Lunch

Buffalo Chicken Hot Pockets

Name: Buffalo Chicken Hot Pockets
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 450 g chicken breast; 1 tbsp garlic powder; 1 tbsp paprika; 1 tsp salt; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 120 g hot pepper sauce; 20 g brown sugar; 1 tbsp honey; 1 tsp corn starch; 400 g all-purpose flour; 400 g nonfat Greek yogurt; 100 g low-fat mozzarella; 1 g cooking spray

Baked hot pockets made with a two-ingredient Greek yogurt dough, sticky buffalo chicken, and shredded mozzarella.

Servings

Prep

15 min

Cook

25 min

Total

40 min

Baked hot pockets on a plate, one torn open to show the buffalo chicken filling

Ingredients

450 g chicken breast (diced into small cubes)
1 tbsp (9.7 g) garlic powder
1 tbsp (6.8 g) paprika
1 tsp (6 g) salt
2 tbsp (28.4 g) unsalted butter
120 g hot pepper sauce
20 g brown sugar
1 tbsp (21 g) honey
1 tsp (3 g) corn starch
400 g all-purpose flour
400 g nonfat Greek yogurt
100 g low-fat mozzarella (shredded)
1 g cooking spray

Equipment

Large skillet
Small saucepan
Whisk
Large mixing bowl
Rolling pin
Baking tray
Knife and cutting board
Food thermometer

Method

Cook the chicken

Dice the chicken into small even cubes and toss them with the garlic powder, paprika, and salt. Sear them in a lightly sprayed skillet over medium heat until browned and cooked through to 74°C (165°F), then take the pan off the heat.

Simmer the buffalo glaze

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the hot sauce, brown sugar, honey, and corn starch. Let it bubble gently until it thickens into a sticky glaze, then pour it over the chicken and stir to coat.

Make the dough

Put the flour and Greek yogurt in a large bowl and mix, then knead by hand until a smooth, slightly tacky dough forms. Dust with a little more flour if it sticks to your hands. Divide it into eight equal pieces and roll each into a ball.

Heat the oven

Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and lightly spray a baking tray.

Fill and seal the pockets

Roll each ball into a disc with a rolling pin. Spoon the buffalo chicken into the middle, leaving a clear border, and top it with shredded mozzarella. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the edges firmly closed.

Bake

Place the pockets seam side down on the tray, spray the tops lightly, and bake for about 15 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Let them rest for a few minutes before eating, since the cheese will be molten.

Nutrition

Per serving (one hot pocket), calculated from the listed ingredient quantities

Calories

358

Protein

25.3 g

Carbs

48.5 g

Fat

6.5 g

Fiber

2 g

Hot pockets at a glance

This makes eight pockets in 40 minutes. Each one provides 358 calories, 25.3 g protein, 48.5 g carbohydrates, 6.5 g fat, and 2 g fiber, calculated from the listed ingredient quantities.

The fat is low for a filled pastry because the dough is flour and yogurt rather than butter or oil. That also means the crust bakes crisp rather than flaky; it is closer to a soft flatbread than to shortcrust.

The two-ingredient dough

Equal weights of all-purpose flour and Greek yogurt give a dough that comes together in a couple of minutes of kneading. It should feel slightly tacky but not stick to your hands. Yogurts vary in how much water they hold, so add flour a tablespoon at a time if it stays wet, and stop as soon as it stops sticking; too much extra flour makes the baked crust dry.

Nonfat Greek yogurt is thick enough to work. A thinner regular yogurt will need noticeably more flour and changes the numbers above.

Sealing and baking

Roll each ball into a disc, keep the filling in the middle, and leave a clear border to pinch closed. Overfilling is the usual reason these split in the oven. Press the edges firmly, then place them seam side down on the tray so their own weight helps hold the seal.

A light spray of oil on top before baking is what gives the crust color. Without it they bake pale.

Heat level

120 g of hot sauce is a lot of sauce for 450 g of chicken, and the brown sugar and honey are there to balance it rather than to make it sweet. If you want them milder, use half the hot sauce and reduce the sugar and honey by half as well, or the glaze will taste flat.

Serving and storage

Let them sit for a few minutes after baking, since the cheese comes out molten. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and use them within three to four days. They also freeze well once cooled; reheat in an oven rather than a microwave if you want the crust to stay firm.

Cook chicken to a safe minimum internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).

Storage

Refrigerate in a covered container within two hours and use within three to four days. They freeze well once fully cooled. Reheat in the oven rather than the microwave to keep the crust firm, and heat until steaming hot throughout.