Street FoodMedium

Empanadas de Amarillo (Yellow Mole)

Name: Empanadas de Amarillo (Yellow Mole)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 150 g Sugar; 1 raja Mexican cinnamon; 150 g Cebada perla; 0.5 White onion; 4 Chillies chilhuacle amarillo; 2 Cloves; 2 cups Ice, to serve; 2 leaves Hoja santa; 2 Tomatoes; 4 Limes (Juice); 500 g Corn dough; 300 g Cooked and shredded chicken breast; 1 tsp Salt; 8 Banana leaf pieces; 2 litres Water; 2 cloves Garlic

4.0(1 rating)

55 min (30 prep + 25 cook) Medium 8 servings Oaxaca

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 24 Mar 2026 · Updated: 3 Jun 2026

Oaxacan empanadas filled with yellow mole and chicken.

Servings

Custom:

💰 Estimated cost: £25.16

£3.15 per person

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Ingredients

150 g Sugarfind
1 raja Mexican cinnamonfind
150 g Cebada perlafind
0.5 White onionfind
4 Chillies chilhuacle amarillofind
2 Clovesfind
2 cups Ice, to servefind
2 leaves Hoja santafind
2 Tomatoesfind
4 Limes (Juice)find
500 g Corn doughfind
300 g Cooked and shredded chicken breastfind
1 tsp Saltfind
8 Banana leaf piecesfind
2 litres Waterfind
2 cloves Garlicfind

Got these ingredients?

Discover what else you can cook with what you already have at home.

See what I can cook →

Equipment & tools

What you need to cook this recipe.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

About this recipe

Corn dough empanadas filled with yellow mole and chicken, wrapped in banana leaf and cooked on a griddle. A Oaxacan classic.

History & Origin

Empanadas de amarillo are one of the most beloved Oaxacan snacks, inseparable from the yellow mole that gives them their name. Unlike empanadas from other regions that are fried, Oaxacan empanadas are cooked on a griddle wrapped in banana leaf, a pre-Hispanic technique that gives them an unmistakable aroma. The yellow mole is one of Oaxaca's famous seven moles, prepared with yellow chilhuacle chilli, an endemic chilli found nowhere else in Mexico. The empanadas are prepared by spreading corn dough on banana leaf, placing filling in the centre, and folding into a half-moon. In Oaxaca's Mercado 20 de Noviembre, they are sold by the dozen and considered one of the most satisfying breakfasts.

Estimated cost

£25.16

Total cost

£3.15

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

240

Calories

14g

Protein

30g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

420mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Prepare the mole amarillo: toast the chillies chilhuacle in a comal (flat griddle) dry. Soak them in hot water 15 minutes.
2
Blend the chillies with tomato, onion, garlic, clavos and a little water. Strain and frand the saltsa 10 minutes. Add leaf santa and salt.
3
Mix the shredded chicken with the yellow mole. This will be the filling.
4
Pasa the leaves of banana for the flama for suavizarlas. Cut in cuadrados of 20 cm.
5
Place a portion of dough on each banana leaf and flatten into an oval. Put filling in the centre and fold into a half-moon. Seal by pressing the edges.
6
Wrap each empanada with the leaf of banana and cook in a comal (flat griddle) over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side. Serve hots.

Have you tried this recipe?

Tell us how it turned out. Your feedback helps other cooks.

Leave a review

Mexican Antojitos Explained: A Complete Street Food Glossary

Rate this recipe

Edmond Bojalil

Founder, Recetas Mexas

Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 1000+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for home kitchens worldwide. Based in Madrid since 2018.