So what exactly are box patties?
Chicken box patties are a popular Pakistani snack, especially during Ramadan where they are served at Iftar time. Made with samosa sheets or spring roll wrappers they are filled with chicken, cheese and vegetables and fried till golden brown. Follow my step by step photos below to make perfect box patties.
They are called box patties because their shape resembles a square box which is made by overlapping two samosa wrapper sheets. The filling of these chicken and cheese box patties are similar to the ones that I use for the chicken patties that I make out of puff pastry. I start off with a roux (or white sauce) to which I add boiled and shredded chicken, capsicum and cheese. I then season it with salt, white pepper and red chili flakes.
Can I play around with the filling?
Yes, you can! In this recipe, I have used chicken, capsicum, corn and cheese. But in the past I have skipped the corn, added black olives and green chilies. Some options that I suggest are:
- Use beef instead of chicken or use shredded cottage cheese (paneer) instead of meat for a vegetarian option. Just make sure that the protein in the filling is cooked through. As the box patties are only fried for a few minutes, I would avoid putting raw meat.
- Skip the vegetables, or add more vegetables. Such as carrots, black olives, green chilies or broccoli.
- If you are using large vegetables like broccoli or carrots, make sure they are finely chopped. Pulsing them in the processor for a few seconds will work.
- Add some taco seasoning for a Mexican twist or experiment with other spice blends.
Can I freeze them?
Definitely!
Grease a tray (can be plastic or a baking tray) and lay out the box patties one by one on it, making sure there is space between each one of them. Keep them in the freezer for an hour or so till they are partially frozen. Once they are frozen, carefully remove them from the tray and place them in a plastic box or ziplock bags. To make the box patties, just take them out of the freezer and deep fry on medium heat till golden.
This recipe actually makes a large batch that can be easily frozen and is just the thing to have on hand for impromptu guests or if you are in the mood for a light snack to enjoy with your evening tea. Every Ramadan I make a double batch to last throughout the month, and in case there are any left they can also be part of your Eid trolley.
How to make chicken box patties - step by step photos:
Would love it if you could try out and rate the recipe, and let me know how it was in the comments below!
Some other snack recipes that you can try are:
-
Aloo Pakoras or Potato Fritters
-
Potato and Chicken Croquettes
-
Daal and Aloo Bun Kebab
-
Keema Samosa
-
Chicken Spread Sandwiches
📖 Recipe
How to make Chicken Box Patties
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup boiled and shredded chicken seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1 capsicum finely chopped
- ½ cup corn
- ½ - 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes to taste
- 4 tablespoon grated cheddar cheese
- 1 packet samosa patti / wrappers
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat butter in a medium frying pan. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
- Add flour and cook for about 30 – 45 seconds, while stirring constantly with a whisk.
- Add milk, and bring to a boil on low - medium heat till mixture is thick. Make sure to whisk constantly so that there are no lumps in the white sauce.
- Add boiled and shredded chicken, along with the finely chopped capsicum and corn.
- Add salt, pepper, red chili flakes and stir together. Taste at this time, and adjust seasonings as required.
- Add cheese and stir till it melts in the mixture.
- Set aside the mixture to cool. It will thicken and turn into a thick paste form as it cools. In case the mixture is too dry, add a splash of milk. Make sure the mixture cools down before you start filling.
- Place flour in a small bowl, and add water to make a thick paste. This will be used as a glue to close the box patties. Alternatively you can use a beaten egg as well.
- Take two samosa patti and put them in a cross pattern, one over the other. See the blog for a step by step tutorial on how to fold the box patties.
- Place filling in the middle and put the flour paste on the edges. Fold each of the edges one by one over each creating a parcel. Make sure the parcel is completely closed.
- At this point, you can freeze the box patties and keep them in the freezer. See note below on freezing instructions.
- Heat oil and deep fry the box patties till golden. Use a slotted spoon to take out the box patties. Serve with green chutney or ketchup.
Notes
Freezing Instructions:
Grease a tray (can be plastic or a baking tray) and lay out the box patties one by one on it, making sure there is space between each one of them. Keep them in the freezer for an hour or so till they are partially frozen. Once they are frozen, carefully remove them from the tray and place them in ziplock bags. To make the box patties, just take them out of the freezer and deep fry till golden.
Zeenat Aftab says
Love how these turned out, they were a hit. Substituted corn with broccoli and the recipe yielded me 7-10 box patties
Mahera says
very nicely explained and everybody loved it
Maria says
They turned out to be mouth watering good! A must try for Ramzan and other special occasions.
Chili to Choc says
Omg these are my fave! Love how you have explained everything in detail. And fabulous pictures too!
Chili to Choc says
Omg these are my fave! Love how you have explained everything in detail. And fabulous pictures too!