When you want a dinner that looks fancy but is secretly easy, these are the answer.
These crispy golden oven-baked chicken filo parcels are filled with tender chicken, basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, prosciutto and mozzarella cheese, and take just 10 minutes to prepare. If you love a fuss-free family dinner, you'll also love my Chicken and Leek Pies with Bacon or Chicken and Mushroom Vol Au Vents.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Chicken Filo Parcels
🕒 Ready In: 50 minutes
👪 Serves: 4
🥟 Calories: 553kcal per serve
🥣 Main Ingredients: chicken, basil pesto, filo pastry, prosciutto, mozzarella
📖 Dietary Info: freezer-friendly
⭐ Why You'll Love It: Crispy, golden and packed with flavour, on the table with just 10 minutes of prep.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Like my individual Chicken Empanadas with Chorizo and my family-sized Chicken and Mushroom Pie, these are the easiest chicken dinner recipes guaranteed to be met with big smiles from young and old.
Pesto is one of those magic ingredients that packs so much flavour into a dish, from Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta to Bacon, Pea & Pesto Risotto.
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Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- 6 ingredients - just a handful of ingredients to make these parcels.
- Easy recipe - takes just 10 minutes to prepare.
- Comfort food, made lighter - using filo pastry and pesto rather than a creamy sauce.
- Versatile - a delicious family dinner, and perfect for entertaining too.
- Freezer-friendly - freeze for up to 1 month for an easy future dinner.
Filo Ingredients
Just 6 easy-to-find ingredients make these flavour-packed parcels.
- Chicken - use skinless chicken breast or thigh fillets, or even leftover cooked chicken.
- Basil pesto - use your favourite store-bought pesto for convenience, or make your own.
- Sun-dried tomatoes - sun-dried tomatoes in oil work best.
- Mozzarella - a ball of mozzarella chopped into cubes, or grated mozzarella if you prefer.
- Filo pastry - also known as phyllo pastry, this thin delicate pastry is available in the chilled or freezer section.
- Prosciutto - adds a lovely salty, smoky flavour. You can substitute with smoked bacon, but cook it first before adding to the parcel.
Variations
- Vegetarian - leave out the prosciutto and add a handful of baby spinach and extra mozzarella.
- Smaller parcels - make 8 smaller, kid-sized parcels instead of 4 large ones for little hands.
- Different cheese - swap the mozzarella for crumbled feta or bocconcini.
- Extra veggies - add finely chopped roasted capsicum or baby spinach to the filling.
How To Make Chicken Filo Parcels
These golden and crispy parcels may look fancy, but they're very quick and easy to make.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredient quantities and full detailed method.
- Step 1: Make the filling. Dice the chicken into bite-size cubes, then mix through the basil pesto and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Step 2: Prepare the filo. Cut the filo sheets in half and layer them so they overlap in a star shape.
- Step 3: Assemble. Layer the prosciutto, chicken mixture and mozzarella into the centre of the pastry.
- Step 4: Roll up and bake. Spread melted butter over the pastry and fold to enclose the filling. Brush the top with butter, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake until golden, crispy and cooked through.
Recipe Tips
- Top tip: don't worry too much about the folding, as long as the filling is enclosed it doesn't matter what it looks like.
- Melted butter helps 'stick' the layers of filo pastry together and crisp it up.
- Serving sizes - this recipe makes 4 large adult-sized parcels, or 8 smaller kid-sized parcels (or a mix of both).
- Storage: refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and eat within 1 day.
- Freezing: freeze uncooked parcels for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge before baking.
- Reheat in the oven or air fryer until piping hot.
Chicken Filo Parcels FAQs
Yes. Reheat thoroughly in the oven or air fryer until piping hot throughout.
Yes. Freeze the uncooked parcels for up to 1 month, then defrost in the fridge before cooking.
So many sides work well, from steamed green beans or broccoli to your favourite salad or slaw. Add crispy potato wedges or mashed potato for a filling meal.
Keep the sheets you're not using covered with a slightly damp tea towel, filo dries out and becomes brittle very quickly once exposed to air.
More Easy Chicken Dinners
Looking for more easy chicken dinner recipes that kids love? Here are some of my most popular chicken recipes:
Chicken Filo Parcels
Ingredients
- 500 g skinless chicken breast fillets or thighs
- 3 tbsp basil pesto
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 125 g mozzarella chopped
- 8 sheets filo pastry
- 50 g prosciutto thinly sliced
- 40 g butter melted
- sesame seeds to sprinkle (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celsius (fan forced). Spray a flat baking tray with cooking oil and set aside.
- Dice the chicken breast into 2cm cubes and place into a bowl. Add the basil pesto and sun-dried tomatoes and mix to combine. Set aside.
- Place 4 of the filo pastry sheets onto a chopping board and cut in half. Set one half aside. Layer the pastry sheets so that they overlap and resemble a star shape.
- Place ¼ of the prosciutto slices into the centre of the pastry.Top with ¼ of the chicken mixture and sprinkle over ¼ of the mozzarella.
- Spread melted butter over the visible filo pastry and fold the edges over to enclose. Brush melted butter over the top of the filo pastry and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).
- Repeat with the remaining pastry sheets and fillings until you have 4 chicken filo.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until golden, crispy and the chicken is piping hot and has cooked through.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Folding the filo - don't worry too much when folding your filo pastry - as long as the filling is enclosed it doesn't matter what it looks like!
- Melted butter - this helps to 'stick' the layers of filo pastry together and crisp it up.
- Serving sizes - this recipe makes 4 large (adult-sized serve) chicken filo parcels. Alternatively, you can make 8 smaller (kid-size) parcels (or a combination of 2 large and 4 small).
- Storing - store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 1 day.
- Freeze - freeze uncooked chicken filo for up to 1 month. Allow to defrost in the fridge before cooking.
- Reheat - chicken filo parcels in the oven or air fryer until piping hot.
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