Do you ever wish you could take two of your favorite dishes and combine them into one? Well… we did just that. We took orange chicken and empanadas and combined them for what might be our new favorite combination. But here’s the twist – instead of traditional empanada dough, we used egg roll wraps, giving them an incredible crunch. These orange chicken and fried rice empanadas are sure to be a hit in your home!
So you may be wondering how this dish came to be. Well, of course, I have a little story to tell. Am I even a food blogger if I don’t? I was hired by one of our favorite frozen food companies to create budget-friendly dishes using their frozen entrees. I wanted to use their orange chicken and fried rice since those are two of our favorites and turn them into something unexpected.
At around $15 for 20 empanadas, these orange chicken and fried rice empanadas are incredibly budget-friendly, family-friendly, and delicious!
Can I use any brand of orange chicken and fried rice?
Absolutely! While we have a favorite brand, there are several options in your grocery store’s freezer section. If the orange chicken you purchase doesn’t include a packet of sauce, you may need to purchase some orange sauce on the side. You can also use Chinese restaurant leftovers if you have them. This would be great with honey garlic chicken as well.
Where do I find egg roll wraps?
I found some vegan egg roll wraps in the produce section at my local grocery store. They are inexpensive and so delicious! We use them for a bunch of purposes, including tacos!
Where do I find an empanada press?
I found a set of empanada presses (also called dumpling makers) with all different sizes on Amazon. This was my first time using these particular presses, which are super easy. Make sure to brush sauce along the edges to keep them sealed. The first time we made these, I didn’t use sauce, and the empanadas opened as they were fried.
Do I need anything else to make orange chicken and fried rice empanadas?
A basting brush is another thing I recommend when making these orange chicken and fried rice empanadas. While you can use your finger to spread the sauce along the edges of the egg roll wrap, the brush is much less messy and keeps your fingers clean, so you don’t have to keep washing/wiping them.
What I love most about these orange chicken and fried rice empanadas is that you can switch up the main fillings to your liking. Not a fan of orange chicken? No problem! Use any other type of chicken. You can even use shredded rotisserie chicken.
Not a fan of fried rice? Use steamed veggies or white rice. Don’t love orange sauce? No problem! You can use teriyaki sauce or any other of your favorites.
We are going to try a stir fry veggie empanada next. Stay tuned to see how those turn out. I bet they will be delicious! We will also try to make these in the air fryer to reduce the grease! What types of ingredients will you use for your empanadas?
I’ve tried to show the steps in the photos above for you to make it a bit easier to make these orange chicken and fried rice empanadas.
- Cook chicken and rice according to packages. Make sure to set aside half of the sauce from the chicken.
- Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Place one egg roll wrap on an empanada press.
- Place 3-4 pieces of chopped chicken into the egg roll wrap center.
- Top with a tablespoon of fried rice.
- Drizzle a bit of sauce onto the chicken and rice.
- Brush sauce along the edges of the egg roll wrap, where the empanada press will seal the edges.
- Close the empanada press tightly.
- Remove excess dough, open the press and remove the empanada.
- Repeat with the remaining ingredients until a plate full of empanadas is ready to be fried.
- Fry each empanada for 1-2 minutes per side (until each side is golden brown). You may be able to fit a few in the pan at once, depending on the size of the pan.
- Once golden brown on both sides, remove them and place them on a paper-towel-lined plate to allow the oil to drain a bit.
Orange Chicken and Fried Rice Empanadas
PrintOrange Chicken and Fried Rice Empanadas
Description
These orange chicken and fried rice empanadas are made with egg roll wraps instead of traditional empanada dough. They’re so delicious!
Ingredients
- Frozen orange chicken
- Frozen fried rice
- Egg roll wraps
- Vegetable Oil
Instructions
- Cook chicken and rice according to packages. Make sure to set aside half of the sauce from the chicken.
- Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Place one egg roll wrap on an empanada press.
- Place 3-4 pieces of chopped chicken and a tablespoon of rice into the center of the egg roll wrap center.
- Drizzle a bit of sauce onto the chicken and rice.
- Brush sauce along the edges of the egg roll wrap, where the empanada press will seal the edges.
- Close the empanada press tightly.
- Remove excess dough, open the press and remove the empanada.
- Repeat with the remaining ingredients until a plate full of empanadas is ready to be fried.
- Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil on medium-high heat.
- Once your oil is hot, fry each empanada for 1-2 minutes per side (or until each side is golden brown). You may be able to fit a few in the pan at once, depending on the size of the pan.
- Once golden brown on both sides, remove them and place them on a paper-towel-lined plate to allow the oil to drain a bit.
- Serve with the remaining orange sauce as a dipping sauce.
If you try our orange chicken and fried rice empanadas, we’d love to hear your thoughts. If you take a picture or share it on social media, don’t forget to tag us! Don’t forget to check out all of our family-friendly recipes!
Wow! These sound amazing. I’ve never made empanadas before, but your explanation makes it sound easier than I thought.
What a great idea to create this delicious recipe using ready made ingredients. I bet these empanadas will go down a treat with my family.
I have never made my own empanadas, and this doesn’t look too difficult. Sounds like a delicious recipe and nice to make something a little different once in a while.
Our Indian Bengali sweet ‘Puli’ looks exactly like these empanadas 🙂 We use shredded coconut + jaggery mixture as filling though! I would love to try this recipe. love orange chicken ❤️.
These look so delicious. My children love empanadas, so thank you for the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
I’m a big fan of empandas but have never tried to make my own before. But that little tool to make and crimp them would make it so much easier x