Chicken Alouette Recipe
This chicken Alouette recipe features tender chicken breasts topped with creamy Alouette cheese, wrapped in puff pastry, and baked to golden perfection. Elegant, flavorful, and simple enough for any night!
Servings: 4 pastries
Calories: 794kcal
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon water
- 17.25 ounces frozen puff pastry sheets 1 package, thawed
- 4 ounces garlic & herb Alouette cheese 1 container*
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts **
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Whisk the egg and water together in a small bowl and set it aside.1 large egg, 1 tablespoon water
- Unfold the pastry sheets, and roll each sheet into a 14x12-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface.17.25 ounces frozen puff pastry sheets
- Cut one sheet into four 7x6-inch rectangles.
- Cut the second sheet in half and set one half aside, then cut the other half into four even rectangles.
- Spread each 7x6 rectangle evenly with 1 ounce of cheese and a bit of mustard.4 ounces garlic & herb Alouette cheese, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and place each one face down in the center of each pastry.4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Place one of the smaller rectangles of pastry over the empty part of the chicken. Lightly brush the edges with the egg wash, then fold the corners of the larger pastry up over the chicken and press them against the smaller pastry. Fold the sides up and over, and press to seal, creating a package around the chicken. Place each bundle, pretty side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Brush them with egg wash.
- Cut the remaining pastry rectangle into several skinny strips. Take 3 strips and braid them together, using them to decorate the chicken packages as desired with other shorter pieces of pastry, tucking the excess ends under. Repeat with all the chicken packages, brushing the decorative strips with egg wash.
- Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours, and up to 24 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400°F. Bake on the lower oven rack for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through.
- Allow to cool slightly, then serve as desired.
Notes
*You can use a different flavor of Alouette or Boursin cheese if you prefer.
**You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts, but they may take longer to cook.
Tips:
- If your chicken breasts are large/thick, you may want to pound them to an even thickness to ensure even cooking.
- Pat the chicken extra dry before seasoning and wrapping to help the pastry crisp beautifully all the way around.
- If the dough starts feeling soft while you’re assembling, pop the pieces back in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to firm up before wrapping the chicken.
- Roll the pastry rather than stretching it. Stretching can cause shrinking and/or tearing in the oven. If a piece is too small, roll it out with a rolling pin.
- Don't skip or shorten the chill time, or the pastry will not turn out crisp.
- Baking on the lower rack helps the bottom brown evenly and keeps the pastry from staying pale or doughy.
- Check for doneness by insert your thermometer through the bottom seam. This keeps the steam inside and gives a more accurate reading.
- Properly cooked chicken should read 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Let the pastries rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow the cheese to firm up and the juices to redistribute.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pastry | Calories: 794kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 58g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 27g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 810mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 72IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 3mg