Flaky Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties

These Flaky Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties are truly something special and have the right texture from the ultra flaky crust and flavorful curry filling. Wrapped in nicely buttery, curry + herb-infused, flaky crust, and stuffed entirely with a 'velvety' filling that consists of onion, garlic, curry chicken, and more; these patties will leave you convinced that chicken patties are the new 'foodie' favorite---for both kids and adults-alike, just like their beef counterparts! Entirely Dairy-free. Make Ahead option.

Patties of any kind if I'm honest is an absolute love of mine since childhood. Growing up, classic beef patties like these Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties were a staple. From time to time, I would also enjoy chicken patties which were made from ground chicken. However, I always enjoy switching things up and pushing the envelope as it relates to both flavor and ingredient combos---hence these Flaky Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties were born! They're seriously something special and truly offer a ton of bold curry flavor in every bite. Plus, I like to make larger patties, but they work great as smaller ones for a great appetizer situation for the holidays or a gathering if needed.

The crust is SUPER soft, buttery, flaky, and just has the right amount of crunch to them like the ones from Juici Patties in Jamaica (and now in Brooklyn), which were my FAVES!!! Of course, I have these Vegan Jamaican Beef Patties which are the meatless version to the traditional beef patties, but the curry chickpea + kale filling in these Flaky Jamaican Curry Chickpea Kale Veggie Patties are so delicious----I promise.

The curry chicken filling in this recipe boasts of tender shredded chicken and is simmered until succulent in a spicy (with the option of mild), savory sauce made from coconut milk/cream, herbs + seasonings, scotch bonnet peppers, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and curry powder. Plus, if you're a lover of curry dishes, then this Authentic Jamaican Curry Chicken, Weeknight Jamaican Curry Chicken + Gnocchi, Spicy Coconut Curry Chicken Bowl, Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry Bowl, and Vegan Pumpkin Curry Butternut Squash is one for the books! This Plant-based Jamaican Oxtail Recipe is the best twist on classic oxtail and It's full of flavor and comfort and entirely meatless. 

These little handheld chicken patties can be a quick breakfast (yes, I said breakfast) or lunch on the go (if you're into savory for breakfast!), a satisfying snack, or a great laidback dinner. Once they’re baked, they can be eaten all week long. With a simple burst in the microwave or oven to warm (for the BEST results), you have a hot and fresh curry chicken patty all week long.

What is Jamaican Curry?

There is no singular recipe for Jamaican curry because all families have their own traditions. However, it is generally a mix of locally-found seasonings. You can find either store-bought mixes or you can season your curry on your own using a variety of flavorings.

Scotch bonnet peppers are found in many Jamaican dishes, so I had to include them in this sauce for the filling. They add a sweet-spicy kick, but watch out! These guys can get seriously spicy, especially for those with mild heat tolerance.

What You’ll Love Most About These Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties

• They're super easy to make.
• Ultra flaky, buttery, golden, soft crust with an intensely flavorful curry filling.
• Only requires a handful of staple ingredients with the ability to substitute where necessary.
• Makes for a great weeknight meal.
• Perfect as a fun baking activity for the entire family.
• Works great as a meal prep option and larger batching.

How to Make Flaky Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties

When it comes to making this Flaky Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties recipe, the process comes in 3 easy steps:

• Begin by prepping your crust first! Getting your crust made using the handful of ingredients and having it chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour is super important for creating the most flakiest crust possible! Plus, there's a butter trick that I often use to create an extra layer of flakiness.
• Season + cook your curry filling (I love using a cast-iron skillet or a good stainless steel skillet) and add in the spices and herbs along with the shredded chicken.
• Finally, it's the assembly + bake step. You'll begin rolling out, cutting, and shaping your dough, then add the cooled filling, brushing with egg wash, bake, and wallah.

Ingredients for Jamaican Curry Chicken Patty

CRUST:

• All-purpose flour. I use organic flour from Bob’s Red Mill or King's Arthur. For a better flakier texture to your crust, you can add pastry flour to the mix.
• Baking powder. This acts as a leavener + helps to make the dough a bit more fluffy and soft.
• Curry powder. For authenticity, it's great to use Jamaican curry powder.
• Turmeric, parsley, + thyme. These add additional flavor and turmeric is a powerful ingredient with anti-inflammatory properties, etc.
• Butter. Make sure your butter is VERY COLD! This is the key to flaky layers. You'll be cubing + grating the butter for the best results!
• Almond milk. You can use water, whole milk, or other unsweetened dairy-free milk if you like. Try my homemade almond milk.

CURRY CHICKEN FILLING:

• Shredded chicken breasts. See my shredded chicken recipe!
• Extra virgin olive oil. You can also use avocado oil or grapeseed oil, if you prefer. Even butter works!
• Scotch bonnet peppers. Minced ---- You can also use habanero peppers; reduce the amount to lessen spiciness.
• Onion. Diced for a better bite. Feel free to use white, yellow, or purple.
• Garlic cloves. Minced.
• Organic chicken stock. I like to use chicken stock, however, you can sub with veggie stock, if desired.
• Ginger. You can use freshly minced ginger root or ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger if that's what you have on hand.
• Herbs + spices. You'll need an all-purpose blend of seasonings. You can purchase my On Everything All-Purpose Blend for the greatest ease and authentic flavor. This is used on the shredded chicken.
• Curry powder. For authenticity, it's great to use Jamaican curry powder.
• Jamaican hot sauce. Optional (You can also use your favorite hot pepper sauce)
• Coconut Milk. You can use either full-fat canned coconut milk or cream.

OTHER:

• Egg wash. 1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk.

How to Make Curry Sauce Thicker?

If you find that your sauce isn't thick enough, I definitely recommend covering the pot and allowing it to simmer a bit more. Usually, with a slow simmer over time, the sauce will automatically thicken. However, if it's truly not doing that, add 1 tablespoon of flour with 3-4 Tbsps warm water to a small cup or bowl, stir until smooth and "milky" and add to the sauce to help aide it.

SHOP MY FAVORITE TOOLS FOR COOKING, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS PATTY!

Here, I’ve curated a list of baking + cooking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite dishes, especially with these Flaky Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties. Everything from my fave skillet, spatula, mixing bowls, and more. SEE THEM HERE!

WHY I LOVE ADDING TURMERIC TO MY CURRY!

Turmeric is an amazing ingredient to incorporate into your dishes, especially in this curry chicken patty recipe. The health benefits that derive from this simple ingredient is so awesome. But if you’re wondering, what turmeric is and where you can find it—no worries. Let’s talk!

Turmeric is the spice that gives curry its yellow hue. That’s right—it creates that bright yellow color all on it’s own. The main ingredient in turmeric—curcumin, is where all the incredible benefits lie. 

Benefits include -

• Improved heart health
• Very strong antioxidant
• Powerful inflammatory effects
• Strong antibacterial effects
• Aids digestion

Tips For Making the Flakiest Crust

• The butter is SUPER important. When it comes to the butter sticks, ensuring that they are COLD and of course from a great brand is key!
• Adding shortening works too! Although I tend to use buttery sticks alone, adding shortening or lard adds great wonders as well. All you need is half shortening and half butter.
• Fridge time is an important time! Chilling your dough for an hour at a minimum is so imperative to a flaky crust. Even slightly longer makes for a great advantage.
• Your flours matter, big time! Again, while different brands of flour hydrate differently (causing a slightly different result), ensuring that you mix in all-purpose flour with pastry flour is also just as important. Believe it or not, pastry flour makes a difference and serves a greater purpose!
• SLOWLY pour in liquids, don’t dump it! Gently pouring in the milk is so imperative. I pour ¼ cup at a time and work the dough with my hands to eyeball how wet or dry everything is.
• The dough can be made in advance, too. If making your crust ahead, you can always store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. No longer!
• Not too thick or thin. Ensuring that you roll out a good enough crust is of course a must. Most go by the rule of thumb being ⅛ or so of an inch thickness or even slightly thicker. This helps your crust to the perfect thickness to carry the weight of your filling without compromising flakiness.

Make Ahead Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties

You can most certainly make these spicy Jamaican curry chicken patties head of time for greater ease or prep! You can prep everything up to 2 days prior to baking them. You'll want to keep the made dough in an airtight sealed container or plastic wrap and refrigerated. The cooked filling is best stored in an airtight container and refrigerated as well. When ready to assemble and bake, simply reheat the filling in a skillet over the stovetop and add a bit of stock to moisten things again----about ¼ cup or so works! Then let it cool, assemble, + bake per usual.

The Secret to Super Flaky Crust for Curry Chicken Patties

As you can see, I’m no stranger to homemade patties, pop-tarts, or pastries of any sort. Because I’ve made them so many times, I feel like I have completely perfected the recipe. Here's my secret to a super flaky Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties:

GRATE AND CUBE THAT BUTTER!

Yes---I know. You might be wondering why I've stated this but it works. Since we'll be using 2 sticks in this recipe, I simply grate 1 stick of butter and cube the other. Honestly, I think that the variation in the butter pieces helps some to melt faster and settle more in the dough, which creates a beautiful flakiness like no other.

To take it a step further, you can add the cubed butter and ½ of the grated butter to the dry ingredients and blend it into "peas-like" pieces--leaving out the remaining grated butter for now. Then after the dough has chilled and you've begun rolling it out until a floured surface, simply add the rest of the grated butter in, fold a few times and then roll it out. This creates butter in more than one layer which creates a heavenly crust too.

Common Flaky Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties Q + A's

Other Curry or Jamaican Recipes That I Love!

Love these Flaky Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties and want more Jamaican or curry cuisine? Here are some of my faves!

• Vegan Jamaican Power Bowl
• Authentic Vegan Jamaican Red Peas Soup
• Authentic Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
• Jamaican Immune-Boosting Green Veggie Swamp Soup
• Jamaican Fried Dumplings
• Creamy Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge
• Coconut Curry Meatball Orzo Soup
• Jamaican Curry Shrimp + White Rice
• Jerk Salmon Tacos 
• Baked Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings
• Jamaican Pineapple Jerk Chicken
• Vegan Jamaican Irish Moss
• Jamaican Chicken Soup
• Traditional Jamaican Green Seasoning
• 40+ Jamaican Foods You Need To Try!
• Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Marinade

MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?

If you tried this Flaky Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you.

Flaky Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties

June 1, 2025 •

By Shanika

No ratings yet

There's nothing as delicious as homemade Flaky Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties---the authentic way! A true family favorite that is easy to make, comes with amazing tips for perfection, and makes for a fun baking experience for everyone who enjoys curry flavor.

Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Serves: 8 Patties

Units:

US Customary|Metric

Pin It Print It

Ingredients

CRUST:

• 2 ½ cups organic all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon curry powder (For authenticity, it's great to use Jamaican curry; See the FAQ section for 'burning the curry' tip)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ cup salted butter, cubed + COLD (See Notes!)
• ½ cup salted butter, FROZEN + grated + divided (Ensure that butter is still VERY COLD)
• 1 cup unsweetened Almond milk, VERY COLD + 2 Tbsps! (You can use whole milk or your fave plant-based milk!)

CURRY CHICKEN FILLING:

• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
• ½ onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper, minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 (14 oz.) can full-fat coconut milk
• 3-4 Tbsps organic chicken stock
• 2 ½ Tbsps curry powder, divided

OTHER:

• Egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk whisked together)

Instructions

TO MAKE THE CRUST:

• In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, curry powder, turmeric, parsley, and thyme, whisking them all together until combined.
• Add the cubed butter + only ½ the amount of the grated butter and using a pastry blender, blend butter into dry ingredients until the mixture becomes “peas-like” and crumbly. NOTE: You'll be saving the remaining grated butter for later. Be sure to place it back in the freezer covered!
• Pour the COLD milk and stir (working it together with one hand) until the dry ingredients are moistened. NOTE: If the ingredients feels a little too dry, add 1 tablespoon additional COLD milk at a time, until it’s moistened BUT not too wet!
• Now, shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap and flatten it slightly and chill for at least 1 hour. NOTE: The dough will look rather light yellow in color. It will darken and become a beautiful golden color once baked.

BURN THE CURRY POWDER:

• If using authentic Jamaican curry powder, it's super important to first "burn" your powder. SEE NOTES FOR MORE.
• In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and once fully heated, add 1 ½ Tbsps of curry powder. Stir curry powder in oil and let it sit until it becomes a dark brown and becomes fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.

MAKE THE FILLING:

• In the same skillet, add the chopped onions, minced ginger, and garlic, sautéing until fragrant and translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add the shredded chicken, remaining 1 tablespoon of curry powder, salt, allspice, and minced scotch bonnet pepper, stirring everything together until combined.
• Pour in the coconut milk and chicken stock, stirring until combined. Let the mixture boil for a minute or so before reducing the heat to simmer for about 8-10 minutes or until sauce thickens and the chicken is tender and drenched in the thickened sauce, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat once done and let it cool completely.

ASSEMBLY:

• In the meantime, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Once chilled, remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface, rolling it out into a medium rectangle. Remove the remaining grated butter from the freezer and generously sprinkle atop rolled out dough. Fold dough and roll out again. Then fold again and roll out for the final time until it's a large rectangle (about 3 mm thick). Cut into medium circles (I use a small saucepan cover or a large biscuit cutter---for a smaller patties), until all dough it used. NOTE: Don't add too much flour so that the crust dough doesn't get hardened.
• On one half of the circular dough, lightly brush egg wash to ensure that they close together best! On the other half of the dough, add 2 Tbsps or so of the curry chicken filling and carefully bend the egg washed half over onto the side with the curry chicken filling (creating a half moon shape). Gently press the edges down and using a fork, carefully “crimping” around the edges and place patty onto the baking sheet. Repeat until all patties are made.

BAKE THE PATTIES:

• Lightly brush all the patties with remaining egg wash and bake in the oven 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and the crust looks crispy.
• Once done, remove from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes until it's cool enough to handle. Enjoy!
• Bon Appetit!

Tips & Tricks

• STORAGE: See FAQ Section!
• FREEZE: See FAQ Section!
• TURMERIC: While adding turmeric is optional, it definitely has benefits: powerful medicinal properties, natural anti-inflammatory ingredient, increases antioxidant activity in the body, and more.
• BURNING THE CURRY POWDER: See FAQ!
• MAKE AHEAD OPTION: See Post!
• FOOD PROCESSOR FOR CRUST: If using a food processor to incorporate milk to flour/butter mixture, ONLY ADD ¼ cup of milk AT A TIME to your dough, keeping it on “pulse” to avoid the dough from breaking down too much and it becoming “watery”. With this method, you may not need the entire 1 cup of almond milk.
• GRATED + CUBED BUTTER: To create a beautifully crumbly and flaky crust, I suggest grating 1 stick of butter and cutting the second stick into cubes. To grate your butter, add the 1 stick to a freezer for 15 minutes. Remove from freezer and using a grater, grate into pieces. 
• SALTED VS. UNSALTED BUTTER: You can always substitute the salted butter with unsalted butter. When doing so, just add ½ teaspoon salt to dry ingredients for crust.
• BURNING THE CURRY POWDER: When using Jamaican curry powder, it's important to burn the powder first to avoid digestive issues for some people because of it's potency. In addition, the "burning" process releases better flavor + color.

Nutrition

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 527mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 39IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 3mg

DID YOU MAKE THIS recipe?

Tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea

Love this Post? SHARE!