This Thai Curry Puff recipe makes it easy to recreate this popular Thai restaurant appetizer at home! Flaky puff pastry sheets are filled with ground chicken, vegetables, and spices then baked to golden brown perfection.
Thai curry puffs are a popular snack in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. I enjoyed some during my recent trip to Thailand (I found a few street vendors selling them). And I have had MANY delicious curry puffs at Thai restaurants here in my hometown, too!
This easy recipe is my own version of those tasty appetizers. Instead of deep frying them, I find you can get the same crisp puff pastry shell from baking them in an oven.
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What are Thai curry puffs?
Thai curry puffs are flaky puff pastry filled with a mixture of well-seasoned meat and vegetables. They are crunchy on the outside with nice curry flavor from the inside filling.
This savory snack is also known by a variety of names depending on the region and the type of filling used. Some common names for Thai curry puffs include:
- Karipap: This is the name for Malaysian curry puff, which are also popular in Singapore. They usually have spiral patterns made with the flaky pastry shell.
- Puff Pastry: Sometimes they are simply called "puff pastry" in Thailand, especially if they are made with flaky, layered pastry dough.
- Curry Pies: They are also sometimes called "curry pies" in English-speaking countries, particularly in Australia and New Zealand.
- Empanadas: In some parts of the world, particularly in Latin America, curry puffs are known as "empanadas" when they are made with a savory filling.
Whatever you decide to call them, these puff pastry appetizers are a real treat and easy to make at home!
🌟 Why this recipe works
Thai curry puff pastry is popular for so many delicious reasons.
- Easy: Thanks to store-bought puff pastry and frozen mixed veggies, these curry puffs are easy to make at home. I've included step-by-step photo instructions below.
- Simple ingredients: You can find all of the ingredients you need to make this recipe at your local grocery store.
- Delicious: I just love the smell of curry cooking in the kitchen! And the taste is even better. Curry powder and chili powder are two spices I highly recommend always keeping on hand to add delicious layers of flavor to your food!
- Reheats well: These curry puffs reheat beautifully in the air fryer or oven after being refrigerated.
🛒 Ingredient notes
These are the ingredients you need to make this easy curry puff recipe. Full measurements are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here are some quick notes about key ingredients.
Ground chicken - This light and quick-cooking protein is perfect for this popular snack. You can also use ground pork, ground beef, ground shrimp, or use tempeh or tofu for vegetarian curry puffs.
Puff pastry - This easy recipe calls for store-bought puff pastry. They usually come in a package of two puff pastry sheets and you will use both for this recipe.
Vegetables - Another shortcut is to use frozen mixed veggies, such as a package of diced carrots, green beans, and peas. Then I love adding the finely diced potatoes for additional texture and finely diced onion for flavor.
Spices and seasonings - Curry powder combined with a bit of chili powder, garlic, and fresh basil create a delicious curry filling.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
Start by preheating your oven to 400°F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large frying pan, saucepan or skillet, cook the ground chicken in olive oil (or vegetable oil) over medium heat to medium-high heat.
- Add the veggies and spices.
- Cook, continually stirring, to coat all of the meat and veggies in that delicious seasoning. Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove from the curry puff fillings from the heat and let it cool down a bit.
4. Meanwhile, prep the puff pastry sheet and use a rolling pin to flatten the sheet as needed. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut each puff pastry sheet into 9 equal squares. You will have 18 squares total.
5. Place a little water in a small bowl and with your fingers, add a bit of water around the edges of a pastry sheet square.
6. Spoon a tablespoon of filling into the center of the puff pastry sheet square.
7. Fold one bottom corner up diagonally to meet the opposite top corner to create a triangle.
8. Use the tines of a fork to seal the edges. At this point you can either leave the puffs as triangles or you can bring together both corners of the folded over edge to create a teardrop shaped puff (see the second #8 photo above).
9. Create a quick egg wash (1 egg + a teaspoon of water) in a small bowl and brush onto the outside of each uncooked curry puffs.
10. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20-22 minutes.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four or five days.
For the best results, reheat refrigerated curry puffs in an air fryer. Air fry at 350°F for 2-3 minutes. You can also reheat them on a baking sheet in the oven at 350°F for 5-6 minutes.
🍽 Serving ideas
I love to serve these Thai curry puffs as an appetizer or as a mid-afternoon snack.
They are delicious served with Asian Carrot Cucumber Salad, Beef Pad See Ew, Beef Pad Thai, or Thai Basil Shrimp.
🍷 🥂 Wine pairings
Pair these Thai appetizers with a white wine, such as a Gewurztraminer, Albariño, or a dry Riesling.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this curry puff recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you'll need:
- Saucepan: you'll need a large saucepan or skillet to cook the curry puff filling.
- Wooden spoon: I use a wooden spoon to cook the filling, but you can also use a heatproof silicone spatula.
- Baking sheet: You'll need to line a baking sheet with parchment paper to bake these puffs in the oven.
More Thai recipes
If you enjoy Thai food, be sure to check out all of our Thai inspired recipes and all of our Asian recipes.
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Thai Curry Puff
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 cup finely diced baking potato (about 1 small potato)
- ½ cup frozen mixed vegetables
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons curry powder
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon chopped Thai basil
- 1 package puff pastry (thaw if frozen)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten, plus 1 teaspoon water (for egg wash)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground chicken, diced potato, mixed veggies, onions, and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, constantly separating the meat.
- Pour in the chicken broth and soy sauce and stir.
- Add the curry powder, chili powder, and chopped Thai basil. Stir to coat the meat and veggies with the seasoning and continue to stir and cook for about 2 - 3 more minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
- On a large clean kitchen surface or cutting board, unfold the thawed puff pastry sheets so they lay flat. Use a pastry bench or knife to cut each sheet into 9 equal squares.
- Lightly wet the edges of a puff pastry square with water, then place a tablespoon of the cooked curry chicken filling in the middle. Fold one corner up to meet the diagonal corner to form a triangle.
- Press down on the sides to seal, and use the tines of a fork to create an additional seal along the edges. Lightly brush the tops with egg wash.
- You can either leave the puff pastries in this triangle shape, or join two of the ends of the long folded side together to form the teardrop shape shown in these photos.
- Bake at 400°F for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops of each puff pastry are a light golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
Toni says
These were so good!! Perfect appetizer for my family!
Tara says
Oooh, curry puffs are a favorite of mine and yours look absolutely fantastic. You had me at the flaky puff pastry, especially paired with that filling.
Beth says
These are absolutely fantastic! I love the seasoned filling, and the pastry is so golden and flaky. Delicious!
Kelley says
This made such a fun appetizer to serve with our Chicken Stir Fry the other night! Thanks so much for sharing!
Elizabeth says
The filling in these puffs is delicious! Thank you for the great step-by-step photos showing how to fold the pastry squares.