Chicken Puff
South Asian and British puff pastry pockets stuffed with spiced minced chicken — the perfect tea-time snack or party appetizer. Store-bought puff pastry makes this a 30-minute affair instead of a multi-hour project.
Prep Time
13 min
Cook Time
17 min
Servings
6
Calories
323 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Puff Pastry3 sheets
- Chicken750 g
- Salt1 ½ tsp
- Black Pepper¾ tsp
- Cooking Oil1 ½
- Garlic4 ½ cloves
All quantities scaled automatically from 6 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Puff Pastry3 sheets
- Chicken750 g
- Salt1.5 tsp
- Black Pepper0.75 tsp
- Cooking Oil1.5
- Garlic4.5 cloves
Instructions
- 1
Thaw 1 package (about 1 lb) of frozen puff pastry overnight in the fridge. Don't shortcut this — room-temperature thawing makes the layers stick together.
- 2
Make the filling: heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Add 1 chopped onion, cook 4 minutes. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 inch grated ginger, cook 1 minute. Add 1 lb of ground chicken, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Cook 6-7 minutes until no pink remains.
- 3
Add 1 chopped green chili (optional), 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, 1.5 teaspoons salt. Cook 3 minutes.
- 4
Stir in 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, juice of half a lemon. Cook 2 more minutes until the mixture is dry — wet filling soggy puff pastry. Cool completely.
- 5
Roll the puff pastry slightly and cut into 8 squares (5 inches each). Place 2 tablespoons of cooled filling on each square. Brush the edges with beaten egg. Fold over into triangles and seal with a fork.
- 6
Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush the tops with more beaten egg. Bake at 400°F for 18-22 minutes until deep golden and puffed dramatically. Cool 3 minutes before serving — filling is volcanic right out of the oven.
Watch how to make Chicken Puff
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💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Cool the filling completely. Hot filling melts the puff pastry layers and prevents proper rising. Spread on a plate to cool faster.
- 2.Dry filling. Wet filling soggs the pastry from the inside. Cook until almost no moisture remains.
- 3.Egg wash the edges. The egg wash seals the pastry — water alone breaks the seal during baking and filling leaks out.
- 4.Hot oven, no peeking. Puff pastry needs uninterrupted heat to rise dramatically. Opening the door drops temperature and collapses the puff.
🔬 Why It Works
Puff pastry is a laminated dough with dozens of butter layers. When baked, the water in the butter turns to steam, separating each layer and creating the characteristic dramatic puff. Hot filling melts the butter layers before the pastry hits the oven, eliminating the puff. Cool filling preserves the layered structure. The egg wash on the edges acts as glue and also gives the baked pastries their golden gloss.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 6 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 6 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
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