Description
Chicken Pastel brings comfort straight from Filipino kitchens to your dinner table with creamy, hearty layers of chicken, vegetables, and a buttery crust that feels like a warm hug. Grab your ingredients and prepare to savor a classic dish that connects generations through its rich, satisfying flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 2 pounds boneless chicken thigh meat
- 5 ounces chorizo de bilbao
- 1 can 5 ounces vienna sausages
Vegetables and Flavor Enhancers:
- 1 onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 large carrot
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 1 can 7 ounces button mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- salt and pepper to taste
Crust Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick butter
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening
- 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
Egg Wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Blend 2 pounds of chicken thigh cubes with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and lemon juice. Allow the meat to absorb flavors for 15 minutes at room temperature.
- Heat canola oil in a large skillet. Sauté 5 ounces of chorizo cubes until they release fragrant oils, about 3 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons butter, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1 chopped onion to the skillet. Cook until onions turn translucent, roughly 4 minutes.
- Transfer marinated chicken into the skillet. Cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meat turns light golden and loses pink color.
- Dust 2 tablespoons flour over the chicken mixture, stirring continuously to prevent burning. Cook for 1-2 minutes to eliminate raw flour taste.
- Pour 2 cups water into the skillet, creating a smooth sauce. Stir gently to incorporate all ingredients and prevent lumps.
- Add 1 large carrot cube, 1 cup green peas, 7 ounces sliced mushrooms, and 5 ounces sausage rounds. Simmer for 10-12 minutes.
- Stir in ½ cup evaporated milk. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let filling cool slightly.
- Mix 1½ cups flour with ½ teaspoon salt in a chilled bowl. Cut 1 stick cold butter and ¼ cup shortening into small pieces.
- Work butter and shortening into flour using fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 3-4 tablespoons ice water.
- Knead dough briefly, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Roll chilled dough into a sheet large enough to cover your baking dish. Drape pastry over filling, trimming excess edges.
- Whisk 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush pastry surface generously with egg wash.
- Bake at 375°F for 30-35 minutes until crust turns golden brown and filling bubbles around edges.
Notes
- Marinate chicken in advance for deeper flavor, giving the meat time to absorb the lemon and soy sauce.
- Always sauté chorizo first to release its rich oils, which will enhance the entire dish’s depth of flavor.
- Chilling your pastry dough helps create a flakier, more tender crust that will hold up beautifully against the creamy filling.
- For a lighter version, swap whole milk with low-fat milk and use lean chicken breast to reduce overall calories without compromising taste.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-50 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Filipino
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 to 6
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg