Spiced Chicken Breasts in Pastry

By David Tanis

Updated March 17, 2025

Spiced Chicken Breasts in Pastry
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
55 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(75)
Comments
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These chicken breasts baked in pastry may sound impossibly fussy, but they’re quite simple to prepare. The only tedious part is making sure the chicken breasts are the same size and thickness. Small boneless chicken breasts work well, and will need only a little trimming, but if all you can find are large ones, you’ll need to cut them into four 6-ounce pieces, an easy butchering project. (Save leftover scraps for a stir-fry or freeze them to add to a future chicken stock.)

Featured in: A Party-Worthy Chicken Breast Recipe. Really.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1 to 2sheets of puff pastry (preferably Dufour), thawed
  • 4small (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1teaspoon five-spice powder
  • Salt and black pepper
  • ¼cup crème fraîche
  • 1tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Pinch of ground cayenne
  • 1cup thinly sliced scallions, white and pale green parts, plus 3 tablespoons slivered scallion tops, for garnish (about 2 large bunches)
  • 1egg, beaten, for glazing
  • Thinly sliced red Fresno chile, for garnish (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

436 calories; 15 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 64 grams protein; 789 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Roll out pastry as necessary and cut into four (7-by-7-inch) squares. Allow to soften slightly.

  2. Step 2

    Heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim the chicken breasts or pound them with a mallet, so they’re about ½-inch thick. (You’ll have scraps left over, save them for another use.) Season chicken breasts with five-spice, salt and pepper on both sides. Lay them on a large plate.

  3. Step 3

    In a small bowl, stir together crème fraîche, Dijon mustard and cayenne. With a spoon, smear mixture evenly on both sides of breasts.

  4. Step 4

    Line a baking sheet with parchment. Lay a breast diagonally on each pastry square and sprinkle each with ¼ cup scallions. Wrap pastry around chicken, then lay on the baking sheet, seam side down. Paint dough generously with egg wash, then make 2 diagonal slits on top.

  5. Step 5

    Bake until pastry is nicely browned and chicken is firm, 30 minutes. Serve pastries garnished with scallions and thinly sliced Fresno chiles, if desired.

Ratings

4 out of 5
75 user ratings
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Comments

Paulette

Sounds wonderful! But how can you be sure the chicken is done? Recipe says till "chicken is firm" -- but can you tell if it is as it's wrapped in pastry? Maybe insert an instant read from one end to be sure. s/b 165

Joan

The diagonal slits in the pastry allow you to check if the chicken is firm.

Pups

How thick should the pastry be when it’s rolled out?

Linda

This dish needs a lot more flavor. I make a great broccoli puree that saved it the second time I tried the recipe. Also, as noted in another comment, pesto adds a terrific dimension. All that said, I love the idea of playing with this recipe.

Ellen W

I would like to make these for a dinner party and am debating whether it would be better to make them ahead and chill then bake or bake and reheat. Thoughts?

Cocomero

Didn’t dig it — for me, the five spice powder didn’t match the other ingredients

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