Chimi empanadas are my favorite way to turn a classic Dominican chimi into something fun and easy to eat.
Pretty much everything you can think of tastes better inside an empanada, and these chimi empanadas prove it. It’s pretty much all the components of a chimi burger, juicy ground beef, crunchy repollo, and tangy chimi sauce, inside 2 crispy empanada discs.
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Shape the patties smaller than the discs
When making the chimi patties, shape them just a little smaller than the size of your empanada discs. This way it will be easier to seal the empanadas properly and you’ll get that crispy edge without any filling spilling out while assembling or cooking.
How to assemble the empanada
These empanadas don’t have the usual half-moon shape and instead of folding one disc over the filling, you place a second empanada disc right on top after adding your chimi burger. Then you fold and seal the edges all around to make a full round empanada. Homemade empanada dough is always a better, but store-bought discs work great too. Just make sure they’re thawed and soft enough to seal well.
Serve it with chimi sauce
You’re going to need some to drizzle inside the empanadas and some more for dipping, trust me. A chimichurri isn’t a chimichurri without a generous drizzle of chimi sauce. It’s a tangy and delicious sauce made with mayonnaise, ketchup, dijon mustard, soy sauce, and orange juice. It’s a way better version of mayo ketchup.
Chimi Empanadas
Ingredients
- 0.5 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce + 1 tbsp for repollo
- 2 tbsp sofrito or 2 cloves garlic, ¼ onion, and ¼ bell pepper finely minced
- 1 tsp adobo
- ½ tsp sazon
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup chimi sauce
- 1 cup cabbage finely shredded
- ¼ red onion sliced
- 4 empanada discs
- Frying oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine ground beef, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, sofrito, adobo, salt, and black pepper. Mix until well combined, then shape 2 burger patties slightly smaller than the size of your empanada discss. Set aside.
- In a pan or on a grill over medium heat, cook the patties until browned on both sides and fully cooked through, about 4-6 minutes. Once cooked, let them cool slightly.
- In the same pan, add the cabbage and onion along with 1 tbsp of worcestershire sauce to make the repollo. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly softened but still crunchy. Remove from heat and let cool.
- To assemble, place one cooked burger patty in the center of an empanada disc. Top with half of the repollo and a drizzle of chimi sauce. Place a second empanada disc over the top, then gently press the edges together to seal. Use a fork to crimp the edges all the way around and ensure they’re sealed tight.
- Fry the empanadas in hot oil over medium heat until golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Let them drain on a paper towel, then serve warm with extra chimi sauce on the side. Buen provecho!
