Pastelitos (Chicken/Steak). Growing up, I had this dish one way or another. Either from a friend's mother or from the corner store. It wasn't until I was a teenager that I discovered how to make these on my own.

This recipe give you the choice to use a chicken, vegan, beef, pork, or cheese fillings. A great snack to serve when having guests. On medium high in a large pan, cook the ground beef and drain extra fat. You can have Pastelitos (Chicken/Steak) using 12 ingredients and 5 steps. Here is how you cook it.

Ingredients of Pastelitos (Chicken/Steak)

You need 1 of Pk. Empanada Discs.
Prepare 1 1/2 Cups of Steak.
It's 2 Cups of Chicken.
You need 1/3 Cup of Peppers.
It's 1 of Small Onion.
Prepare 4 of Mushrooms.
You need 3 Cloves of Garlic.
Prepare 1 1/2 Cups of Cheese.
It's of Seasoned Salt.
You need of Black Pepper.
You need 4 of Heaping Tbs. Tomato Sauce.
You need of Oil.

To the cooked beef, add in the rice, cilantro and salt to taste. These Puerto Rican Chicken and Potato Pastelillos are awesome right from the oven and also freeze extremely well. Filled to the brim with savory chicken, comforting potatoes, and gooey cheese, this baked version is a healthier alternative to the fried version - without sacrificing any flavor! Note: The links in this post may be affiliate links.

Pastelitos (Chicken/Steak) step by step

Prep ingredients as seen below. (I used cooked bbq meats, so they were already seasoned. I seasoned the veggies with seasoned salt and black pepper. I recommend seasoning your meat if it’s not pre-cooked). Divide and sauté veggies in two pans..
Add meats, respectively and heat through. Finish with 2 Tbs. Tomato Sauce in each pan. Stir and let cool to room temperature. Set up a flat work station and get some flour on it..
This is the challenging part. Don’t listen to your mind. Your mind will tell you to stuff the hell out of these, but don’t. The maximum you can put in these is about 2 1/2- 3 Tbs. of filling. So, do that and put some cheese on top. Keep everything centered then fold it over as seen. Pinch the edges hard with a fork. Be careful not to pierce the middle. You don’t want them opening up in the hot oil..
I used a cast iron skillet with an unquantifiable amount of oil. Get the oil hot and begin frying. Just be sure that you can cover at least 3/4 of the pastelitos. If you have a deep fryer, even better. (Yes, you can bake these. And it’s sinful, but yes, you can probably put them in the air fryer). Fry for a few minutes on each side..
Remove when golden brown. Not too brown, just brown enough. The browning will continue when removed. Also, I found the best way to drain is by placing them on a rack with paper towels underneath. That way, they’re not sitting in a oil-soaked pad of paper towels..

Put a teaspoon of chicken or meat in the center, fold over in a semi-circle and seal the border pressing it with a fork (for better results, wet finger with water and lightly coat the edges of the lower half of circle then use fork, this creates a tighter seal). Deep fry the pastelitos and drain excess oil on a paper towel before serving. Dominican style chicken empanadas and pastelitos are a must for family get togethers and the holidays! These tasty finger foods are a insanely delicious and. Combine flour and salt in medium bowl, cut in shortening until crumbly.