Chicken Kebab Phyllo Dough Pockets Layered With Mint Pesto And Cheese

Who doesn't love grabbing a nice, juicy kebab and biting into its saucy, meaty goodness once in a while? Traditional doner kebabs are made out of lamb, but there are some other great ways to prepare them that pack just as much of a punch – like using chicken instead. One of the most important parts is the marinade, which we perfected in this recipe for chicken kebab phyllo dough pockets. We've also switched around the kebab format to bring you deliciously dippable pockets, all wrapped up in flaky, crispy phyllo dough and stuffed to the brim with marinaded chicken and sautéed veggies. We've also gone ahead and upped the ante by stacking up these chicken kebab pockets with layers of homemade mint pesto and cheese. Bake everything together, and you've got yourself an inventive, mouth-watering new dish. The flavors, the textures, and this dish's dippable format make these chicken kebab pockets a dream come true!

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 90 minutes
Cooking Time: 55 minutes
Inactive Time: 4 hours
Difficulty Level: Moderate

You'll Need:

For the chicken kebab filling:

  • 1¾ cups cream cheese
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • zest of 2 lemons
  • 2 garlic cloves, diced
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 5 chicken breasts, cubed

For the phyllo dough pockets:

  • 36 sheets of phyllo dough (about 2 packages)
  • ¾ stick butter, melted
  • 12 slices of cheese

For the vegetable filling:

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 4 red onions, sliced
  • 4 green bell peppers, sliced
  • 5–7 tomatoes, deseeded & sliced
  • 2 jalapeños, minced
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper

For the mint pesto:

  • 2 bunches of parsley 
  • ½ bunch of mint
  • ⅓ cup blanched almonds
  • ⅔ cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper

Here's How:

1. For the chicken kebab filling, stir together all of the ingredients for the marinade. Cube the chicken breasts, stir them into the marinade, transfer everything to the refrigerator, and chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. For the phyllo dough pockets, stack 3 sheets of phyllo dough on top of each other, then place them on top of a 4 x 4-inch casserole dish.

3. Briefly sauté the vegetables in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil and season them with salt & pepper. Spoon the vegetables into the center of the phyllo dough, filling the small casserole dish up halfway.

4. Briefly sear the marinated chicken in a frying pan along with the excess marinade, then fill the small casserole dish with the chicken kebab filling.

5. Fold the phyllo dough over the filling to make a small, sealed pocket. Repeat this process until you've made 12 phyllo dough pockets.

6. Brush melted butter over the surface of a 12 x 8-inch casserole dish baking dish and place 6 phyllo dough pockets in it. For the mint pesto, put all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend them until a smooth, creamy sauce forms.

7. Brush some melted butter over the phyllo dough pockets, then spoon 1 tablespoon of mint pesto on top of each one. Spread the pesto evenly over all 6 phyllo dough pockets and place 6 slices of cheese on top of the layer of pesto.

8. Place the remaining 6 phyllo dough pockets on top of the layer of cheese, coat them in melted butter, and place another slice of cheese on top of each phyllo dough pocket.

9. Transfer the casserole dish to the oven and bake the chicken kebab phyllo dough pockets at 350°F for 30 minutes, until golden brown. 

These baked chicken kebab pockets aren't your average kebabs. Layer upon layer of delicious flavors and different textures – you'll never go back to traditional kebabs again! 

Get the recipe for the Sheet Pan Chicken Fajita Crunchwrap featured in the bonus video.

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