Flaky Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties (Printable)
Golden flaky pastry pockets stuffed with spiced curried chicken, a beloved Jamaican street-food classic.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pastry
01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
04 - 1 teaspoon curry powder
05 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
06 - 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
07 - ½ cup ice water, plus more as needed
→ Curry Chicken Filling
08 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
09 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
10 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
11 - 1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional, adjust to taste)
12 - 2 teaspoons Jamaican curry powder
13 - ½ teaspoon ground allspice
14 - 14 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced small
15 - 1 small potato, peeled and diced
16 - ¾ cup chicken broth
17 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
18 - Salt and pepper to taste
19 - 2 green onions, sliced
20 - ¼ cup coconut milk
→ Assembly
21 - 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash, optional)
# Directions:
01 - In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, turmeric, curry powder, and sugar. Add cold cubed butter and rub into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Drizzle in ice water and mix gently until a cohesive dough forms. Flatten into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
02 - In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion until softened and translucent, about 3–4 minutes. Add minced garlic and scotch bonnet pepper, stirring for 30 seconds. Stir in Jamaican curry powder and ground allspice, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add diced chicken thighs to the skillet and brown lightly on all sides. Stir in the diced potato, chicken broth, and fresh thyme leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10–12 minutes until the potato is tender and the chicken is cooked through.
04 - Stir in the sliced green onions and coconut milk. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and let the filling cool completely before assembling.
05 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to ⅛-inch thickness. Cut out 6-inch circles using a bowl or cutter as a guide. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of cooled filling onto one half of each circle. Fold the dough over to form a half-moon shape and press the edges firmly with a fork to seal. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
06 - Brush the tops of the patties with beaten egg for a golden finish, if desired. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the pastry is deep golden brown and crisp. Let cool slightly before serving warm.
# Cooking Tips:
01 -
- That turmeric stained pastry is practically impossible to stop eating once you crack through the flaky layers.
- The filling balances warm spice and gentle heat in a way that makes everyone at the table go quiet for a minute.
- They freeze beautifully, so you can stash a batch and reheat them on nights when cooking feels impossible.
02 -
- If your filling is even slightly warm when you stuff the pastry, the butter will melt before it hits the oven and you will lose every bit of flakiness you worked for.
- Do not overwork the dough or add too much water, because tough pastry is the number one reason homemade patties disappoint compared to bakery versions.
03 -
- Grate your butter on the large holes of a box grater while it is very cold, then toss it quickly with the flour for a more even distribution with less hand warmth melting it.
- If your dough cracks while you fold the patties, just patch it with a damp finger and press gently, because the egg wash will hide any evidence once baked.