Kenosha Eats: Chicken Empanada

The Flavor and The Story:

Open since 2013, Olano’s Empanadas has been hot on the Kenosha mobile food scene since … before there was a mobile food scene. 

This husband and wife duo has been delighting tastebuds with unique, portable flavor all over southeastern Wisconsin. 

Olano’s namesake dish, the empanada, is a heavenly pocket of crispy bread filled with any assortment of creative and flavorful ingredients from simple eggs and cheese to sweet potatoes and garam masala.

On my most recent visit to this exciting local eatery on wheels, I went for the approachable but incredibly flavorful chicken empanada. 

This fresh baked pastry was filled with tender, seasoned, and shredded chicken that made every bite exciting and delicious. 

The aji amarillo, a peruvian pepper paste, added depth and freshness with minimal heat. 

Personally, I love a bit of spice in my life, so I opted to add a side of fresh made jalapeno salsa that added the perfect amount of acid and heat to balance out every bite. 

Olano’s is just beginning their heavy summer schedule and can be found every Saturday at Kenosha HarborMarket, Friday nights at the new Lake Andrea Craft Beer Garden, and at every exciting food truck event in town.

If you simply can’t wait for the weekend, Olano’s also accepts pickup orders throughout the week via their website. 

The Chicken Empanada is available on their standard menu for $7.

Olano’s schedule of events, online ordering, and full menu can be found at OlanosEmpanadas.com.