These delicious Ground Turkey Keto Cheater “Empanadas” are toasty little pockets filled with ground turkey, cheese, fajita veggies, and fajita seasoning. They make a great appetizer for a Mexican themed dinner party (like my Cinco de Mayo Dinner Party) or a tasty main for a packed lunch. Make these for your next dinner party or as part of your next meal prep rotation. Your friends and family will thank you!
I don’t know about you, but I love empanadas. What I don’t love is making dough, specifically the rolling of it. While I understand that the tender, flaky crust is a big part of the appeal; I was looking for a cheat. Enter “street taco style” low-carb tortilla shells that you can find at the store. The “street style” part just means they’re smaller than normal tacos–5 inch diameter for the ones I use. I confess that I was initially annoyed when these started appearing in the store instead of the regular taco-size tortillas, but then I realized they were the perfect size for stuffing with whatever goodness I could devise. The food experimentation game was on.
I’m pretty sure my obsession with empanadas started when I was doing work trips to and from South America with a connection in the Dallas airport. My return flight got me in around 6:30 am, and there was an empanada kiosk near my gate that became a tasty little stop on my way to my connecting flight.
At first glance, these Ground Turkey Keto Cheater Empanadas may look like a lot of steps, but that’s really just because I got pretty granular with them. The quick version (TL;DR) is: dice and cook all veggies and turkey with seasoning, combine with cheeses, fill tortillas, seal tortillas, brush cheater empanadas with egg wash, and bake them.
What You Need to Make Ground Turkey Keto Cheater Empanadas
Equipment
- Cutting Board – For dicing the vegetables
- Chef’s Knife – For dicing the vegetables
- Large Saute Pan or Skillet
- Large Rubber Scraper
- Small Bowl – For holding the cooked mushrooms until you are ready to put them back into the mixture
- Medium Bowl or Large Plate – For holding the cooked turkey until you are ready to put it back into the mixture
- Paper Towels – For lining the bowl or plate that you will be using to hold the cooked ground turkey. This will just soak up any excess oil that may result from cooking.
- 2 Rimmed Baking Sheets
- Wire Rack Inserts for Rimmed Baking Sheets – If you don’t have these, you can just bake them on the rimmed baking sheets. I like using the wire racks for this, because it allows for hot air circulation on the bottoms of the empanadas, resulting in a more even texture on the exterior of the baked tortilla shells.
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil – (Optional) For covering the rimmed baking sheets. Although you do not have to line your baking sheets, this makes for easy clean-up and easy switching the pan over to a different use in the same cooking session. (For example, if you are making the menu for my Cinco de Mayo Dinner Party, you may need to re-use this sheet to make Cinnamon-Sugar Keto Chips next.)
- Cooking Spray – I found that the tortilla shells slightly stick to the racks without cooking spray, which is annoying for clean-up. Even after a run through the dishwasher, I had to clean off some stuck-on tortilla shell when not using cooking spray.
- Airtight Container – This is only needed if you are prepping these empanadas in advance and storing them in the fridge overnight.
Ingredients
- Bell Pepper – Diced
- Red Onion – Diced
- Mushrooms – Diced. I used White Button Mushrooms, but Baby Bellas would be fine.
- Unsalted Butter – For cooking the mushrooms. You can use oil if you prefer. I just don’t like the taste of mushrooms cooked in oil as much as mushrooms cooked in butter.
- Avocado Oil or Olive Oil – For cooking the ground turkey, bell pepper, and red onion.
- Ground Turkey – I like ground turkey for this, but you could also use ground chicken, ground beef, ground pork, or ground lamb.
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Fajita Seasoning – You can use store bought or make your own. See the Recipe Notes if you want to make your own.
- Cream Cheese
- Cheddar Cheese – Shredded
- Street Style Low-Carb Tortilla Shells (5 inch diameter) – I find these at Sam’s Club. If you are not trying to keep this recipe low carb, you can just use regular street style taco tortillas. I would personally use flour ones in that case unless you just need them to be gluten free, in which case, use corn shells.
- Water – For wetting and sealing the edges of the tortilla shells.
- Egg – Beaten for the egg wash. You could also make your egg wash by adding some water to it, but you really don’t need the volume. I will also note that I use jumbo eggs.
Getting Started with Making Ground Turkey Keto Cheater Empanadas
Veggie & Seasoning Prep
As with many of my recipes, start by prepping the veggies. Dice the bell pepper, half of a large red onion, and 12 ounces of mushrooms. You can combine the bell pepper and red onion, but keep the mushrooms separate. If you are prepping in advance, you can stash the diced veggies in zip top bags in the fridge until you are ready to cook the filling mixture.
For the Fajita Seasoning, you can either make your own or use store bought. In my case, I am usually making multiple dishes with the same flavor profile, so I make a larger batch of Fajita Seasoning and then use it in more than one recipe at a time. If you want to make your own Fajita Seasoning, you can do so by combining the following: 1/2 tablespoons chipotle powder, 3 tablespoons cumin, 1.5 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1.5 tablespoons paprika, ½ tablespoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon salt. This makes 9 tablespoons. You can scale the quantity that you make up or down; just keep the proportions the same.
Making the Filling
For making the mixture, I start with the mushrooms. I like to cook my mushrooms in butter instead of oil. You can use oil if you prefer; I just like the taste of cooked mushrooms better with butter. In a large saute pan, over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Add the diced mushrooms and cook until they have released most of their juices. About 8 – 10 minutes. Remove them from the pan and set aside in a small bowl (or other vessel).
Add 1 – 1.5 tablespoons of avocado oil to the pan, still on medium high heat, and toss in the ground turkey. Make sure to break it up with a spatula in the pan. Season it with ½ tablespoon of Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of fajita seasoning. Once cooked through, remove it to a bowl or large plate lined with paper towels to soak up any excess oil.
Still in the same pan on medium high heat, add more oil if needed. Saute the diced bell pepper and red onion until they begin to soften. About 6 – 8 minutes.
Add the ground turkey and mushrooms back into the pan, stirring to combine. Cut an 8 ounce package of cream cheese into cubes and add to the pan, along with the remaining 1 tablespoon of fajita seasoning. Stir until the cream cheese is melted, then stir in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Again, stir until it is melted and all ingredients are fully incorporated. Remove from the heat.
Stuffing the “Empanadas”
Next up, it’s time to fill the tortilla shells. I line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and then work in batches of 10 tortilla shells at a time. I found that they start to dry out the longer they are out, which just makes them more challenging to seal, so I work in smaller batches. Fill each shell with 1.5 tablespoons of the filling mixture, placed in the center.
Using your finger or a small brush and a small bowl of water, wet the edges of the tortilla shell all the way around. Start at the edge and wet inward about ¾ inch. Fold in half immediately and press the wet edges together. You can just press with your fingers or use the tines of a fork. You want to make sure they are completely sealed so that the delicious filling you just made doesn’t spill out. Repeat this process for the remaining shells and filling. If you are doing this work in advance, place the sealed “empanadas” in an airtight container in the fridge.
Baking the “Empanadas”
When you are ready to bake the “empanadas”, line 2 rimmed baking sheets with heavy duty aluminum foil and place wire rack inserts on top (if you have them). Spray with cooking spray. Trust me on this.
In a small bowl, beat 1 egg. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the tops of the empanadas. This is really just for color. You can skip this step if you want. They will still be delicious, just a little pale in exterior color.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. If the tops are not quite brown enough for your liking, you can stick them under the broiler for 1 – 2 minutes, but keep a close eye on them so that they don’t burn.
Serve warm. If you’d like, you can offer some Chipotle Crema, sour cream, salsa, or guac with them. However, they’re really fantastic on their own, so it’s up to you.
Ground Turkey Fajita Cheater “Empanadas”
Ingredients
- 1 Bell Pepper Diced
- ½ Large Red Onion Diced
- 12 ounces Mushrooms Diced. I used White Button Mushrooms, but Baby Bellas would be fine.
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 2 – 3 tablespoons Avocado Oil or Olive Oil
- 2 pounds Ground Turkey
- ½ tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 3 tablespoons Fajita Seasoning Divided: 2 tablespoons with the ground turkey, 1 tablespoon in the final mixture
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese 1 (8 ounce package)
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese Shredded
- 40 Street Style Low-Carb Tortilla Shells 5 inch diameter
- ½ cup Water
- 1 Egg Beaten. I use jumbo eggs.
Instructions
- Dice 1 Bell Pepper and ½ Large Red Onion. Combine and set aside.1 Bell Pepper, ½ Large Red Onion
- Dice 12 ounces Mushrooms12 ounces Mushrooms
- Melt 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter over medium high heat. Sauté mushrooms until they release their juices. About 8 – 10 minutes. Set aside.2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, 12 ounces Mushrooms
- In the same pan, add ~1.5 – 2 tablespoons of oil over. Add the 2 pounds Ground Turkey, ½ tablespoon Kosher Salt, 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the fajita seasoning. Once the turkey is cooked through, remove it to a paper towel lined bowl or large plate.2 – 3 tablespoons Avocado Oil or Olive Oil, 2 pounds Ground Turkey, ½ tablespoon Kosher Salt, 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, 3 tablespoons Fajita Seasoning
- In the same pan again, add more oil if needed. Sauté the diced bell pepper and red onion until softened. About 6 – 8 minutes.1 Bell Pepper, ½ Large Red Onion, 2 – 3 tablespoons Avocado Oil or Olive Oil
- Add the ground turkey and mushrooms back into the pan and stir to combine.
- Add 8 ounces Cream Cheese in cubes followed by 1 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded. Stir until melted and completely combined. Remove this filling mixture from the heat and set aside.8 ounces Cream Cheese, 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, 3 tablespoons Fajita Seasoning
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (if you are going to be baking these immediately). If not, save this step for later.
- Lay the street style low carb tortilla shells on a lined flat surface, such as a foil lined rimmed baking sheet. Work in batches of 10 so that the shells don’t get dried out.40 Street Style Low-Carb Tortilla Shells
- Place 1.5 tablespoons of the turkey filling mixture in the center of each shell.
- Put about 1/2 cup Water into a small bowl. Using either a pastry brush or your finger, wet the entire edge of the tortilla shell with water. Wet it inward about ¾ of an inch in from the edge.1/2 cup Water
- Fold each tortilla shell in half and press or squeeze the edges firmly to seal them. You can use the tines of a fork to press the edges, but this is not necessary. (NOTE: If you are making these in advance, you can stop at this point and store them in an airtight container in the fridge overnight.)
- When you are ready to bake, line 2 rimmed baking sheets with heavy duty aluminum foil and wire rack inserts (if you have them). Whether using the wire racks or not, spray with cooking spray and then lay the empanadas on the rack / sheet pan.
- Beat 1 Egg to make an egg wash. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the tops of the pies with the egg wash.1 Egg
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
- Serve warm. Garnish with sour cream, salsa, or Chipotle Crema if desired.
Equipment
- Small Bowl
- Medium Bowl or Large Plate
- Paper Towels
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
- Cooking Spray
- Airtight Container (If prepping in advance and storing in fridge overnight)
Notes
- Fajita Seasoning Mix
- You can make your own using the following ingredients. This recipe makes 9 tablespoons which is more than you need for this specific recipe. However, when I make this dish, I usually have some other main, side, or appetizer that will use up the extra fajita seasoning.
- 0.5 tablespoons Chipotle Powder
- 3 tablespoons Cumin
- 1.5 tablespoons Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1.5 tablespoons Paprika
- 0.5 tablespoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
- You can make your own using the following ingredients. This recipe makes 9 tablespoons which is more than you need for this specific recipe. However, when I make this dish, I usually have some other main, side, or appetizer that will use up the extra fajita seasoning.
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