About This Dish
The more accessible version of the traditional pigeon pastilla, using chicken instead of the harder-to-find pigeon. Shredded chicken is layered with saffron-scrambled eggs and sweetened toasted almonds in crispy phyllo pastry, then dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon. While purists insist on pigeon, chicken bastilla has become far more popular across Morocco due to chicken's availability and milder flavor. The dish retains all the drama and sweet-savory brilliance of the original and is the version most commonly served at modern Moroccan celebrations.
Ingredients
- 1 kg Chicken thighs, bone-in
- 10 Phyllo pastry sheets
- 6 Eggs, beaten
- 200 g Blanched almonds, toasted
- 2 Onions, chopped
- 1/2 tsp Saffron
- 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground ginger
- 80 g Powdered sugar
- 120 g Butter, melted
- 1 bunch Fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley)
- to taste Salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1
Braise chicken with onions, saffron, ginger, herbs, and water for 1 hour. Shred meat.
- 2
Reduce cooking liquid. Stir in beaten eggs to create soft scrambled eggs.
- 3
Grind toasted almonds with half the cinnamon and half the sugar.
- 4
Layer buttered phyllo in a round pan. Add egg layer, chicken, then almond layer.
- 5
Fold phyllo over, top with more sheets. Brush with butter.
- 6
Bake at 180C (350F) for 30 minutes until golden.
- 7
Dust with remaining sugar and create cinnamon lattice pattern.
Tips & Tricks
- Use thigh meat — it stays moister than breast during braising.
- The egg layer binds everything together and must not be too wet.
- Serve warm for the best pastry crunch.