Bison Empanadas with Chilean Pebre

In honor of National Empanada Day, and my love of Central and South American recipes, I was looking to make a recipe that honored both the traditional recipes as well as the flavor of bison meat.  The outcome is this empanada recipe that uses lots of the traditional seasonings and ingredients but with a few tweaks to emphasize the bison and offer some more healthier options.  

Hard boiled eggs are a very common ingredient in empanadas but due to my strong, lack of love for hard boiled eggs, I went ahead and did not include those.  I also prefer golden raisins over dark raisins because of their fruitier flavor, the way they are processed and their higher levels of flavonoids which are thought to provide health benefits and antioxidant effects.  

The Chilean Pebre Sauce is a condiment must!  The flavor is bright and spicy plus adds a lot of freshness.  This pairs great with the empanadas as it adds a fun layer of depth in flavor.  And it doesn't hurt that it is easy and quick to make and lasts well in the fridge and can be used as a condiment with many other recipes.   

Bison Empanadas with Chilean Pebre Sauce

Jessi  D 

Category

Appetizer & Recipes for Entertaining

Ingredients

    Empanadas

    • 1 LB ground bison
    • 2 TB butter, or cooking oil
    • 1 TB butter, melted
    • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
    • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
    • 1 ½ TB cumin
    • 1 TB sweet paprika
    • ½ TB oregano
    • ¼ tsp cayenne
    • 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • ½ cup golden raisins, roughly chopped
    • ¼ cup pitted green olives, diced
    • Empanada dough - I recommend Goya "Puff Pastry Dough for Empanadas"

    Chilean Pebre Sauce

    • 3 green onions, diced both white and green
    • 1 tomato, diced
    • 1 handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 TB red wine vinegar
    • 1 TB siracha
    • ½ TB olive oil
    • Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
    • 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
    • Cold water

    Directions

      Empanadas

      1. Heat 1 TB butter in a skillet over medium high heat

      2. Add bison and season with salt and pepper

      3. Cook bison until just browned but not cooked through

      4. Remove bison with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving any leftover juices and bits in the skillet

      5. In the same skillet, lower heat to medium and add the 2nd TB of butter

      6. Add onion and bell pepper, sauté until onions are translucent, about 6-8 min

      7. Add in cumin, paprika, oregano and cayenne

      8. Stir to combine and cook for an additional minute

      9. Mix in chicken broth, salt, pepper and sugar

      10. Add the bison meat back into the skillet

      11. Bring to a simmer and cook until liquid is evaporated, around 10-20 min

      12. Stir in raisins

      13. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed

      14. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill – a few hours in the fridge is recommended but if you are short on time, you can move to the next step once the mixture is completely cooled

      15. Once ready to use, remove mixture and stir in olives

      16. Heat the oven to 375 OR an air fryer to 350

      17. Remove empanada dough from the freezer about 10 min before using to thaw (do not leave out too long, it will become difficult to work with)

      18. Lay out dough on a working surface, leave plastic layer under the dough to help fold the dough over

      19. Place a spoonful of mixture in the center of each dough disc

      20. Fold the dough over the mixture to meet up with the other half and press to seal (remove plastic layer if left on)

      21. Crimp along the edge with a fork

      22. If using the over, place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and place in the oven

      23. Cook for 20 min, rotating the baking sheet halfway through at 10 min

      24. If using the air fryer, place empanadas in one layer in the tray and leave space between each one

      25. Cook for 15 – 20 min checking halfway through

      26. Remove from air fryer or oven and cool slightly before enjoying

      Chilean Pebre Sauce

      1. Combine all ingredients except for the water

      2. Mix well and taste, add salt as needed

      3. Slowly add in cold water just until it reaches the top of the mixture

      4. Stir again to combine

      5. Put in the fridge to chill, flavors will develop longer it is chilled
      Back to Ground Bison Recipes