Pastel (Brazilian Fried Pastry – Street Food)

Brazil • Regional Dish • Pastry

Pastel (Brazilian Chicken Fried Pastry – Street Food)

Pastel is one of Brazil’s great fried-food flexes: thin, blistered pastry wrapped around a savory filling and gone in minutes.

Servings10
Prep Time45 min
Cook Time25 min
DifficultyModerate
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Instructions

  1. Place the chicken in a saucepan with the stock or water and the halved onion. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through.
  2. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Reserve 120 ml of the cooking liquid and discard the onion. Finely shred the chicken.
  3. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 4 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and spring onions and cook for 30 seconds.
  4. Stir in the tomato paste, oregano, chili powder or paprika, and cornflour. Cook for 30 seconds, then pour in the 120 ml reserved broth and stir until slightly thickened.
  5. Add the shredded chicken and cook for 2 minutes, stirring well. Remove from the heat and mix in the cream cheese, lime juice, salt, and pepper. The filling should be creamy but not runny. Cool completely.
  6. To make the dough, combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Rub in the lard or butter until evenly distributed.
  7. Add the vinegar, egg, and optional cachaça or vodka. Pour in 120 ml hot water and mix until a dough forms. Add a little more water only if needed. Knead for 4 to 5 minutes, until smooth and soft but not sticky. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
  8. Divide the dough in half. Roll one half very thinly on a lightly floured surface, about 2 mm thick. Keep the other half covered.
  9. Cut the dough into rectangles about 10 x 12 cm. Place 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp filling on one side of each rectangle, leaving a border. Fold over and press the edges firmly to seal. Crimp with a fork if needed.
  10. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
  11. Heat 5 to 6 cm of oil in a deep pan to 180 C. Fry the pastéis in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until blistered, crisp, and golden. Do not crowd the pan.
  12. Drain briefly on a paper towel and serve hot.

Cultural Context

Pastel is one of Brazil’s best-known street foods and is especially tied to fairs, snack counters, and casual grab-and-go eating. It is a deep-fried, filled pastry, but it is typically thinner and crispier than an empanada, with a blistered shell that is part of its signature appeal. Popular fillings include cheese, chicken, shrimp, hearts of palm, cod, and beef.

Fun Fact

One widely shared theory links Pastel’s rise in Brazil to East Asian immigrant communities. Different accounts point to Chinese or Japanese influence, but many stories agree that Japanese immigrants helped popularize pastelarias in Brazil after World War II.

Cook’s Tip

Pastel is a classic Brazilian street food: deep-fried, very crisp, and filled with everything from cheese and beef to shrimp, hearts of palm, or chicken. Chicken versions often include a creamy cheese element, and the dough is meant to be thinner and crunchier than empanada dough.

A little cachaça in the dough is a traditional-style trick that helps keep it light and crisp after frying. If you do not want to use it, vodka works similarly, or you can leave it out and use a touch more hot water. Rolling the dough very thin matters more than almost anything else here.

Trivia

There is even a version called pastel de vento, basically a pastel with almost no filling. The name means “wind pastel,” which is a charming way of saying you paid for crunch and air.

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