Brazilian Chicken Empadão
A golden, flaky Brazilian chicken hand pie with a savory-creamy filling of shredded chicken, olives, and hard-boiled eggs. Crispy on the outside, tender and rich within.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 22g
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup butter, cold and cubed
- 2 whole egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 3 whole hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- ¾ cup green olives, pitted and halved
- ½ medium onion, finely diced
- ½ cup heavy cream or sour cream
Instructions
- 1
Pour 2.5 cups flour and 0.5 teaspoon salt into a large mixing bowl and stir them together with a fork until the salt is evenly scattered throughout.
- 2
Add the 0.75 cup cold cubed butter to the flour, then use your fingertips to rub the butter and flour together until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized lumps of butter still visible.
- 3
In a small bowl, whisk the 2 egg yolks together with a fork until uniform, then pour them into the flour mixture.
- 4
Stir the mixture with a fork until shaggy clumps form and no dry flour remains at the bottom of the bowl.
- 5
Turn the dough onto an unfloured work surface and press it together with your hands for 20–30 seconds until it holds together as a ball, then flatten it into a disk 0.75 inches thick, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- 6
Place a small skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- 7
When the oil is hot and shimmers, add the 0.5 diced onion and stir frequently until it turns soft and translucent, about 3–4 minutes.
- 8
Pour the 2 cups shredded chicken, 3 chopped hard-boiled eggs, 0.75 cup halved olives, and 0.5 cup cream into the skillet and stir until all ingredients are evenly mixed and warm throughout, about 2 minutes.
- 9
Remove the skillet from heat and let the filling cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes.
- 10
Set the oven to 400°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.
- 11
Remove the dough disk from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface.
- 12
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a circle 0.125 inches thick, working from the center outward and lifting and rotating the dough a quarter turn every few rolls to keep it even.
- 13
Cut out 8 circles from the dough using a 4-inch round cutter (or an upturned drinking glass), then gather the scraps, re-roll, and cut 4 more circles for a total of 12 if possible, or set aside the scraps.
- 14
Place 4 circles on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each one.
- 15
Spoon about 3 tablespoons of filling into the center of each circle on the baking sheet, leaving a 0.5-inch border uncovered around the edge.
- 16
Top each filled circle with a second circle of dough, then press the edges together firmly with the tines of a fork to seal all the way around.
- 17
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water, then lightly brush this egg wash over the top of each pastry.
- 18
Slide the baking sheet into the 400°F oven and bake until the pastry is deep golden brown, about 20–25 minutes.
- 19
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the empadões cool on the sheet for 3–5 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.
Tools you’ll need
- large mixing bowl
- fork
- small bowl
- plastic wrap
- small skillet (8-inch)
- wooden spoon
- rolling pin
- 4-inch round cutter or drinking glass
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- pastry brush
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