Experience the delightful combination of butter chicken pies with puff pastry.
These individual pies feature a rich, creamy butter chicken filling encased in flaky pastry, perfect for a cozy dinner or special treat.
A must-try for any butter chicken lover!
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Butter chicken pies combine the rich, creamy flavors of classic butter chicken with the flaky, golden crust of puff pastry.
These individual pies are filled with tender chicken in a spiced tomato and cream sauce, encased in a buttery pastry shell.
Ideal for meal prep, these pies can be made ahead and frozen for later use, providing a convenient and delicious meal option.
Serve them with a side of steamed vegetables or a simple green salad for a complete and satisfying meal.
These pies are perfect for a cozy dinner or as a special treat for guests.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Innovative take on classic butter chicken in a hand-held form.
- Ideal for parties or as a unique appetizer or finger food.
- These puff pastry butter chicken pies can be made ahead and frozen for convenience.
- Budget-friendly using leftover butter chicken filling.
- These butter chicken pies are easy to make.
Ingredients
Please note that below is a guide for some of the ingredients we used in the recipe. The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.
- Plain Yogurt
- Lemon Juice
- Turmeric Powder
- Chili Powder
- Ground Cumin
- Garam Masala
- Minced Garlic
- Minced Ginger
- Salt
- Boneless Chicken Thigh Fillets Or Chicken Breast: Cut into bite sized pieces.
- Butter or Ghee
- Tomato Puree (Tomato Passata)
- Thickened Cream: Or you could use heavy whipping cream.
- Sugar
- Salt
- Cornstarch (corn flour)
- Water
- Ready Rolled Puff Pastry: Thaw your pastry just before use.
- Egg: Lightly whisked.
Equipment
12 hole muffin tin with each hole being able to hold about ½ cup of mixture.
1 x round cookie cutter (9 cm, 3.5 inches)
1 x round cookie cutter (7 cm, 2.8 inches)
Instructions
This recipe for puff pastry butter chicken pies makes 12 pies. The ingredient quantities can easily be adjusted to suit how many serves you need to make.
Making The Filling
Step One: Combine all ingredients for Marinade in a bowl with the chicken. Coat the chicken well, cover, and marinate for at least 20 minutes.
Step Two: Heat butter in a large fry pan over high heat. Place marinated chicken into hot pan and cook until the chicken is fully cooked.
When adding chicken to the pan, use tongs to transfer it directly from the marinade. Avoid pouring excess marinade from the bowl into the pan.
Step Three: Next, reduce the heat to low medium, and add the remaining marinade left in the bowl, tomato puree, cream, sugar, and salt. Mix well. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Reduce the heat to low.
Step Four: In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Mix until there are no lumps. This is making a slurry.
Step Five: Add the slurry to the pan and mix through gradually. Once the mixture has thickened slightly, turn off heat. Allow to cool completely.
Making The Pies
Step One: Preheat oven to 200°C (392°F), and lightly grease the insides of the muffin tin with butter or oil.
Step Two: Using a round cookie cutter, cut 12 circles using the larger round cookie cutter into the just thawed pastry.
Step Three: Carefully place the cut pastry into the bottom of the cups in the muffin tin. Gently press the pastry to the sides of each cup.
Step Four: Divide the cooled filling evenly between the pastry lined muffin cups. I used about 55 grams (1.94 ounces) of filling per pie.
Step Five: With the remaining pastry, cut 12 more circles. This time using the smaller cookie cutter. This will be used to top the pies.
Step Six: Place the cut circles over the muffin cups, gently pressing around the edges to seal the pies. Trim any excess pastry from the edges.
Step Seven: Using a fork, poke some holes into the tops of each of the pies. Then brush the tops of the pies with some lightly whisked egg.
Step Eight: Place in preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes of until golden brown. Once baked, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Tips for Success
- Puff pastry bakes better when it is cold. Thaw your puff pastry at the last minute just before use.
- You might like to use mini muffin tins to make bite sized butter chicken pies.
Cost To Make
Estimated cost = $7.10 or $0.60 a pie
Substitutions / Variations
- Mini Butter Chicken Pies: Make bite-sized pies using mini muffin tins for appetizers or snacks.
- Butter Chicken Empanadas: Fill empanada dough with butter chicken filling and bake until golden brown.
- Instead of topping with puff pastry, you might like to top with creamy mashed potatoes and bake until the potatoes are golden and crisp on top.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with a dollop of mango chutney on the side for a sweet and tangy contrast.
- Serve individual pies as appetizers or a main dish, accompanied by a side salad dressed with a yogurt-based dressing.
- Garnish with fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro (coriander) to enhance the presentation.
- Serve with classic tomato sauce.
Storage
These butter chicken pies can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
FAQ
Butter chicken sauce is typically made from tomatoes, cream, butter, yogurt, and a blend of spices such as garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and chili powder.
It has a rich and creamy texture with a mildly spiced flavor.
Butter chicken stands out due to its creamy and velvety sauce that combines tomatoes and butter with cream and yogurt, creating a luxurious texture.
The use of specific spices and the marination of chicken in yogurt and spices before cooking also contribute to its distinct flavor profile, setting it apart from other Indian curry dishes.
Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below! We'd love to hear how it turned out.
Recipe
Butter Chicken Pies
Equipment
- 12 hole muffin tin with each hole being able to hold about ½ cup ofmixture.
- 1 round cookie cutter (9 cm, 3.5 inches)
- 1 round cookie cutter (7 cm, 2.8 inches)
Ingredients
Marinade
- ½ cup (120 grams, 4.23 ounces) plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon (1 – 2 cloves) minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 750 grams (1.50 pounds) boneless chicken thigh fillets or chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
Gravy
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams, 1.05 ounces) butter or ghee
- 1 cup tomato puree tomato passata
- 1 cup (250ml/grams, 8.81 ounces) thickened cream (or heavy whipping cream)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch corn flour
- 4 teaspoons water
Pastry
- 4 sheets Ready Rolled Puff Pastry - we used 23.5 cm x 23.5 cm, 9.25 x 9.25 inches in size, just thawed
- 1 egg lightly whisked
Instructions
Making The Filling
- Combine all ingredients for Marinade in a bowl with the chicken. Coat the chicken well, cover, and marinate for at least 20 minutes.
- Heat butter in a large fry pan over high heat. Place marinated chicken into hot pan and cook until the chicken is fully cooked. (see note 1).
- Next, reduce the heat to low medium, and add the remaining marinade left in the bowl, tomato puree, cream, sugar, and salt. Mix well. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Reduce the heat to low.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Mix until there are no lumps. This is making a slurry.
- Add the slurry to the pan and mix through gradually. Once the mixture has thickened slightly, turn off heat. Allow to cool completely.
Making The Pies
- Preheat oven to 200°C (392°F), and lightly grease the insides of the muffin tin with butter or oil.
- Using a round cookie cutter, cut 12 circles using the larger round cookie cutter into the just thawed pastry.
- Carefully place the cut pastry into the bottom of the cups in the muffin tin. Gently press the pastry to the sides of each cup.
- Divide the cooled filling evenly between the pastry lined muffin cups. (see note 2).
- With the remaining pastry, cut 12 more circles. This time using the smaller cookie cutter. This will be used to top the pies.
- Place the cut circles over the muffin cups, gently pressing around the edges to seal the pies. Trim any excess pastry from the edges.
- Using a fork, poke some holes into the tops of each of the pies. Then brush the tops of the pies with some lightly whisked egg.
- Place in preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Once baked, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- When adding chicken to the pan, use tongs to transfer it directly from the marinade. Avoid pouring excess marinade from the bowl into the pan.
- I used about 55 grams (1.94 ounces) of filling per pie. You might like to use mini muffin tins to make bite sized butter chicken pies.
Will says
Made these for my BBQ as a filler, and my guests loved them!