Introducing one of the most *unhinged* recipes I've ever shared: Fried Chicken Pot Pie Bread Pockets. These are mini chicken pot pies encased in bread instead of pie crust, coated with bread crumbs, and deep fried until golden and crispy. They are creamy, cheesy warm and comforting inside, exactly like pot pie, but their crunchy coating and individual serving size makes them a unique and fun twist. They may sound unhinged, but they're absolutely delicious and guaranteed to be popular at any gathering!
The inspiration for this recipe came to me as I was brainstorming new recipes to make with King's Hawaiian Slider Buns (I have 20+ recipes featuring King's Hawaiian already!), and was also simultaneously preparing my favorite Easy Chicken Pot Pie which is made with pie crust. And then I remember the fried bread pockets my mom always makes in Ramadan with different types of fillings, and it clicked. When I was testing this pot pie bread pocket recipe, I took them to a birthday and had several guests taste them. Surprisingly, they all really loved them - in fact, my husband said he prefers them to traditional pot pie (I am not sure I will go that far, hah!).
Components of Pot Pie Bread Pockets
These Chicken Pot Pie Bread Pockets have 4 main components:
- The chicken pot pie filling. This is a very quick and easy version of the classic pot pie filling made with a white sauce (bechamel), shredded chicken and frozen veggies (I use a mix of carrots, peas and corn). Easy, but creamy, cozy and full of flavor!
- The bread. The pot pie filling gets chilled and is then stuffed between two flattened bread halves (along with some cheese, because why not!?). I recommend using King's Hawaiian Hawaiian Sweet Slider Buns, but you can also use classic sliced bread - more on that below
- Egg wash. A simple mix of eggs and milk is used to seal the bread pockets, and to bind them to breadcrumbs
- Coating. The bread pockets are coated with a mixture of panko bread crumbs, seasoning and flour to make them extra crispy
A Note On Using Different Types Of Bread
I like to use King's Hawaiian Hawaiian Sweet Slider Buns for bread pockets because they are already cut into halves and are the perfect shape and size, meaning no cutting, trimming or wasting. However, you can also use the following:
- Traditional sliced bread. When using sliced bread, you have 2 options. The first is to trim off the crust, place the filling on one side of the slice, fold the other side over like a sandwich, and seal the edges to make a rectangular bread pocket. The second option is to cut out circles from two slices using a 3-4" cookie cutter, placing the filling on one circle and covering and sealing with the other. These pockets will look just like the ones I make with slider buns, but this method does result in some waste
- Burger buns (regular or brioche). Use them exactly like these slider buns, your pockets will just be bigger which may make them more tricky to work with
Step By Step Photos
The full recipe is in the recipe card below, but let's go over the steps with photos so you can visualize everything:
To make the filling, start by sauteing the onion in butter until it becomes golden in color.
Add the chopped garlic and chicken stock cube and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the seasonings and flour, and toast for just 1 minute. Pro tip: don't be afraid of some color when making a white sauce! It doesn't have to be that white - color means more caramelization and more flavor.
Add the milk and cook and stir until the sauce thickens up.
Lastly, fold in shredded chicken and frozen veggies. I simply boil and shred chicken breast, but you can also use shredded rotisserie chicken which will add more flavor. For vegetables, feel free to use any mix you like, but if using fresh vegetables, first cook them in some oil separately until they soften. Let the filling cool down.
Use a rolling pin to flatten each slider half into a thin circle. To assemble, add a scoop of the cooled filling on top of one half, as well as a little shredded cheese.
Brush the edge of the bun with egg wash. Then place the other half on top, and use your fingers to carefully and tightly seal the edges together. Repeat until all bread pockets are assembled, and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Prepare the bread crumb mixture by mixing all the ingredients. Use one hand to dip a chilled bread pocket into the same egg wash as before.
Pro Tip
When assembling bread pockets make sure to keep the cut sides of the bread (the white sides) facing inwards. These are softer and will stick together easily. The outer sides (with the golden crust) do not stick together.
Transfer to the other hand and coat with bread crumbs thoroughly. Assigning a "wet hand" and "dry hand" when coating like this makes the process much cleaner! Repeat with all bread pockets.
Deep fry the coated bread pockets in hot oil until golden and crunchy.
Serve the pot pie bread pockets hot & enjoy! You can also assemble and coat the bread pockets and freeze them for later use, making them perfect for meal prepping. Fry straight from frozen whenever you want to serve.
Fried Chicken Pot Pie Bread Pockets Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 min
- Yield: 18 pockets
Description
Mini chicken pot pies encased in bread instead of pie crust, coated with bread crumbs, and deep fried until golden and crispy. Creamy and comforting inside, crunchy outside, and delicious all over.
Ingredients
Chicken Pot Pie Filling:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- ¼ yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 chicken stock cube (optional, I use Knorr)
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- ½ tsp each salt, pepper, chilli flakes and oregano (adjust to taste)
- 1 cup whole milk (240g)
- 1 cup boiled, shredded chicken (125g)*
- ¾ cup chopped frozen veggies of choice (I like corn, carrots and peas)*
Egg Wash:
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp milk
Coating:
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp chili flakes
Assembly:
- 2 packs of Hawaiian Sweet Slider Buns (18 slider buns) or sliced bread in similar quantity
- ½ to 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Vegetable, canola or avocado oil to fry
Instructions
Chicken Pot Pie Filling:
- Heat oil and butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until it becomes golden in color
- Add the minced garlic and chicken stock cube, and cook and stir for 1 minute until fragrant
- Turn the heat to low. Add the seasonings and flour and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. It is ok if the mixture looks dark in color as long as it's not burnt!
- Add the milk and whisk it in gently. Continue to cook on low heat until a thick white sauce forms. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed
- Turn off the heat and mix in the shredded chicken and veggies. Stir to combine
- Let the filling cool down completely (I recommend refrigerating for 15 minutes)
Egg Wash:
- Whisk the eggs and milk in a large bowl until the eggs are thoroughly broken down
Coating:
- Mix together the ingredients in a deep plate / large bowl
Assembly:
- Separate the slider buns into their 2 halves (but keep them next to each other as they will be joined together to make the pockets). Use a rolling pin to flatten each bun half into a flat circle (don't use so much force as to break them, though)
- Take one half of a slider bun and place it cut (white) side facing up. Place a spoonful of the chilled filling in the center in a little mound, and press in a small amount of shredded cheese. Use a pastry brush to brush the edges of the bun with egg wash. Then take the other half of the slider bun and place it on top, cut side down. The 2 cut sides should be facing inwards towards each other. Use your fingers to seal the edges of the 2 halves together tightly. You can lift and rotate the pocket in your hand as you do this to make it easier.
- Repeat until all sliders have been turned into pockets. Freeze for 10 minutes to make them easier to work with
- Once chilled, it is time to coat. Use one hand to dip a pocket in the egg wash, getting it covered on both sides. Lift and let any excess egg wash drip off. Then place in the bowl with the coating, and use the other hand to thoroughly coat on both sides, pressing the coating in. Lift and shake off any excess coating, and place on a wire rack. Repeat with all bread pockets
- Heat 1-2" of oil in a large frying pan / wok until it reaches 350F. Carefully fry ~4 bread pockets at a time, for 1-2 minutes per side until they look golden brown and crispy. Lift with a spider, letting any excess oil drain.
- Serve the bread pockets fresh. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial:
Notes
- Chicken: You can replace the boiled and shredded chicken in the filling with shredded rotisserie chicken. However, make sure to adjust the seasonings in the sauce as needed, since rotisserie chicken has more flavor than boiled
- Vegetables: You can use any combination of veggies you like in the filling, just make sure they are finely chopped (or naturally small like corn). If you are using fresh vegetables instead of frozing, I recommend sauteing them in oil separately until they start to soften before adding them to the filling
- Bread: You can replace the slider buns with traditional sliced bread. See notes on how to do this in the blog post above
- Make ahead and storage: Like all deep fried food, these pot pie bread pockets are best made and served fresh. However, you can prepare them ahead of time. Follow all steps until the coating. Freeze the coated bread pockets on a large baking sheet, then lift them off and place in an airtight container. Keep frozen for up to 2 months, and fry straight from frozen whenever you want to serve them! If you have to reheat already fried bread pockets, I recommend using the air fryer.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
More King's Hawaiian Recipes
If you're a fan of King's Hawaiian bread or have some laying around, you'll also really enjoy these recipes:
- Mini chicken fajita pizzas made using the slider buns topped with chicken fajita, sauce and cheese
- Easy chicken alfredo flatbread made by flattening a sheet of King's Hawaiian rolls, covering with alfredo sauce, chicken and cheese
- The BEST garlic bread made with King's Hawaiian rolls drenched in a garlic butter custard, covered with cheese and baked till toasty
- Delicious Aloo bun kebabs made with slider buns and spicy potato patties along with chutneys
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