Tired of spending all day at the stove? There is a faster way. Easy chicken mantı uses store-bought phyllo dough, meaning you skip the rolling, the kneading, and the hours of waiting. You get a hot, savory meal in under an hour. It is a practical twist on the traditional meat-filled version, swapping ground beef for diced chicken breast to keep it light and tender.
What You Need for the Filling and Dough
The secret here is simplicity. You are not making scratch dough. You are using 2 sheets of ready-made phyllo. This saves time and reduces mess.
For the filling, you need:
– 1 chicken breast, cut into tiny cubes (about the size of a table die)
– 1 medium dry onion, finely chopped
– 1 green chili pepper, finely chopped
– 2 tablespoons olive oil for sautéing
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 1 teaspoon cumin
– Black pepper to taste
To finish the dish, gather:
– 3-4 cups of garlic yogurt (made by whisking 1 crushed garlic clove into plain yogurt)
– 1/2 cup liquid oil (sunflower or vegetable)
– 2 cups water
– 2 tablespoons olive oil for greasing the pan
How to Prep the Chicken Filling
Start with the chicken. You want it small. Dice the breast into cubes no bigger than a die from a board game. If the pieces are too large, they will not cook evenly inside the dough.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chicken cubes. Stir constantly for 4-5 minutes until browned. Do not let it burn.
Add the chopped onion and green chili to the pan. Toss in the salt, cumin, and black pepper. Stir for another 4-5 minutes. The onions should be translucent and sweet.
Turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool completely. This is crucial. If you wrap hot filling into phyllo, the dough will tear or become soggy immediately.
Step-by-Step Assembly and Baking
- Prep the Dough: Stack the two sheets of phyllo. Cut the stack into 8 equal sections. You will have 16 layers of dough in total.
- Wrap the Mantı: Place a small spoonful of the cooled chicken mixture on the wide edge of a dough layer. Roll it up tightly into a cylinder. Then, fold the ends toward the center to create a rose shape.
- Grease the Pan: Grease a glass baking dish or sheet pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Alternatively, line it with parchment paper.
- Arrange: Place the rolled mantı in the pan, close together.
- Soak the Dough: Mix 1/2 cup of liquid oil with 2 cups of water in a bowl. Spoon this mixture over the mantı. Make sure every piece is wet.
- Rest: Let the dish sit for 30 minutes. This step allows the dry phyllo to absorb the liquid. It prevents the edges
