Pastilla (Moroccan Chicken Pie)
بسطيلة
A showstopping layered pie of spiced shredded chicken, almonds, and cinnamon wrapped in crispy warqa pastry and dusted with powdered sugar. Pastilla blends sweet and savoury in a way that surprises and delights — and with a few healthy tweaks, it can fit into a balanced meal plan.
Time
75m
Servings
6
Difficulty
hard
Budget
$$
The Story
Pastilla (also spelled b'stilla) is widely believed to have Andalusian origins, brought to Morocco by Moors expelled from Spain. The original version used pigeon, considered a delicacy, but chicken became the standard as tastes and availability shifted. In cities like Fes, pastilla remains the centrepiece of wedding feasts and special celebrations. The thin warqa pastry requires skilled hand-stretching on a hot surface — a technique passed down through generations of specialist cooks.
✓Healthy Swaps & Tips
- • Use olive oil spray instead of butter for the filo layers — cuts saturated fat by more than half.
- • Reduce powdered sugar to a very light dusting (½ tbsp total) or skip it for a savoury-only version.
- • Use whole-wheat filo if available for added fibre.
Ingredients
- 500gchicken breastboneless
- 2 largeonionfinely diced
- 4eggsbeaten
- 100galmondstoasted and roughly chopped
- 8filo pastry sheetswarqa is traditional but hard to find
- ½ bunchfresh parsleychopped
- ½ bunchfresh cilantrochopped
- 2 tspground cinnamon
- 1 tspground ginger
- ½ tspturmeric
- pinchsaffron threads
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 1 tbspbuttermelted, for brushing pastry
- 1 tbsppowdered sugarfor dusting
- to tastesalt and pepper
Instructions
Poach chicken breasts in water with onion, ginger, turmeric, saffron, salt, and pepper for 20 minutes. Remove chicken and shred finely. Reduce the cooking liquid by half.
In the reduced liquid, pour in beaten eggs and stir continuously over low heat until scrambled and dry. Combine with the shredded chicken, parsley, and cilantro.
Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Brush a round baking dish with olive oil.
Layer 4 sheets of filo, brushing each lightly with melted butter. Spread the chicken-egg mixture evenly. Sprinkle with chopped almonds and 1 tsp cinnamon.
Top with remaining filo sheets, brushing each with butter. Tuck edges under and brush the top.
Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and crisp. Dust lightly with powdered sugar and remaining cinnamon.
Common Questions
Can I make pastilla ahead of time?
Yes, assemble and refrigerate unbaked for up to 24 hours. Add 5 minutes to the baking time if going straight from the fridge.
What is warqa pastry?
An ultra-thin Moroccan pastry similar to filo. It is made by dabbing a ball of dough onto a hot surface. Filo is the most accessible substitute.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated values based on standard ingredients.
Nutrition info is provided as a general guide. Actual values may vary based on specific ingredient brands and portion sizes.
