Street Corn Empanadas

By now, we’re all very familiar with Mexican street corn or elote, as it is sometimes called. It’s usually a grilled or steamed corn on the cob served on a stick, slathered with mayo and coated in crumbled cheese (cotija or queso fresco) and then dusted with a bit of chili powder. It’s what street food is all about and it is super delicious. I’ve made a few different takes of this classic dish on the blog over the years. There’s nachos, twice baked potatoes, corn dogs, and flatbread—meaning there is literally something for everyone or something for whatever mood you’re in. This time around I’m bringing you these Street Corn Empanadas. I grew up eating a lot of empanadas because my mom is an empanada pro, but it is nice to venture out and give it a fun twist like this one.

Let’s start by making the empanada dough. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt with a wooden spoon or spatula.

**Tip: This is like a pie dough, although it has an egg in it which gives the dough a different texture. You can make this with store-bought pie crust dough and they’ll still be delicious!**

Add in the butter and cut in with your fingers or a pasty blender until it resembles coarse crumbs the size of peas.

**Tip: Try to work the butter in fast because you don’t want the warmth from your hands to warm up the butter. Cold butter equals flakier dough.**

Make a well in the center and add in the ice water and beaten egg. Use a wooden spoon or spatula or mix the dough until it comes together. Form into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

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Set a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, drizzle in the oil and add the corn kernels, onion and jalapeño. Cook, stirring often, until the veggies soften and begin to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with granulated garlic, oregano, cayenne, and a large pinch of salt and pepper.

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Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and set aside to cool slightly. Add the Mexican crema (or sour cream), cotija, lime zest, lime juice and cilantro to the cooled corn mixture. Stir until evenly combined. Set aside.

**Note: I purposely added an extra ear of corn to the filling so that I can snack on the filling a bit before making the empanadas. You can thank me for that later, but if you don’t want to eat the extra filling, you can use two ears of corn instead.**

Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Cut into 8 or 12 even portions. This depends on the size you want for your empanadas. I chose a heartier eight. Working with one piece at a time, roll out into a circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Add a few spoonfuls of the filling on the center and brush the edges with egg wash. Fold over and crimp the edges to seal the empanadas.

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Place the empanadas on one or two baking sheets (depending on the size you’ve chosen for your empanada but also the size of your baking sheets) lined with parchment paper and continue filling and shaping the rest. Space them out on the baking sheet so they have space to bake properly. Brush them with egg wash and bake in a preheated 375°F oven until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together the crema, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, cotija, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and chill until ready to use.

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Remove the empanadas from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm with the crema for dipping. The sauce isn’t necessary but I think most empanadas could benefit from a sauce. It just compliments it nicely.

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These can be made ahead of time and frozen. Then just rewarm in the oven or toaster oven before serving. They’re great as an appetizer or snack. I hope you’ll give them a try and if you do, please be sure to let me know what you think below. Thank you for reading and following along!