chicken pastry

this chicken pastry is a comforting twist on a classic chicken pot pie, marrying the buttery flakiness of puff pastry with the heartiness of a creamy chicken filling. each pastry is brimming with shredded chicken, diced vegetables and a beautifully seasoned cream sauce.

this chicken pastry features layers of golden, buttery puff pastry encasing a luxuriously creamy chicken filling. topped with sesame and black seeds for a satisfying crunch, this pastry is sure to wrap you up in a blanket of coziness with every delicious mouthful.

why you will love this chicken pastry recipe:

• easy and simple ingredients – this chicken pastry is made with simple and easy to find ingredients, so you can enjoy it without the need for lots of prep. you’ll probably have most of these ingredients on hand already!

• comfort food – this chicken pastry is basically a mini version of a classic chicken pot pie, so it’s full of warm, homey flavours and comforting textures. you can cozy up with one of these pastries on a chilly day or a relaxing evening at home.

• great for lunches – these individual chicken pastries are perfect for on-the-go snacking or packed lunches – an easy and convenient meal option for busy days.

how to make this chicken pastry:

to make this pastry, we’re going to start off by boiling chicken, then we’ll set it aside to cool while we make the cream sauce. we’ll add any extras to the cream sauce, including vegetables and the cooked chicken, then we’ll add the chicken mixture to puff pastry sheets. finally, we’ll top with sesame and black seeds and bake the pastries until crispy and golden-brown.

ingredients you will need:

• chicken breast – we’re going to be boiling chicken breast and then shredding it for our filling

• garlic cloves – to add some flavour to our boiled chicken, we’ll be boiling the chicken with the garlic cloves

• cumin seeds – we’ll also be adding this to the water when boiling our chicken

• oil – any neutral oil will work fine, we’ll just be using this cook our onions

• butter – we’ll be adding this alongside the oil as the fat for our roux

• onion- we’re going to be cooking 1 onion, chopped, until translucent for our filling

• flour – this will be used to thicken up our sauce

• milk – this will be the base of our sauce

• vegetables – you can add any kind of vegetable you like to your chicken pastry. i opted for red and green pepper but it’s completely up to you.

• seasonings – the main seasonings used in this chicken pastry recipe will be black pepper, some red chilli flakes and some chicken stock powder. feel free to add salt to your taste, but the chicken stock powder will already add some salt to the sauce and there will also be salt in the boiled chicken.

• double cream/heavy cream – this will make our sauce thicker and add some extra richness to it

• water – we’re going to add a little bit of water at the end and leave the mixture to cook

• pastry sheets – i used pre-made puff pastry sheets for this chicken pastry

• egg – beat an egg and brush it over the pastry before baking for a shiny, golden top

• sesame seeds – sprinkle on top before baking for some extra crunch

• black seeds – i also like to add these on top before baking for some colour

tools:

• silicone brush – use this to brush your pastries with egg before baking for a shiny finish

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: add chicken breast to a pot with some water, garlic cloves, salt and cumin seeds. add just enough water for there to be none leftover once the chicken is boiled. this will be ensure that the chicken absorbs the flavours of all the ingredients that we added. once the chicken is boiled, set it aside to cool. then, one cooled, shred it.

step two: in a pan, add oil and butter. let the butter melt, then add chopped onion and cook until translucent.

step three: add flour to the pan, and keep stirring it. cook this for a good minute to cook the flour taste out.

step four: add milk gradually while stirring to make sure there are no clumps in the sauce. continue to stir while you bring this to a boil. at this point, the mixture should thicken up.

step five: once the mixture has thickened, add your choice of vegetables. i just added peppers but if you choose to add things like broccoli, carrots, etc. it would be best to add them already steamed.

step six: add your shredded chicken as well as black pepper, chicken stock powder and red chilli flakes. you can add more salt if you like but i didn’t. mix all of this together.

step seven: add some heavy cream for some extra richness and mix that into the filling.

step eight: add a little bit of water, mix it in, then cover and leave the mixture to cook at low-medium heat for around 5 minutes. keep an eye on it at this stage to make sure the mixture doesn’t cook for too long and dry out. then, set the mixture aside to cool.

step nine: once the mixture has cooled, add a generous amount of the chicken pastry filling to one side of the pastry sheet. make sure you leave a small gap at the edge for when we close up the pastry square.

step ten: close up your chicken pastries, and use a fork to seal up the edges. make sure they are tightly closed so that none of the chicken pastry filling escapes. add some slits to the top of the puff pastry with a knife.

step eleven: in a small bowl, beat an egg. use a silicone brush to brush it on top of the puff pastry.

step twelve: preheat your oven to 220°c around ten minutes before baking. sprinkle your chicken pastries with sesame seeds and black seeds for some extra colour and crunch.

step thirteen: bake the chicken pastries at 200°c for around twenty minutes.

step fourteen: once they’re out of the oven, let them cool slightly. then serve up, and let’s eat!

tips and notes

• if you’re using frozen puff pastry, make sure to thaw it according to the package instructions before using. thawing it too quickly or at too high a temperature can affect its texture and rise.

• make sure to properly seal the edges to prevent the chicken pastry filling from leaking out during baking.

• once your chicken pastry filling is cooked, let it cool slightly before spooning it onto the puff pastry sheets. this helps prevent the pastry from becoming soggy and ensures a better, crisp texture.

• feel free to customise this chicken pastry filling with your favourite ingredients. there are a number of different combinations you can go for, like spinach and feta, buffalo chicken or even cheese and onion.

• when it comes to storing, you can store leftover pastries in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. reheat them in the oven or air fryer until warm and crispy before serving.

• you can easily prep these chicken pastries in advance! simply assemble all of your pastries, seal them tightly and add slits on the top. place these on a baking sheet or tray lined with parchment paper/baking paper and freeze them for 2-3 hours so that they don’t clump together. once they are frozen, you can transfer them to freezer bags or airtight containers and freeze properly. whenever you need to bake these, just brush with egg wash and bake, allowing for an extra few minutes of baking since they will be baked from frozen.

frequently asked questions

1. how do i make this chicken pastry vegetarian-friendly?

   – you can easily make this chicken pastry vegetarian-friendly by substituting the chicken with your favourite vegetables like mushrooms, spinach etc. and swap the chicken stock powder with vegetable stock powder.

2. can i make this chicken pastry recipe without egg?

   – egg is not necessary for this chicken pastry recipe, so yes, you absolutely can make these without egg. while egg wash helps give the pastries a golden colour and shiny finish, it’s not essential. if you would still like the shine and colour, milk or melted butter are also great options to use instead of egg. just brush the pastries as you would with egg and bake.

3. can i make these chicken pastries in an air fryer?

   – it is possible to make these chicken pastries in an air fryer, but there may be some differences in look and texture to oven-baked pastries. just place your assembled pastries in the air fryer basket, taking care not to overcrowd it. cook at 190°c (375°f) for around 10-15 minutes or until the pastries look crispy and golden-brown. bear in mind that cooking times will vary depending on your air fryer and the size of your pastries.

4. why did my puff pastry not rise in the oven?

   – there are a number of reasons that could explain why your pastry didn’t rise. firstly, make sure you preheat your oven to a high temperature before baking. puff pastry needs to be baked at a high temperature to create steam, which causes the layers to puff up. if the oven temperature is too low, it could be that the pastry didn’t have enough heat to rise properly. another reason is excess moisture in the pastry filling. if your filling is too wet, this will prevent the puff pastry from rising properly.

recipe