Chicken Fajita Pasties

Last weekend consisted of lots of baking - pizza, cookies, and these spicy pasties. I love Mexican food, so decided to give a fajita filling to a pasty recipe I'd used before. A sprinkle of turmeric and paprika are added to a shortcrust pastry to give it some colour and a flavour complimentary to a salsa-drizzled chicken, onion and pepper filling. These are filling enough (and moreish enough!) to be dinner on their own, or would be nice as a different sort of side dish as part of a Mexican night.

Chicken Fajita Pasties


Makes roughly 25

For the pastry: (Adapted from The Great British Bake Off book)
225g plain flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon paprika
125g chilled butter, diced
About 4 tablespoons icy water

For the filling: 
1 chicken breast, cut into 1.5cm cubes
1 small onion, chopped finely
1/2 red pepper,  chopped finely
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
A sprinkle of chilli powder, to taste
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce

Salsa
Egg, beaten to glaze
Oil, for the pan
Sour cream, to serve

-To make the pastry, sift the flour, salt, turmeric and paprika into a large bowl.

-Using our fingertips, rub the diced butter into the flour a bit at a time until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

-Stir in enough of the cold water to bring the mix together into a soft, but not sticky dough. Wrap in clingfilm and keep in the fridge until needed. 

-To make the filling, heat the oil in a large pan or wok. Add the garlic and onions and fry until soft.

-Add the peppers and chicken and fry for a minute. 

-Add the barbecue sauce and the spices and mix until everything is fully coated. Continue to fry until the chicken is cooked through. Put aside.

-Now to put the pasties together! Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4. 

-Roll out the pastry onto a lightly floured worktop to a few millimetres thick. These are only small pasties so you don't want to just have a mouthful of pastry, but the pastry needs to be thick enough to contain the filling comfortably. 

-Using an 8cm cutter, cut rounds from the pastry. Keep re-rolling the remaining dough until it is all used up.

-Place a small splodge of salsa in the centre of the round. Add a teaspoon of the chicken mix, leaving a border around the filling. 

-Brush a little of the beaten egg around this border, then fold the pastry over the top of the filling, making a semi-circle. 

-Press the edges firmly together. If you like use a fork to gently do this and create a pattern.

-Make holes in the top with a fork to allow steam to escape while cooking. Glaze with the beaten egg. Line on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.

-Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, until the pastry is a golden colour and crisp. Serve with sour cream and extra salsa.

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