on a flat surface. Dust with a little amount of almond flour so the dough will not stick. Likewise, grease the rolling pin with some coconut oil. Flatten the dough into ¼ inch thickness. Prepare a round cookie cutter and cut circles on the dough. You can also use a cup if a cookie cutter is unavailable. Gather all the excess dough and roll it out once more. Repeat the process until all the dough has been cut into circles.
- Spoon the chicken and place on one side of the circle. Fold the other half over the filling.
- To form the empanadas, press the edges of the dough firmly and stuff the fillings inside tightly. Slightly roll the edges to ensure that the fillings will not spill.
- Arrange the empanadas on a cooking sheet greased with some oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven once the dough turns golden brown in color. Transfer to a plate and top with some chopped chives if preferred. Enjoy.
