Don Signature Crab - Singapore Food Guide

Flaky Puff Pastry Chicken Pie

A Singapore-style baked chicken pie with flaky puff pastry and a creamy, savoury filling — oven-baked to golden perfection for family dinners or kopitiam-style snacks.

Flaky Puff Pastry Chicken Pie

About this dish

This Flaky Puff Pastry Chicken Pie brings a bit of Western comfort into Singapore homes and heartland kitchens — think Sunday family makan or a potluck dish for a neighbourhood block party in Tiong Bahru or East Coast. It’s the kind of savoury pie you’ll see in boutique bakeries around the CBD and at kopitiam counters that have adopted Western bakes, but with room for local tweaks like a little sambal or kecap manis to suit Singapore palates.

The pie is built on a rich, creamy chicken filling studded with carrots, peas and fragrant thyme, all encased in layers of buttery puff pastry that shatter into flakes with every bite. Use a wok or frying pan to sweat your aromatics quickly on medium-high heat and finish in a home oven until the crust is puffed and golden — perfect for a weeknight dinner, supper after a late shift, or as part of a festive spread for Deepavali or Christmas with a Singaporean twist.

Texture-wise, expect contrast: silky, thickened sauce with tender shredded chicken and crisp, layered pastry. The flavours sit comfortably between classic Western chicken pot pie and a light zi char-style richness if you add a dash of soy or sambal. Store-bought puff pastry (available at NTUC, Cold Storage or Sheng Siong) makes this accessible to busy parents and home cooks who want impressive results without fuss.

Ingredients

  • 500 g store-bought puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
  • 500 g boneless chicken thighs, skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil or butter
  • 1 medium onion (about 150 g), finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 stalk celery, finely diced
  • 1 medium carrot (about 100 g), diced
  • 100 g frozen peas, thawed
  • 2 tbsp plain all-purpose flour (for thickening)
  • 300 ml chicken stock (homemade or low-salt store-bought)
  • 100 ml single cream or evaporated milk
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf (optional)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 large egg beaten (for egg wash)
  • 1 tsp sambal chilli (optional, for a Singapore-style kick)
  • 1 tsp sesame oil (optional, for aroma)
  • Fresh parsley or chives, chopped (for garnish)
  • Cornflour slurry: 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water (optional for extra thickening)

Step-by-Step Method

  1. Step 1: Pat the chicken pieces dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 200°C (conventional) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Step 2: Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp oil or butter. Brown the chicken in batches until golden on the outside but not fully cooked through, about 3–4 minutes per batch. Remove and set aside.
  3. Step 3: Lower the heat to medium, add remaining oil/butter, then sweat the chopped onion, garlic, celery and carrot until softened, about 5 minutes — you want translucent aromatics, not browned.
  4. Step 4: Sprinkle the 2 tbsp flour over the veg, stir for 1 minute to cook out the raw taste, then gradually add the chicken stock while stirring to make a smooth sauce. Add the bay leaf and thyme.
  5. Step 5: Return the browned chicken to the pan, stir in the peas, light soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and optional sambal. Simmer on low for 5–8 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens; if needed, add the cornflour slurry for a firmer filling. Stir in the cream and sesame oil, taste and adjust seasoning like you would at a zi char stall (more soy or a pinch of sugar). Remove bay leaf and let the filling cool for 10–15 minutes.
  6. Step 6: Roll out one sheet of puff pastry to fit your pie dish (about 22–23 cm). Spoon the cooled filling into the lined pie dish. Cover with the second pastry sheet, trim excess and crimp edges to seal. Make a few small vents on top with a sharp knife to release steam.
  7. Step 7: Brush the top with beaten egg for a glossy, golden finish. For a lattice or decorative top, use pastry scraps. Chill the assembled pie in the fridge for 10 minutes to help the pastry set.
  8. Step 8: Bake in the preheated oven at 200°C for 20 minutes, then reduce to 180°C and bake another 15–20 minutes until the pastry is deep golden and puffed. The internal filling should be bubbling at the vents.
  9. Step 9: Rest the pie for 10 minutes before slicing so the filling firms up slightly. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives and serve warm — perfect with a side of acar or a crisp green salad for a Singapore-style meal.

Tips & Serving Ideas

  • Buy ready-rolled puff pastry from NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage or Sheng Siong to save time; keep it chilled until ready to use to preserve flakiness.
  • Use chicken thighs for juicier filling — breasts can dry out. If using breast, reduce initial browning time.
  • Cool the filling before assembling the pie; hot filling will make the pastry soggy. A quick chill in the fridge for 10–15 minutes helps.
  • For an extra Singapore twist, stir 1 tsp sambal or a dash of kecap manis into the filling and taste as you would at a zi char stall.
  • Reheat leftovers in a 180°C oven for 10–12 minutes to restore crispiness rather than microwaving, which makes the pastry soggy.
  • Make-ahead: freeze the assembled pie (unbaked) for up to 1 month, bake from frozen — add 10–15 minutes to the baking time.
  • If you don’t have an oven-proof dish, assemble on a baking sheet to make individual hand pies or rustic free-form galettes.

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