Crispy Chicken Birria Empanadas with Molten Cheese Tips, FAQ & printable recipe

Tips for success

Work in strict small batches. Three empanadas is the maximum for a home Dutch oven; more than that drops the oil below 350°F and the masa drinks it in instead of crisping.

Let the oil climb back to 365°F between batches, and skim any stray crumbs of masa between rounds, because burnt crumbs stick to the next batch and speckle the shells.

Keep the cheese cold and the chicken hot until the moment each disc is filled. The contrast is not just for drama: cold shreds handle cleanly and melt from the outside in during frying, while warm chicken keeps the center of the empanada at serving temperature.

If the masa starts cracking as it is folded, cup the disc in both palms for ten seconds to warm it, then fold.

Variations

• Beef birria version: Swap the chicken for an equal weight of shredded beef birria. The richer, fattier meat pairs beautifully with Monterey Jack, and the beef consomé makes an even glossier dunk. Warm and fill it exactly the same way.
• Quesabirria minis: Use 4-inch masa discs with 1 oz chicken and 1 oz cheese each for cocktail-size empanadas. Fry for about 3 minutes and serve a dozen on a platter with a communal bowl of consomé in the middle.
• Air-fryer finish: Brush the crimped empanadas lightly with oil and air-fry at 380°F for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping once. The shell blisters less dramatically than in the pot but stays crisp and far lighter on cleanup.
• Breakfast birria: Fill the masa discs with the birria chicken and a spoonful of softly set scrambled egg instead of extra cheese. Fry as directed and serve with salsa verde for a weekend breakfast worth waking up early for.

Storage and make-ahead

Fridge

Refrigerate cooled empanadas and consomé in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days; keep the onions in their pickling liquid.

Freezer

Freeze crimped, unfried empanadas on a sheet pan, then bag them solid for up to 2 months; fry straight from frozen, adding 2 minutes.

Reheat

Reheat fried empanadas on a wire rack at 400°F (200°C) for 8 to 10 minutes until the shell crackles again; skip the microwave, which softens the crust.

Leftovers keep surprisingly well because the shell holds its crunch better than most fried food. Let the empanadas cool for no more than 2 hours, then move them to a shallow container.

Store the consomé separately in its own jar so the shells never sit in moisture, and keep the pickled onions in their liquid in a small lidded container.

Everything before the fryer can be done a day ahead. The birria chicken and consomé improve overnight as the chile flavors settle into the meat. Pickled red onions keep for a week, so a jar in the refrigerator covers this recipe and several others.

Grate the cheese and press or buy the masa discs the day of frying, and hold the folded, crimped empanadas under a damp towel for up to an hour before the oil goes in.

Serving ideas

Serve the empanadas the moment they are drained, arranged on a warm platter with the consomé in a shallow bowl for dunking. Cut the first one in half at the table so the molten cheese pull is visible to everyone, then let each person dip their half into the glossy red consomé and chase it with pickled red onions and a pinch of cilantro.

Set out small bowls of extra consomé for anyone who wants a deeper dunk, and put the onions and cilantro on the table in separate bowls rather than pre-topping the platter, so the shells stay crisp until the last one is eaten. Cold beer, limeade or a bright agua fresca all cut the richness of the fried masa beautifully.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe card

Crispy Chicken Birria Empanadas with Molten Cheese

Prep 25 minCook 25 minTotal 50 minServes 8

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb smoky chipotle-guajillo shredded chicken thigh (cooked birria chicken, made ahead or store-bought)
• 12 oz Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely shredded
• 8 six-inch masa empanada discs (store-bought or made ahead), kept covered
• 6 cups peanut oil, for frying
• 2 cups guajillo consomé, warmed (made ahead or store-bought)
• 1/2 cup pickled red onions (store-bought or made ahead)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

1. Place the shredded chipotle-guajillo chicken thigh in a skillet over medium heat with a few spoonfuls of guajillo consomé. Stir often until the meat is steaming hot all the way through, coated in glossy red chile fat and easy to mound by the spoonful. Heat it to at least 165°F (74°C) at the center, then transfer it to a bowl and keep it covered.
2. Grate the Monterey Jack on the large holes of a box grater, then toss the shreds with a spoon so they do not clump. Coarse shreds melt into long stretches inside the hot empanada instead of disappearing into the chicken, and they stay distinct enough to give every bite a visible, gooey seam of cheese.
3. Line up the warm chicken, the chilled cheese and the covered masa discs in that order. Have a fork ready for crimping and a small bowl of consomé nearby for sealing stubborn edges. Working in an assembly line keeps the filling hot, the discs pliable and the crimping fast, so the first empanada never sits raw while the last one is filled.
4. Spoon about 3 oz of the warm birria chicken in a log shape just below the center of a 6-inch masa disc, leaving a generous half-inch border all around. Top with about 1.5 oz of Monterey Jack. Resist the urge to overfill: a stuffed disc cannot fold flat, and any masa-to-masa seam buried in filling will split during frying.
5. Fold the disc over into a half-moon, press out any air around the filling, then press the edge flat with a fingertip. Crimp the whole seam firmly with the tines of a fork, dipping the fork in a little consomé if the masa feels dry. A tight, double-checked crimp is what keeps molten cheese inside the shell instead of bubbling into the oil.
6. Hold each empanada over the bowl and look along the curved seam for pinholes, cracks or uncrimped stretches. Press any weak spot flat and run the fork over it again. Weigh it gently in the palm: a well-sealed empanada feels plump but firm, with no filling shifting toward one end. Only flawless shells go anywhere near the hot oil.
7. Pour the peanut oil into a heavy Dutch oven to a depth of about 2 inches and clip on a deep-fry thermometer. Heat over medium until it holds a steady 365°F (185°C). Adjust the flame as needed; the oil should shimmer around the thermometer bulb, never smoke, and a crumb dropped in should sizzle instantly and rise.
8. Lower the empanadas into the oil one at a time with a slotted skimmer, away from your body. Fry for about 4 minutes, turning once, until the shells bubble, blister and turn deep golden brown and audibly crisp. The masa should look freckled and puffed, the way a good birria taco shell does straight out of the pot.
9. Lift the empanadas onto a paper towel-lined sheet pan and let them drain for a minute. Warm the remaining guajillo consomé in a small pot. Halve one empanada while the cheese is still molten, dunk the open half into the steaming consomé, then top with pickled red onions and fresh cilantro leaves. Serve the rest the same way, straight away.

Contains: milk, peanuts

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories

420

Protein

22 g

Carbohydrates

28 g

Fat

24 g

Automatic estimate from the ingredient list, not laboratory-verified.