Keto Empanadas is a low-carb, gluten-free version of a chicken empanada turnover without the pastry dough, carbs, or extra work.
Our flavorful, oven-baked, or air-fried, ground chicken empanadas (turnovers) filled with bacon, cheese, and spinach will satisfy your comfort food cravings besides keeping your tummy full.
With only 3g net carbs for each hearty empanada, these satisfying meaty turnovers are high in quality fats and protein, keeping you full and satiated for hours.
A savory ground chicken or turkey pocket is stuffed with bacon, cheese, and spinach for a flavorful and nutritious bite.
These tasty stuffed empanadas can be baked in the oven, or also can be cooked in the air fryer. The recipe includes directions for the air fryer and the oven.
Basically, they're the perfect, simple-to-prepare, baked empanada for your keto diet. Try our recipe now and indulge guilt-free!
This recipe is inspired by my Italian Stuffed Chicken recipe on this site.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Chicken or Turkey
- Three slices cooked Bacon, chopped
- ¾ cup shredded Cheddar Cheese, Jack Cheese, or Pepper Jack Cheese
- Four ounces of Cream Cheese, softened and cubed
- ¾ cup Fresh Spinach Leaves, chopped
- Two tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
See Printable Recipe Card for Nutritional Data and More Information.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Preheat the Oven to 375℉ (200℃). In a bowl, add softened cream cheese, shredded cheese, chopped spinach, and chopped cooked bacon.
Mix together until combined. Set aside.
Divide chicken into 3 equal-sized portions.
Lay out a sheet of parchment paper for each portion and spray it with avocado oil.
Place a ground chicken ball in the center of a parchment sheet. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top, and press flat with your hands.
Remove the top paper, and add ⅓ of the filling to the center of each flattened chicken patty.
Fold the parchment paper over, cover the filling with the ground chicken, and form a turnover.
Press down very slightly to form a pocket.
Peel back the top half of the parchment paper.
Seal the edges of the turnover with a fork.
Sprinkle the top of each turnover with Parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper.
Place the parchment sheets with empanadas on a baking sheet.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken is done and browning on top.
Serve.
The air fryer instructions are located in the printable recipe card.
Jump to RecipeSubstitutions
- Ground Chicken- instead of ground chicken, you can use ground turkey or ground beef.
- Bacon- use cooked turkey bacon or prosciutto instead of bacon.
Variations
- Spicy - add some chopped jalapenos to the empanada filling for a spicy kick.
Equipment
Storage
Cooked empanadas can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days, reheating them as needed. I don't recommend freezing the empanadas as they can get very dry when reheating after being frozen.
📖 Printable Recipe Card
Keto Empanadas
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Chicken or Turkey
- 3 slices Cooked Bacon chopped
- ¾ cup shredded Cheddar Cheese Jack Cheese, or Pepper Jack Cheese
- 4 ounces of Cream Cheese softened and cubed
- ¾ cup Fresh Spinach Leaves chopped
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
Oven Directions
- Preheat the Oven to 375℉ (200℃).
- In a large bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, shredded cheese, chopped spinach, and chopped cooked bacon. Set aside.
- Separate the ground chicken into 3 equal-sized portions and roll each portion into a ball.
- Lay out a sheet of parchment paper for each portion and spray or lightly brush the parchment with avocado oil.
- Place a ground chicken ball in the center of a parchment sheet. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top, and press flat into a patty with your hands or a rolling pin. Repeat for the remaining ground chicken portions.
- Remove the top paper, and add ⅓ of the filling to the center of each flattened chicken patty.
- Fold the parchment paper over, covering the filling with the ground chicken, and lightly press down to form a turnover. Peel back the top half of the parchment paper. Seal the edges of the turnover with a fork.
- Sprinkle the top of each turnover with Parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper.
- Place the parchment sheets with empanadas on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken is done and browning on top.
Air Fryer Directions
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 350℉ (200℃).
- Follow the oven directions above directions from numbers 2-8.
- Place One to three empanadas (depending on the air fryer size, you may need to cook them one at a time) with the parchment sheet into the air fryer basket.
- Air fry for 25-30 minutes until cooked through and browning.
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Notes
Nutrition
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Related Articles Across the Web:
Tom Gabison says
Can you use beef instead of chicken as the "dough"?
Stacey says
Hi Tom, Yes, you can use ground beef if you prefer.