Looking for a sweet and salty cookie recipe? Or a Christmas cookie recipe that’s perfect for the holidays? This Trader Joe’s recipe is a chocolate chip cookie combined with caramel sea salt baking chips! The sea salt flakes on top add a nice, savory touch…
Looking for an alternative way to cook a chuck roast? Then smoked chuck roast is the answer! This blog post will walk you through how to smoke a chuck roast from the grill. What is Chuck Roast? Chuck roast comes from the shoulder of the…
New to making empanadas? Don’t be intimidated, caramel apple empanadas are simple to make! Follow these easy instructions for some tasty pockets of heaven you and your company will enjoy! These are similar to the Taco Bell empanadas you are familiar with.
Empanadas are crescent-shaped pastries with a filling inside. A popular food in Latin America, southern Europe, and The Philippines, an empanada’s filling can be either savory or sweet. Fun fact: the word “empanada” comes from the Spanish word “empanar”, which means “breaded”.
This empanada dough recipe I based off of one I found here with one added ingredient: sugar! Combine and mix the dry ingredients of three cups of flour, one teaspoon of sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a mixing bowl.
Next, add in 10 Tbsp of butter, one tablespoon at a time and pulse (or mix in three-second intervals). Slowly add one egg and 1/2 cup of milk. Mix until one big clump of dough is formed.
Unlike other dough recipes, this one is ready to use right away. Split the dough into two pieces and use a rolling pin to flatten the dough evenly. Use a round dough cutter to cut circles out of dough. I prefer to use either a 4″ or 4.5″ cutter. Lay on a sheet of parchment paper to keep dough circles from sticking.
In order to make your filling for the caramel apple empanadas, preheat your grill to 425 degrees over indirect heat. While the grill is preheating, start peeling, coring, and dicing six apples. I prefer to keep the pieces of apple about 1/2 inch in size.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the following dry ingredients: one cup sugar, three tablespoons corn starch, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Mix the dry ingredients together and fold in diced apples. Mix with a wooden spoon until dry ingredients become moist due to the natural juices from the apples.
Spoon mixture into a 6″ cast iron skillet, drizzling a tablespoon of maple syrup on top. Place on grill and remove after 25 minutes. Let filling rest for at least five minutes before spooning into cut circles of dough.
Now that the dough has been made and the baked apple pie filling has rested, Spoon apple pie filling into the center of the dough circle. Drizzle caramel syrup on top of the filling.
Wet fingers with water and rub the edge of the dough circle. Doing this will help seal the empanadas together and prevent filling from leaking out.
To seal the empanadas, fold in half as a crescent. Pinch edges together and seal by either using a fork and pressing down the edges. To make them look fancier, pinch and fold the edges, overlapping each other. I’ll upload a video to better show what I’m describing.
Empanadas can be cooked by either baking or frying. Baking would be the healthier alternative, but takes longer to cook. Frying is quicker and makes for a crispier pastry.
For baking, preheat grill to 375 degrees over indirect heat. Use whichever smoking wood flavor you like, but I prefer hickory. Place caramel apple empanadas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Next, create an egg wash of one beaten egg and a teaspoon of water. Brush onto the tops of the pastries and put on the grill for 20-25 minutes.
For frying, pour about a half gallon of vegetable oil into a 12″ cast iron skillet and place over direct heat, reaching 350 degrees. Slowly place empanadas into oil and cook for 5-7 minutes, flipping once during the cook. Remove and place on board lined with paper towels to help absorb excess oil.
Caution: the filling will be hot, so let the caramel apple empanadas (baked or fried) rest about five minutes before eating.
Note: Taco Bell empanadas will be dusted with a cinnamon sugar mix on top. Simply make an egg wash with one egg and a tablespoon of water, mix. Brush egg wash on empanadas, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar combo on top.
Empanadas and their filling can be cooked inside using your stove top and oven. Since I love to cook outdoors, I prefer to cook them on my grills.
Grilled Twinkies with Raspberry Compote
New to making empanadas? Don't be intimidated, caramel apple empanadas are simple to make! Follow these easy instructions for some tasty pockets of heaven you and your taste buds will enjoy!
For Apple Filling
For Empanada Dough
Caramel Apple Empanadas
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Looking to make a next level dish? Look no further than this smoked tri tip sandwich recipe! People often ask me what my favorite cut of beef is. While there are many contenders, such as brisket, ribeye cap, and New York strip, I have to…
Philly cheesesteak dip is a tasty twist to the classic sandwich! Only takes 30 minutes on the grill or in the oven (but smoke flavor off the grill is preferred). Let’s start by addressing what goes into a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. What Ingredients Go Into…
When at the butcher shop (or department), you will see different kinds of beef ribs such as short ribs, beef back ribs, and plate ribs. The type needed for this smoked beef ribs recipe are the plate ones. These ribs are about 12 inches long and two to three inches thick.
Before prepping beef ribs, make sure to get your grill heated to 275 degrees over indirect heat. When it comes to smoking woods, I recommend stronger woods such as oak, hickory, or mesquite because they pair very well with beef.
If there is any silver skin, make sure to trim it off so you get a better bite and the seasoning can get to the meat. Speaking of seasoning, mix three tablespoons of coarse black pepper, two tablespoons of kosher salt, and one tablespoon of garlic powder in a small bowl. Apply on the top and sides of the meat.
With your grill at 275 degrees, place the rack of plate ribs on the grill, spritzing a few times with beef broth.
When it comes to smoked beef ribs, measure by temp, not time! Meat can vary by size and fluctuation in cooking temps. It is best to measure by internal temp. Using an instant read thermometer, such as the Thermapen ONE, probe the meat into the middle of the thickest part. Make sure you don’t hit the bone as it will be a different temp than the meat. Beef ribs are done when they hit an internal temperature of 203 degrees. Remove and rest 20-30 minutes before slicing.
The membrane is a slimy feeling layer of tissue on the bottom of the rack of ribs where there is no meat. In my experience, it doesn’t affect the flavor of beef ribs whether you remove the membrane or not.
Since beef plate ribs can be tough to find, the closest taste you’ll get is with brisket. Give this BBQ smoked brisket recipe a go!
Or if you still want ribs, pork ribs are an excellent choice! Here’s an easy St. Louis style pork ribs recipe.
If you want a fun pork rib recipe to try, then check out these honey glazed teriyaki ribs.
Smoked beef ribs are basically brisket on a stick! This BBQ delicacy is easy to make and only takes a few ingredients.
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Smoked prosciutto wrapped Brie is the perfect appetizer for all types of gatherings, from formal to casual. Only three ingredients and 30 minutes on the grill! How to Make Smoked Prosciutto Wrapped Brie This smoked appetizer recipe is so simple you could jump to the…
This smoked queso dip recipe is the ultimate party dip your chips can’t stay away from! Easy to follow instructions for the best dip you’ll ever make! What Goes Into this Smoked Queso Dip Recipe? This smoked queso dip recipe consists of eight ingredients and…
Taking the traditional holiday snack mix to the next level, this Smoked Chex Mix recipe adds more of what you want! This recipe is easy to follow and only takes one hour of cooking (or should we say, smoking) time.
This snack mix has all of the usual suspects: Rice Chex, Corn Chex, and Wheat Chex. In a large mixing bowl, pour in three cups of each Chex. Next, put in one cup of mixed nuts. Since the mixed nuts I usually buy don’t have enough roasted peanuts as I’d like, I also add in a 1/2 cup of them. Add in 1 1/2 cups each of bite-sized pretzels, bagel chips, and Cheeze-its. I add the last ingredient because Cheeze-its are a huge hit with my family.
In a small bowl, melt a stick of butter (1/2 Cup) in the microwave. Remove and mix in two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce to enhance the savory flavors. Pour this mix over the dry ingredients in the large bowl and gently mix. I say “gently mix” because the Chex can break up easily and nobody wants that business. Mix ingredients either with your hand or a spatula. During the mixing, add in 1 1/2 teaspoons of seasoned salt, 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder. Feel free to use your favorite BBQ rub instead of seasoned salt.
This smoked Chex mix recipe is a savory one and goes better with bolder smoking wood flavors. With that said, hickory is the smoking wood of choice for this recipe. On a large baking sheet, pour ingredients from large bowl and make an even surface. For a little more flavor, sprinkle some more seasoned salt on top. Place baking sheet on preheated grill at 250 degrees for one hour. It is recommend to start preheating the grill prior to mixing the ingredients.
Most grilling and smoking recipes call for rest times of between 10 minutes and up to two hours, but with this recipe I only wait one minute. Pour into a large bowl and serve!
Want sweet holiday snacks? Check out these holiday favorites:
Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookies w/Sea Salt Caramel (Trader Joe’s Recipe)
Taking the traditional snack mix to the next level, this Smoked Chex Mix recipe adds more of what you want! This recipe is easy to follow and only takes one hour of cooking (or should we say, smoking) time.
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Got leftover brisket? This smoked brisket chili recipe is so good and will certainly be one you’ll want to bookmark for frequent use! In the world of BBQ, brisket is king. It can also be expensive, too. To get more bang for your buck, this…
