Braided Chicken Bread is soft, golden homemade bread stuffed with a creamy chicken filling. Despite its bakery-style look, this recipe is surprisingly simple and fun to make at home. Each slice is hearty, cheesy, and full of flavour, making it the perfect showstopper for tea-time, lunch boxes, and picnics.
Think of it as the best of both worlds — the comfort of freshly baked bread paired with the rich creaminess of chicken pie, all wrapped up in a beautiful braided loaf that looks as good as it tastes.
Ingredients for Braided Chicken Bread
This recipe makes two loaves of delicious braided chicken bread. It has two components: the soft homemade dough and the creamy chicken filling.
Dough
This is my multipurpose dough recipe — the same one I use for pizzas and garlic knots.
- Plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- Instant dry yeast – gives the dough a nice rise
- Sugar – helps activate the yeast
- Salt – balances the flavour
- Oil – prevents sticking and keeps the dough soft
Chicken Filling
A creamy and flavourful chicken mixture that pairs perfectly with the bread.
Chilli sauce – adds a mild kick (can substitute with ketchup if preferred)
Shredded chicken – boiled with a little salt, then shredded
Onion – one medium, finely chopped
Flour – helps bind the filling
Butter + a little oil – gives richness and creaminess
Milk – creates a smooth, creamy texture
Black pepper – classic seasoning
White pepper – adds a different, subtle spice note
How to Make Braided Chicken Bread?
1. Prepare the Dough
Start by activating the yeast in a quarter cup of warm water with sugar. Once it bubbles and froths, mix it with the flour, oil, salt, and more water to form the dough. You can knead the dough by hand or use a stand mixer with a dough hook.
Cover and let the dough rise for 1–2 hours in a warm place until doubled in size. A good trick is to warm your oven slightly, turn it off, and place the dough inside — the residual heat creates the perfect environment for rising.
2. Make the Chicken Filling
Boil the chicken fillets with a little salt, shred them, and set aside. In a pan, sauté onions in a mix of butter and oil until soft. Add flour and cook for a minute to remove the raw taste. Stir in the shredded chicken, season with salt, black pepper, white pepper, and chilli sauce. Finally, add milk and cook until the mixture becomes creamy and comes together. Allow the filling to cool completely before using.
3. Assemble the Bread
Roll the risen dough into an oval or oblong shape. Place the cooled chicken filling in the centre, leaving space at the sides. Cut 2-inch strips along both sides of the dough. Braid the strips by folding them alternately over the filling, overlapping slightly. Seal the ends well.
Transfer to a lined baking tray (tip: assemble directly on the tray to avoid difficulty in moving it). Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Nigella seeds (kalonji) can also be added for extra flavour and a nutty aroma.
4. Bake
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C / 350°F for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Serve warm.
TIP: It can be tricky to lift the bread after its filled. You can assemble it by placing in the tray you will be using to bake.
Watch How to Make Braided Chicken Bread
Filling Ideas for Braided Bread
The best part about braided bread is that it’s so versatile — you can stuff it with almost anything you like! While the creamy chicken filling is a classic, here are some other delicious variations to try:
Mix & Match – Don’t be afraid to combine flavours — spinach with feta, mushrooms with garlic butter, or even a leftover curry filling can all work well.
Vegetarian Options – A spiced potato filling works beautifully. You can even adapt the potato mixture from my Samosa Pie recipe for a hearty veggie version.
Mince Meat Filling – Ground chicken, beef, or lamb seasoned with onions and spices makes a flavour-packed option. For inspiration, check out the mince mixture in my Turkish Pide recipe.
Cheesy Chicken Bread – If you love cheese, add grated mozzarella or cheddar to the creamy chicken filling. It melts beautifully inside the braid and makes the bread extra indulgent.
Freezing the Chicken Bread
Braided chicken bread freezes really well, making it perfect for meal prep.
Reheating – When ready to enjoy, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven at 170°C (340°F) for about 8–10 minutes, or until warmed through. The bread stays soft and fresh, and the filling tastes just as good as freshly baked.
Freeze After Baking – Let the bread cool down completely before wrapping it tightly in cling wrap or foil. Place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. It will keep well for up to 1 month.
Other Recipes to Try:
Samosa Pie
Garlic Knots
Turkish Pide
Chicken Puffs
Braided Chicken Bread
Ingredients
Dough
- 2½ cup Plain Flour ( 450 g)
- 2 tsp Instant Yeast ( 7g)
- 2 tsp Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- Warm Water for kneading dough
Chicken Filling
- 2 cups Boiled Chicken Shredded See Notes
- ½ Onion Chopped
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Butter
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ¼ tsp White Pepper
- 1 tbsp Chilli Sauce (Subsitute Tomatoe Sauce)
- ½ cup Milk
- 1 tbsp Oil
Assembly
- 1 egg Lightly Beaten
- Nigella seeds and sesame seeds.
Instructions
Dough
- In small bowl or a cup add warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar together , cover and let it stand for 5-10 minutes. The yeast will rise become foamy.
- In a stand mixer bowl add flour, prepared yeast, olive oil and salt. If you don’t have a stand mixer, simply use a large mixing bowl and mix the dough with a wooden spoon .
- Mix it for 2 minutes while adding the water gradually. You may not use the whole amount of water mentioned. As soon as dough comes together stop adding water and mix for another 2 minutes. At this stage the dough should be slightly sticky.
- Lightly grease a bowl with oil and put dough in it. Cover and allow it to rise at room temperature for 2 hours. If you want it to rise quicker, heat oven at 150° C for 10 minutes. The oven should be hot enough to touch. Put the dough inside and it should rise in 45 mins to 1 hr.
Chicken Filling
- In a pan heat oil and butter until it melts. Add onion and sauté until its translucent. Add plain flour and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add chicken along with Salt, pepper and Chilli sauce. Mix well until everything is combined well
- Add the milk while stirring it and mixing the chicken with wooden spoon. It should form a creamy mixture. You can add more milk to adjust the consistency but make sure its not runny.
- Allow the mixture to cool down to room temperature.
Assembly
- Dust some flour on a clean surface and knead the dough for a minute. Divide it into 2 parts.
- Roll it into oval/oblong shape using a rolling pin. Put the chicken filling in the middle. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter cut 1½ inch strips on each sides.
- Bring up the strips on each side to cover the chciken filling, making a criscross or braid pattern. Seal the sides.
- Transfer the bread on a tray lined with baking paper. It can be tricky to lift the bread after its filled. You can assemble it by placing it in the tray you will be using to bake.
- Brush it with lightly beaten egg and sprinkle sessame or Nigella seeds. Bake it in the oven for 25 – 30 mins or untill golden brown.
How much water?
Hi Jasmine, initially use around 1/4 cup when you add yeast. After this add water gradually while mixing the dough.It would be around 3/4 cup. Avoid adding to much as it makes the dough sticky.Hope this helps !!