Chicken Suizas Hand Pies are delicious, baked, hand-held pastries filled with chicken, cream cheese, green chiles, jack and cheddar cheeses.
Hand-held filled pastries filled with meat, vegetables or fruit are known and loved around the world. They are called by many titles such as empanadas, hand-pies, turnovers, pasties, pirozhki, calzones, etc., depending on which country they are from.
The recipe I am sharing today is a hand-held pastry, filled with shredded chicken, green chiles, 3 cheeses, and spices. You can make them using homemade pie crust OR a box of store-bought pastry dough, enough for a double crust pie.
I found this recipe online several years ago and made several changes to the original recipe, to suit our taste. The end result is 12 cute, filled hand pies (similar in taste to suizas enchiladas) that can be enjoyed as a hand-held snack or meal.
They are fairly small in size (around 5″ wide), and are low in calories, so go ahead and eat a couple of them if you want! Here’s how to make chicken suizas hand pies.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Make The Chicken Filling
Place cooked shredded chicken, soft cream cheese, chopped green chiles, grated cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses and spices in a large bowl.
Stir well to fully incorporate these ingredients. Be sure to use room temperature cream cheese to make this step MUCH easier!
Cut Out Pastry Circles
Lightly flour a work surface. Whether you’re using purchased or homemade pie dough, lay one crust at a time on the floured surface. Cut 5″ circles out of the dough. I use the top of a 5″ jar to do this!
NOTE: You don’t want to buy pie crusts pre-formed in aluminum pie tins. The dough needs to be flat and round. If purchasing, buy a box of ready made pie pastry (for a double crust pie, like Pillsbury).
Try to get as many 5″ circles out of the two crusts as possible (re-rolling the scraps as necessary). Typically I end up with 12 circles, using the dough from 2 homemade pie crusts.
Fill The Hand Pies
Once the pastry dough has been cut into 5″ circles, place them on an ungreased large cookie sheet (or sheets), leaving space between each one.
Place a couple Tablespoonfuls of the chicken filling on one half of the circle, being careful to NOT add too much filling. Leave the edge free of filling (as shown below).
Carefully fold the empty half of the pastry dough up and over the filling until it meets the opposite edge. Use a fork (or your fingers) to crimp the edges of the hand pie together to seal.
Try your best to make sure the pies are sealed tightly, so the filling doesn’t run out of them while they bake.
Brush the pastry dough with a lightly beaten egg. This step will help the pastry dough to brown slightly while baking.
Bake The Chicken Suizas Hand Pies
Bake the Chicken Suizas Hand Pies on an ungreased, large baking sheet (or 2 sheets) at 425°F. for 15-17 minutes. TIP: Oven temperatures can vary slightly, so I recommend checking on them after 14 minutes.
When done, the crust should be lightly crisp/flaky on the outside and golden brown in color. Remove the baking sheet(s) from the oven and transfer the hand pies to a wire rack using a spatula.
Serve The Chicken Suizas Hand Pies
Let them cool 1-2 minutes, then serve. I’m confident you’ll enjoy the creamy seasoned chicken and cheese filling, and the flaky, golden crust on the outside!
These hand pies are at their best eaten on the same day they are baked, but you can reheat them in a microwave oven the next day, if necessary.
I hope you have the opportunity to make these absolutely delicious Chicken Suizas Hand Pies, because they’re so GOOD!
Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to stop by. I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, and have a GREAT day!
Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have many delicious recipes featuring chicken, including:
- Easy Chicken Pot Pie
- Coconut Milk Braised Chicken
- Crunchy Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Mom’s Chicken Parmigiana
- Easy Cashew Chicken
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Recipe adapted from (and with thanks to) Rebekah at: https://www.kitchengidget.com/2016/03/09/green-chile-chicken-enchilada-hand-pies/
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Chicken Suizas Hand Pies are delicious, baked, hand-held pastries filled with chicken, cream cheese, green chiles, jack and cheddar cheeses.
- 1¾ cups cooked, shredded chicken breast approx. 2 small breasts
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened (room temp.)
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded jack cheese
- 4.5 ounces chopped green chiles (canned) = 1 can
- ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper (each)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 unbaked pie crusts purchased pastry dough or homemade
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 425℉.
Place chicken, cream cheese, green chiles, cheddar cheese, jack cheese and spices in a large bowl. Stir well until combined.
Roll out and/ or lay pie crust dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut 5" circles out of the dough, cutting 12 circles out (re-rolling scraps as necessary).
Place pastry rounds on ungreased cookie sheets, leaving space between each. Spoon 2 T. of filling on ½ of each circle; DO NOT over fill! Leave filled edge free of filling. Carefully fold the empty side of dough up and over filling until it meets the opposite edge. Use a fork (or fingers) to crimp edges of dough together to seal completely, so filling doesn't escape while baking. Brush dough with beaten egg.
Bake for 15-17 minutes. TIP: Oven temperatures can vary so I recommend checking on them after 14 minutes. When done, crust should be crisp/flaky on the outside and golden brown.
Remove pan(s) from oven; transfer hand pies to a wire rack. Let cool 1-2 minutes, then serve and enjoy.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!
