Chicken Salad Puff Pastry Cups

Ingredients

1. The Flaky Pastry Shells

• 1 sheet (8 oz / 225g) Ready-Rolled All-Butter Puff Pastry (thawed in the refrigerator, kept cold until ready to use)
• 1 Large Egg (beaten with 1 tbsp water, for egg wash)

2. The Creamy Chicken Salad Filling

• 2 cups Cooked Chicken Breast (shredded or finely diced; rotisserie chicken or poached chicken breasts work wonderfully)
• $\frac{1}{3}$ cup Quality Mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream (adds a subtle, tangy brightness)
• 1 celery stalk (finely diced for crunch)
• $\frac{1}{4}$ cup Red Grapes (quartered, optional for a sweet-savory pop)
• $\frac{1}{4}$ cup Pecans or Walnuts (toasted and chopped)
• 1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• $\frac{1}{2}$ tsp Garlic Powder
• $\frac{1}{2}$ tsp Fine Sea Salt & $\frac{1}{4}$ tsp Black Pepper
• 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley or Chives (finely chopped)

Instructions

Step 1: Bake the Puff Pastry Cups

1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to $400^\circ\text{F}$ ( $200^\circ\text{C}$ ) . Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin generously with cooking spray or butter.
2. Roll Pastry: Unroll your thawed puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll it out gently with a rolling pin to smooth out crease lines.
3. Cut Circles: Using a 2.5-inch to 3-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out 12 circles of dough. (Gather scraps, press together gently, roll out again if necessary to get your 12th circle).
4. Form Cups: Press each pastry circle gently down into the bottom and up the sides of the greased muffin tin cups. Prick the bottom of each pastry circle twice with a fork to prevent excessive puffing in the center.
5. Egg Wash: Brush the exposed top rims of the pastry rounds lightly with your egg wash to achieve a deep golden-brown shine during baking.
6. Bake: Bake at $400^\circ\text{F}$ for 15 to 18 minutes , or until the pastry cups have puffed up tall, crisp, and deep golden brown.
7. Cool: Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. As they cool, the centers will naturally sink slightly, creating a hollow cup ready for filling.

Step 2: Mix the Chicken Salad Filling

1. Combine Base: In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth.
2. Add Protein & Crunch: Add the shredded chicken breast, diced celery, quartered grapes, toasted pecans, and chopped fresh parsley to the dressing.
3. Toss: Gently fold all ingredients together with a spatula until evenly coated in the creamy dressing. Taste and adjust salt or pepper if needed.

Step 3: Assemble and Serve

1. Fill Cups: Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of the chilled chicken salad into each cooled puff pastry cup just before serving.
2. Garnish: Top with an extra pinch of chopped parsley, a pecan half, or cracked black pepper for a gourmet presentation. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 165 kcal 8% · Protein: 7.8 g 16% · Fat: 11.2 g 14% · Carbohydrates: 9.4 g 3% Dietary · Saturated Fat: 3.1 g 16% · Fiber: 0.8 g 3% · Sugar: 1.4 g — · Sodium: 185 mg 8%