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Golden turmeric jamaican curry chicken patties stacked on a floral plate with one split open
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Foolproof Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties

Flaky turmeric-yellow pastry filled with a thick, well-seasoned curry chicken filling — tested 4 times for a crust that holds and a filling that never leaks.
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 patties
Calories: 320kcal

Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • 3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 3/4 cup ice water
  • 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

For the Curry Chicken Filling:

  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeds removed and minced
  • 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 3 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • In a food processor, pulse the flour, curry powder, turmeric, and salt together. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
  • Drizzle in the ice water a tablespoon at a time, pulsing between additions, until the dough clumps when pressed. Shape into a disc, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 4 to 5 minutes until translucent, then add garlic, thyme, and scotch bonnet and cook 1 minute more.
  • Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink. Stir in the curry powder and toast for 30 seconds.
  • Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces and the mixture holds together in a thick mound. Stir in the breadcrumbs and season to taste. Cool to room temperature.
  • Roll the chilled dough to ⅛-inch thickness and cut into 3.5-inch circles, re-rolling scraps once if needed.
  • Place 2 tablespoons of cooled filling on one half of each circle. Fold into a half-moon and press the edges together, then crimp firmly with a fork.
  • Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, chill for 10 minutes, then brush with beaten egg.
  • Bake at 400°F for 25 to 28 minutes, until deep golden and firm. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • The filling can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, which cuts a significant amount of hands-on time out of assembly day.
  • Unbaked assembled patties freeze well for up to 3 months — freeze flat on a tray before transferring to a bag, and bake straight from frozen with 8 to 10 extra minutes.
  • Weighing the flour (about 130g per cup) gives more consistent dough than scooping, especially if the dough has cracked on previous attempts.
  • Old curry powder (more than 6 months open) loses potency fast — a fresh jar makes a noticeable flavor difference in the filling.
  • If doubling the recipe, cook the filling in two batches rather than one large batch — crowding the pan slows down the liquid reduction significantly.
  • A 3.5-inch round cutter yields 12 patties from one batch of dough; a smaller cutter yields more, smaller patties with a shorter bake time.
  • For a lighter version, brush with milk instead of egg wash — the crust will be slightly less glossy but still golden.
  • Leftover filling on its own (without the dough) reheats well over rice for a quick lunch if you have extra after assembling patties.