Chicken Puff Pastries aka Chicken Patties
A few months ago, I sent out a survey asking my email community (which you should join!) to choose one perfected recipe they’d like for Ramadan. To my surprise, among options like pakora and samosa, these Pakistani Chicken Patties were the most requested! Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, get recipes & tips every week! So many trips to Pakistan involved cautiously* eating the savory loot from bakeries. My favorites were the mini-pizzas, which were nothing like the pizza we know but inexplicably good. And of course, these Chicken-Stuffed Puff Pastries, or Chicken Patties as Pakistanis often call them.
Origins
Exactly how Chicken Patties became such an ubiquitous Pakistani bakery item, I’m not sure. But the British Raj likely had something to do with it. In fact, savory puff pastries became popular in 18th Century Britain, which may explain why these patties became prevalent in an area where tandoors were more popular than ovens. *Cautiously because our Americanized digestive systems unfortunately can’t handle the food scene in Pakistan.
Ingredients
The ingredients are simple, ones you can find at any grocery store:
For Boiling Chicken:
Chicken breast: The traditional cut, but chicken thighs also work. Salt & Ground black pepper: I run black peppercorns through a spice grinder to make my black pepper. Pre-ground black pepper should be fine as long as somewhat fresh. Garlic: A small garlic clove to add a hum of garlic flavor without the raw taste.
To Make the Roux (fancy term for the White Sauce)
Butter & oil: Use a blend of both to add flavor without it getting too heavy from the butter. Cumin seeds: Optional – they aren’t too noticeable but add a bit of South Asian flare. Onion: I’ve used yellow but you can also use red onion. Serrano pepper: I use a med/large Serrano (~12g in weight) because it packs flavor without too much heat. If substituting with a spicier chili such as Thai/bird’s eye, use less in quantity. Deseed with a spoon to reduce the sharp heat. Flour: Used to thicken the roux. Whole milk: Gives the perfect flavor and consistency to the filling. Heavy whipping cream: Makes the sauce rich and creamy. See recipe card notes for using half and half. Cilantro: Optional – not an essential flavor builder, but adds freshness as herbs do.
Puff Pastry Sheets
Egg wash (egg + water/milk): Gives a nice shine and golden color. Puff Pastry Sheets: The brand you use will affect the size of pastry, bake temperature & time, texture, etc. Here are a few I’ve tried: Dufour Puff Pastry – Buttery, more delicate/artisan, puffs up nicely. Pepperidge Farms – More generic but more like the puff pastry we’re used to – used most to develop recipe. Aman Puff Pastry – From a desi grocery store, flakier than Pepperidge Farms but made large 5″ (long side) pastries.
How to make Chicken Puff Pastry
Make the Filling
Bring the chicken to a boil, removing any scum with a slotted spoon. Instead of boiling, then removing the chicken from the broth, we’re completely cooking down the liquid so not to waste the flavor in the broth (the Desi way😇). Depending on the heat of your stovetop, you may need to add water if it evaporates while the chicken hasn’t yet cooked.
Once the chicken has cooked down and naturally starts to shred, transfer to a stand mixer (or a cutting board to manually shred). You don’t necessarily need to cool. I like to shred it so the chicken isn’t too stringy but doesn’t resemble ground chicken. Set aside.
Clean your saucepan and place it back over medium high heat. Sauté the whole cumin seeds, onion, and serrano in oil and butter. You want to cook out the raw taste and get the onions translucent and deeper in flavor, but resist the urge to brown them.
Season with s&p (adding them in different stages mellows out and creates nuance in flavor). Sauté the flour for a minute or two to get rid of any raw taste. Then stir in the milk and cream. As you allow it to cook, it’ll naturally thicken up. Try not to get it too thick, because as it cools, it’ll thicken even more. (In the picture, it’s cooled a bit so looks a little thicker than ideal texture.) Once you add the chicken, it’ll solidify into the perfect creamy, oozy filling. If it still seems a little runny or wet, sauté out any extra moisture. Taste and add black pepper if you’d like it more pronounced.
Cover and allow the chicken mixture to completely cool (stick it in the fridge to cool faster). Working with it while warm will melt the butter in the pastries and make the layers less flaky.
Make the Puff Pastries
Prepare the egg wash by whisking the egg with milk or water.
Unwrap the pastry sheets and place directly on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet (less handling of the pastries). Brush with egg wash. Cut squares on the pastry sheets. This can be tricky because pastry sheets come in all sorts of sizes, often rectangles – how do you get them in equal sized squares?! For square pastry sheets, this should be easy. Ex: If you have 4 (9.75 X 10.5 inches) pastry sheets, cut each sheet into 3 vertical strips. Then cut each strip into 3 squares for a total of 9 squares per sheet. For large rectangular sheets (9×15 inches), cut 3 vertical strips, then each strip into 5 squares. You can also make large patties by cutting in half vertically, then cutting each strip into 3 squares for a total of 6 equal squares (just add more filling!). Lastly, remember you can make different shapes such as squares or rectangles.
Hack for square/rectangular pastries: Before cutting the sheets, place the filling (as seen in pictures) on one sheet. Cover with the other pastry sheet, then cut both of them together, sealing the edges. Here’s my Instagram Reel showing how to do it.
Keep the puff pastry chilled/refrigerated instead of at room temperature. Not only will it be easier to work with, but you’ll maintain the distinct layers and therefore the crispy, flaky texture. Get the oven hot. At first I would bake at 350F, and they wouldn’t rise well, and/or end up flatter and dense. Baking at 375-385F immediately improved their rise. Use a sharp knife to gently cut (try not to slide the knife down) the pastry sheets. This helps maintain the integrity of the layers.
Add the chicken filling, then fold over, sealing the edges using a fork. Don’t worry about crimping them perfectly. I love a little filling oozing out and caramelizing. Brush the top once again with egg wash.
Bake both sheets together for 30-35 minutes. Since the top sheet cooks faster, remove from oven, then move the bottom sheet to the top tray and bake until it’s also golden brown.
Once out of the oven, allow to rest and settle, then serve warm. They’re great alone or with chutney of choice.
A Note on Round Puff Pastries
The Chicken Patties in Pakistan are round, have 3 pastry layers, and usually look like this one from Jalal Sons bakery. In the interest of not wasting puff pastry and saving time, I stick to hand-pie-like triangles (equally delicious but not as nostalgia-evoking). If you want to make them round:
After a brush of egg wash, use a cookie cutter with a 2.5”-3” diameter to cut circles in the pastry sheets. Add about 1 tbsp of the chicken to half the circles, then close the pastry with the remaining circles. Seal, egg wash, and bake as directed. With the remaining pastry, I just roll it back up and make some type of chicken bread (not as puffy, but waste-free!).
Variations
Cheese!! Not traditional, but why not? I’ve used fine cut/ shredded mozzarella cheese. Spices & Herbs. I tried adding garlic powder and other spices but preferred the clean, creamy flavors of the filling for this Poultry-Stuffed Puff Pastry. You could experiment and add white pepper, paprika, chaat masala, red pepper flakes, or other spices and herbs of choice. Vegetables: Add veggies along with chicken – corn, mushrooms, bell peppers, peas, or green onions/scallions would be great. Decrease chicken as needed to account for vegetables. And if you want to make it completely vegetarian, omit the chicken and replace with equal volume (~3 cups) of veggies. Seeds: After egg washing, top with nigella seeds or sesame seeds for flavor and presentation. Switch it up: Feel free to use the filling inside phyllo dough triangles or pastry shells (vol-au-vents).
Tried this recipe? If you have a minute, please consider leaving a comment telling me how it was! You can also take a quick picture and upload it directly into the comments. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I truly love hearing from you. Thank you!
