Moroccan Pastilla Spiced Meat (Printable)

A Moroccan pie layered with spiced meat, delicate phyllo sheets, and a sweet cinnamon finish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meat Filling

01 - 1.5 lbs bone-in chicken thighs (or substitute with squab or Cornish hen)
02 - 2 medium onions, finely chopped
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1 tsp ground ginger
06 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
07 - 1 tsp ground turmeric
08 - 1 tsp ground black pepper
09 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
10 - 1/2 tsp saffron threads, soaked in 1 tbsp warm water (optional)
11 - 1 tsp salt
12 - 2 cups chicken stock
13 - 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
14 - 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
15 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

→ Egg Mixture

16 - 6 large eggs
17 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
18 - 1/4 tsp salt

→ Pastry & Assembly

19 - 10 sheets phyllo pastry (approx. 12 x 17 inches)
20 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
21 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
22 - 2 tsp ground cinnamon

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic until translucent. Add chicken, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, nutmeg, saffron (if using), and salt. Brown chicken on all sides for 5 minutes.
02 - Pour in chicken stock, cover, and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove chicken, cool, then shred meat, discarding bones and skin.
03 - Continue cooking the remaining liquid over medium heat until reduced to about 1 cup, slightly thickened.
04 - Return shredded chicken to pot, add parsley, cilantro, and toasted almonds. Stir well and remove from heat. Allow mixture to cool.
05 - Melt butter in a separate pan over medium-low heat. Beat eggs with salt, add to pan, and gently stir until softly scrambled but still moist. Fold eggs into cooled chicken mixture.
06 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 10-inch round baking dish. Layer 5 phyllo sheets, brushing each with melted butter and allowing edges to overhang the dish.
07 - Spread chicken and egg filling evenly over phyllo. Fold overhanging phyllo over filling. Cover with 4 more sheets, brushing each with butter and tucking edges into dish. Top with last sheet, buttered.
08 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden and crisp. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
09 - Dust pie with powdered sugar and cinnamon generously just before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The phyllo gets so impossibly golden and shatteringly crisp that every bite feels like a small luxury.
  • That moment when powdered sugar and cinnamon dust settles on your tongue alongside the warm spiced meat is pure theater.
  • It's genuinely easier than it looks, and feeds a crowd while making you seem like you've mastered something ancient and difficult.
02 -
  • If your phyllo tears (and it will), just patch it with a piece of butter and a scrap of another sheet—no one sees inside.
  • The filling must be cool or room temperature before you add the eggs, or they'll scramble further and lose their tender texture.
  • Melted butter is your best friend; a dry brush will shred the phyllo, but butter helps everything forgive your mistakes.
03 -
  • Make the filling a full day ahead; it develops flavor overnight and takes the pressure off assembly day.
  • Phyllo dries out in minutes once exposed to air, so have everything prepped and ready before you unwrap it.
  • The pie is actually better at room temperature than piping hot—give it twenty minutes to settle, and every layer will be more pronounced.
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