These cheesy chicken and bacon pasties are one of those bakes that just feel like a treat… golden, flaky pastry wrapped around a rich, creamy chicken & bacon filling.
Nicky’s Notes
These pasties took a bit of testing to get them exactly as I wanted them:
- Perfectly golden and crisp pastry, with a filling that stays soft, creamy, and full of flavour.
- Easy to prep – using rotisserie chicken means we can get these ready to go in the oven in about 30 minutes (include 10 minutes cooling time).
- The right size for a handheld lunch, but also filling enough for dinner with a couple of extra sides. My first attempt, were ridiculously massive (as in the size of my head massive). Certainly nobody complained, but they did look a bit silly.
In fact I’m pretty sure I have a photo of that…….
📋 Ingredients for Cheesy Chicken and Bacon Pasties
***Full recipe with detailed quantities in the recipe card below***
- Chicken – I shred up chicken from a rotisserie chicken, or use leftover cooked chicken. Breast or thigh (or a mixture of both) is fine – whatever is your favourite. I tend to stick to more breast meat, just because it’s lighter and makes the filling look more tempting.
- Cheese – go with a strong cheddar so the flavour comes through.
- Bacon – I use chopped up smoked streaky bacon. You can use unsmoked/lardons/pancetta or replace with cubes of ham if you prefer (if using ham, just fry with the onion to warm it through).
Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***
Fry the bacon, then add onion and soften. Stir through flour, then pour in milk and stir until thickened. Stir in cheese and cooked chicken, then leave to cool. Slice pastry into 8 rectangles and place 4 on a baking sheet. Add the chicken mixture to the centre of each, egg wash edges, add pastry on top, score and egg wash, then bake until golden.
Recipe Tips
- The filling seems like a lot, but it does spread out a bit when the pasties are cooking in the oven. Just tried to ensure you seal the pastry without any gaps.
- Be sure to pierce the pastry with a knife a couple of times before the pasties go in the oven. This will allow steam to escape (stopping the pastry from splitting open).
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🍽️ What to serve with these pasties
I love to serve with chips or potato wedges, maybe some veg (sauteed cabbage or peas) or some regular or BBQ beans. For sauces, a glug of ketchup or sweet chilli sauce always goes down well!
Make ahead and Leftovers Guide
- Make and cook the pasties, then cool, cover and refrigerate .Reheat in the oven, uncovered, at 190C/375F for 20 minutes, until piping hot throughout.
- If freezing, make and cook the pasties, then cool, place in an airtight container (or a layer of greaseproof paper, followed by a layer of foil) and freeze.
- Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat as per the ‘make ahead’ instructions above.
📺 Watch how to make it
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Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat.
1/2 tbsp oil
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Add the bacon and fry for 5 minutes, until lightly browned.
4 strips streaky bacon
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Turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion and pepper and cook, stirring often for a further 5 minutes, until the onion softens.
1 small onion, 1/4 tsp black pepper
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Sprinkle over the flour and cook for a further minute, stirring constantly.
1 tbsp plain (all purpose) flour
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Slowly pour in the milk while stirring, until all of the milk is incorporated.
240 ml (1 cup) milk (full-fat or half-fat)
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Continue to slowly stir, whilst heating until the sauce thickens, then stir in the cheese and cooked chicken.
50 g (1/2 packed cup) strong cheddar cheese, grated/shredded, 200 g (7 oz) cooked shredded chicken
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Turn off the heat and leave to cool for 10 mins.
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Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan) and line a baking tray with parchment or a silicon liner.
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Unroll the pastry sheet and slice into 8 equal rectangles.
1 roll puff pastry
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Place four of the rectangles on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a good gap around them.
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Spoon quarter of the cheese-bacon mixture into the centre of each rectangle, then brush egg wash around the edges of the pastry.
1 small egg
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Top each with another pastry rectangle and seal the edges together with a fork.
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Score the pasties a few times with a sharp knife (don’t go all the way through), then brush the top of each of the pasties with egg wash.
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Create a couple of small holes in the centre of each, using the tip of the knife (to allow steam to escape).
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Place in the oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown then serve.
Can I make them ahead?
Yes, make and cook the pasties, then cool, cover and refrigerate.
Reheat in the oven, uncovered, at 190C/375F for 20 minutes, until piping hot throughout.
Can I freeze them?
Yes, make and cook the pasties, then cool, place in an airtight container (or a layer of greaseproof paper, followed by a layer of foil) and freeze.
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat as per the ‘make ahead’ instructions above.
Nutritional information is approximate, per pasty.
Calories: 555kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 487mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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