Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties (Print)
Flaky turmeric pastry stuffed with spiced curried chicken and potato, a Caribbean street-food staple.
# What You Need:
→ Pastry Dough
01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour (315 g)
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 (225 g)
07 - ½ cup ice water, plus more as needed (120 ml)
→ 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 (400 g)
15 - 1 small potato, peeled and diced
16 - ¾ cup chicken broth (180 ml)
17 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
18 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
19 - 2 green onions, sliced
20 - ¼ cup coconut milk (60 ml)
→ Assembly
21 - 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash, optional)
# How To Make It:
01 - In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, turmeric, curry powder, and sugar. Add the cubed cold butter and rub it into the flour mixture using your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Drizzle in the ice water gradually, mixing until the dough just comes together. Flatten into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
02 - Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and scotch bonnet pepper, stirring for 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the curry powder and ground allspice, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add the 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 for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let the filling cool completely.
05 - Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). 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 template.
06 - Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of cooled filling onto one half of each dough circle. Fold the other half over to form a half-moon shape. Press the edges firmly with a fork to crimp and seal. Arrange the patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
07 - Brush the tops of the patties with beaten egg for a golden, glossy finish. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the pastry is deep golden brown and crisp.
08 - Allow the patties to cool slightly on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Serve warm for the best texture and flavor.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- That flaky buttery crust is something most people only get from a bakery, but the technique is surprisingly manageable once you trust your fingertips.
- The filling is deeply aromatic without being overwhelmingly spicy, so everyone at the table can enjoy it.
- They freeze beautifully, which means you can make a double batch and have instant street food magic on demand.
02 -
- The filling must be completely cool before you stuff the pastry, I learned this the hard way when warm filling turned my beautiful dough into a greasy puddle.
- Do not overwork the pastry dough, those visible bits of butter are what create the flaky layers, so stop mixing the moment it comes together.
03 -
- Chill your bowl and even the flour in the freezer for 15 minutes before making the pastry, every degree of cold counts toward better flakiness.
- Dust your work surface with curry powder instead of flour when rolling out the dough for an extra layer of flavor in every bite.