That sharp, clean snap under your teeth, followed by a stream of melted cheese escaping — that is exactly what we are looking for with these cigars. A recipe that takes thirty minutes, uses up what’s left in the fridge, and still manages to impress.
Look at them. The brick pastry has taken on a pale caramel color, almost amber, with darker areas at the corners where the butter has caught well. When you break one in half, the cheese stretches slightly before setting — it melted during baking and mingled with the shredded chicken. It smells of nutty brown butter and garlic, with a hint of parsley. The inside is hot, dense, and melting.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Ingredient Notes
Everything you need for tasty cigars: cooked chicken, melting cheese, brick pastry, and a few aromatics.
- Brick pastry (Feuilles de brick) : Found in the chilled section, often near pie crusts. The round ones (Warka) are the most common — cut them in half to get semi-circles that are easier to roll. Work quickly, as they dry out fast in the air and break if they get too cold. Keep the others under a slightly damp cloth while rolling.
- Cooked chicken : Ideally roasted, confit thighs or leftover breast. The important thing: it must have flavor. A plain steamed chicken breast alone will result in a dull filling — compensate with generous seasoning and a bit more garlic.
- Shredded cheese : Classic Emmental melts cleanly without releasing too much water. Shredded mozzarella gives more stretch but slightly moistens the filling — drain the chicken well in that case. Cheddar adds great flavor but can quickly overpower everything else.
- Garlic and onion : The duo that flavors the filling. Half a clove of garlic is enough — cooked in oil, it becomes sweet and almost sugary. Raw in a cold filling, it remains aggressive and you will taste it. Sauté them over medium heat until the onion is translucent and slightly sticky.
The filling is the heart of the matter
Start by heating the olive oil over medium heat. The sliced onion and minced garlic go in first — you want to hear them sizzle gently, not spit and burn. After three or four minutes, the onion becomes translucent and the garlic gives off a warm, slightly sweet scent. Add the shredded chicken, mix so it soaks up the flavors. Salt, pepper. Let it cool for ten minutes off the heat before stirring in the cheese: if you add it to the still-hot filling, it melts prematurely, the texture becomes stringy and sticky, and hard to handle later. Once lukewarm, the mixture should be compact, not liquid.
The folding is where it all happens
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Take out your pastry sheets one by one, keeping the others under a towel. Place a generous spoonful of filling on one edge, leaving a two-centimeter margin on each side. Fold the sides inward — firmly, without tearing. Then roll towards you, tightening as you go. The cigar should feel dense under your fingers, not soft. A loose roll will open in the oven and give you something looking like a slumped pancake. Place them seam-side down on the tray.
The butter, the oven, and the wait
Brush each cigar with a little melted butter — a thin layer is enough; this is what triggers the browning and gives that uniform light caramel color. Bake for fifteen minutes, but keep an eye on them from the twelve-minute mark. When the cigars turn from creamy white to golden amber and you hear a sharp crack if you press gently with a spatula, they are ready. Cooking varies by oven; some heat strongly from below and the cigars brown faster on the bottom face.
What to serve with them
As an appetizer, they stand on their own. To make it a meal, a green salad with a sharp vinaigrette balances the richness of the cheese. A yogurt sauce with fresh mint and a squeeze of lemon also works very well — the cold, tangy side against the hot and crunchy is a great combination. Serve them straight out of the oven. After twenty minutes, the brick will start to soften.
Tips & Tricks
- Don’t overfill the sheets — one well-packed tablespoon per cigar is enough. Too much filling and it overflows during cooking, the cheese leaks onto the tray and sticks.
- You can roll them in advance and keep them raw in the refrigerator for up to 24h under plastic wrap. Brush with butter just before baking — not before, otherwise the pastry softens.
- To reheat already cooked cigars, put them in the oven at 160°C for five minutes rather than the microwave. The microwave softens everything, the oven makes it crispy again.
Can I prepare the cigars in advance?
Yes, and it’s actually very practical. Roll them up, place them on a tray covered with plastic wrap, and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Brush with melted butter just before baking — if you do it too early, the pastry absorbs the fat and softens before it even hits the oven.
How do I reheat cooked cigars?
In the oven at 160°C for 5 to 7 minutes. Definitely not in the microwave: the brick pastry softens immediately and you lose all the crunch. The oven crisps the surface in a few minutes without drying out the filling.
Can the cigars be frozen?
Yes, preferably raw. Freeze them flat on a tray first, then transfer to a freezer bag once solid to prevent sticking. Bake them directly from frozen at 180°C, adding 5 minutes to the cooking time — no need to defrost.
The pastry sheet is tearing when I roll it — what do I do?
Two possible reasons: either the sheets dried out in the air and became brittle, or you used too much filling. Keep unused sheets under a slightly damp towel. If a sheet cracks, layer a second one over it before rolling.
Which cheese should I choose for a really melty result?
Emmental is the easiest: it melts cleanly without releasing water. Shredded mozzarella gives more stretch but slightly moistens the filling. Avoid hard cheeses like Parmesan alone — they don’t melt well and give a grainy rather than creamy texture.
Can I vary the filling?
Easily. Add smoked paprika or cumin for a more Middle Eastern version. A tablespoon of cream cheese mixed into the filling makes the inside creamier. You can also replace the parsley with fresh cilantro or chives depending on what you have.
Crispy Chicken and Cheese Cigars
Mediterranean
Appetizer
Brick pastry rolls filled with shredded chicken and melting cheese, oven-baked until golden like light caramel. Ready in 35 minutes.
Ingredients
- 8 brick pastry sheets
- 300g cooked shredded chicken (roasted or grilled)
- 120g shredded cheese (emmental, mozzarella or cheddar)
- 1/2 onion (about 60g), finely sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (10g)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (30ml)
- 15g butter, melted (for brushing)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 180°C. Finely slice the onion and mince the garlic clove.
- 2Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent.
- 3Add the shredded chicken and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, and mix. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
- 4Stir the shredded cheese into the cooled filling and mix until uniform.
- 5Place a sheet of brick pastry on the work surface. Place a tablespoon of filling on one edge, fold the sides inward, then roll tightly to form a cigar.
- 6Place the cigars seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush evenly with melted butter.
- 7Bake for 15 minutes, monitoring from 12 minutes onwards. The cigars are ready when golden and slightly crunchy under a spatula.
- 8Serve immediately as an appetizer or starter with a green salad or yogurt sauce.
Notes
• Make ahead: raw cigars can be stored for 24h in the refrigerator under plastic wrap. Brush with butter just before baking.
• Freezing: freeze raw flat then transfer to a bag. Cook directly from frozen at 180°C adding 5 minutes of cooking time.
• Storage: cooked cigars keep for 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator. Reheat for 5 to 7 minutes in the oven at 160°C to restore crunch — avoid the microwave.
Nutrition Facts (per serving, estimated)
| 320 kcalCalories | 22gProtein | 18gCarbs | 17gFat |
