Easy Creamy Chicken & Bacon Turnovers

There’s something really nice about pulling a tray of golden, crispy turnovers out of the oven hehehe. These Crispy Bacon & Chicken Turnovers are exactly that kind of recipe, the kind that looks impressive, smells incredible, and disappears from the plate faster than you can say “last one is mine” Crispy and golden on the outside, creamy and packed with chunky chicken on the inside, they’re pretty hard to beat.

Oh and the best part? This recipe was born from leftovers. I had some chicken leftovers from making a canja (a classic Portuguese chicken broth soup) and instead of just reheating it, I decided to turn it into something a little more exciting. Paired with thick-cut bacon, a savory sauté of onion and garlic, and a rich, thick béchamel sauce, the filling is simple and simply next level. This is the kind of dish perfect to turn that leftover roast chicken into today’s star of the table.

Whether you’re putting together snacks for a party, packing a basket for a picnic, or just looking for a fun and satisfying meal the whole family will love, these turnovers are a fantastic option. They’re a classic combination, chicken and bacon always work together, and that creamy filling wrapped in a golden, flaky shortcrust pastry makes them feel like a real treat every single time. Let’s check the recipe!

Easy Creamy Chicken & Bacon Turnovers

Servings: 16
Time: 1hr 20mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Turn those leftovers into an absolute, astounding, amazing, adorable, awe-inspiring, astonishing, admirable, alluring... you know what i mean! Turnovers! ;D

Ingredients

Shortcrust Pastry – 2 Rolls (Empanada Type, 400g each)
Chicken – 400g (Already Cooked)
Bacon – 4 Thick Slices
Onion – 1
Garlic – 2 Cloves
Sweet Paprika – A Pinch
Pepper – A Pinch
Flour – 3 Tablespoons
Butter – 3 Tablespoons
Milk – 400ml (Semi-Skimmed)
Egg – 1
Salt – A Pinch

Directions

Start by sautéing the finely chopped onion, garlic, and bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Season with a pinch of salt and cook until the onion is soft.

Then add the cooked chicken (I cooked a whole chicken for a chicken soup, and these were the leftovers). Let the chicken cook a little, season with a pinch of pepper and paprika, and after tasting to check the salt level, add a little more salt if needed.
Now set the chicken aside and start the béchamel sauce in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the butter and flour with a pinch of salt, stirring until a dry ball of dough forms (if it’s too wet, add a little more flour). Lower the heat.

Heat the milk until very hot, then pour a little milk into the pan, stirring well. Repeat until all the milk is incorporated. You should have a very thick sauce/paste, if it’s very thick but still has milk, don’t add more. For these pies, you want a very thick béchamel.

Taste the béchamel sauce and adjust the pepper and salt, then add the chicken mixture and mix. That’s the filling ready to use!
Preheat the oven to 200ºC (392ºF) (or the temperature recommended on the pastry package). I used empanadas type pastry, which is very similar to shortcrust pastry, so unroll the dough and use a glass to create circles.

Then, place a spoonful of filling, fold in half, and seal the pastry with a fork. Place it on a baking tray. Repeat until you have no more dough or filling.

Whisk the egg and brush all the pastries. Bake them in the oven. In my case, they were ready in 25 minutes, but they are ready when they are golden brown (because the only thing that needs to cook is the pastry). And that’s it! Ready to serve! Enjoy!

Notes & Tips: Any pre-cooked chicken works here, rotisserie chicken, leftover roast, or poached chicken from a broth. The more you shred it into chunky pieces rather than fine strands, the better the filling feels in every bite.

The key word here is thick. A runny béchamel will make the turnovers soggy and hard to seal. If yours is getting too thin, just keep stirring over low heat, it will thicken up as the flour cooks.

Don’t skip pressing down firmly with the fork all the way along the edge. Any gaps and the filling will bubble out in the oven, which is a real shame (and a bit of a mess).

Make sure every bit of exposed pastry gets a coat of whisked egg. That’s what gives them that gorgeous deep golden color.

You can assemble the turnovers and refrigerate them unbaked for a few hours before your event. Just brush with egg and bake right before serving, they’re best eaten fresh and warm when the pastry is still crispy.

Using a larger glass makes bigger, more filling heavy turnovers, great for a meal. A smaller cutter gives you cute bite-sized ones, perfect for parties or picnics.

This recipe for Easy Creamy Chicken & Bacon Turnovers was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Pasteis de Frango e Bacon foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.