What is the Meaning of Pâté Chaud

Pâté chaud (pronounced pah-tay show) is a French term that translates to "hot pastry" in English. It refers to a type of savory puff pastry filled with meat, often seasoned ground pork or chicken, and baked until golden and flaky.

Although it has a French name, it is a Vietnamese food sensation with French origins that beautifully blends the flaky puff pastry dough with the bold and aromatic spices. Essentially these are Vietnamese meat pies enclosed in a flaky, buttery crust holding the juicy pork meat filling. Originating from the French colonial Vietnam era, it has certainly captured my taste palate with its unique and savory fusion.

The first time I ate this on my trip to Vietnam, I knew I had to be able to make this myself and was surprised how easy it was to recreate it. In general, I love Vietnamese cuisine and this is one of those recipes I turn to over and over again when I have friends over for beers. It also makes for a great appetizer to any meal.

In this blog, I'll go over how to make this beautifully delicious hot pastry pie that is also very simple to make and join us on a step-by-step journey to recreate this delectable Vietnamese dish in your own kitchen.

About This Recipe

The Pastry
Should you use store-bought or make your own puff pastry? I prefer to use store-bought puff pastry as I don't want to go through the fuss of making it myself. So I always skip the homemade puff pastry option and I recommend that you do yourself a favor and go store-bought.

Baking time
One thing I will say is, you'll want to make sure to bake in the oven for 45 minutes. I made the mistake of only baking for 25 minutes, but what you end up with is some soggy pastry on the inside of the pastry dough. Instead, this baking time will ensure that you have a nice flaky pastry crust for your Pâté chaud. In the picture below you can see how the pastry is a bit wet and still a bit raw by the grey coloring.

Worcestershire sauce
My recipe calls for Worcestershire sauce, although this is not traditional, I do find that it gives the meat mixture an extra layer of umami and really helps to round of the flavor profile of this Pâté chaud recipe.

Pork or chicken?
All of the meats will work, but pork meat is my favorite, especially minced pork shoulder meat which is my absolute favorite.
I've also made this with ground chicken and ground beef works nicely too. But if I have the option to choose, pork is always my personal choice. Whatever meat choice you use, I find that a 25 gram of ground meat mixture filling inside each pastry parcel works best, as it is not too big and not too small in portion size.

Pork Pâté
I do have a recipe for pork pate which you can use here, but when I'm in a rush, again I go store-bought, but I do make sure that I use a good quality pate that I love eating on its own.
I have made this with beef and chicken liver pate, which also works beautifully if you can't get your hands on pork pate.

Equipment Needed to Make Pâté chaud

Large mixing bowl to mix the meat and spices together
Convection oven setting
Parchment paper to place the meat pies once they’re baking in the oven
Round cookie cutter 8cm diameter to cut the pastry dough
Pastry brush for the egg wash
Oven sheet pan

Pâté Chaud Recipe

The Ingredients

Pork Filling Mixture
250g ground pork
140g pork pate
1/2 cup diced onions going in raw 130g 1 onion
1/2 tbsp sugar (8g)
1/2 tsp white Pepper (2g)
1/2 tspSalt (3g)
Fish sauce 1 tbsp (16g)
1/2tbsp soy sauce (10g)
1 and. 1/2 tbsp Chicken bouillon powder (18g)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (18g)

Pastry Dough
8 puff pastry sheets size 88 x 22 x 0.25 cm
Egg yolks for the egg wash on the pastry

Pâté Chaud Cooking Instructions

Step 1. In a large bowl mix together the ground pork, the pate, diced onions, sugar, white pepper, salt, fish sauce and soy sauce Worcestershire sauce and chicken bouillon powder. I like to use my hands here and just mix until all the ingredients are well combined.

Step 2. Take out the puff pastry dough from the freezer 30 minutes before use. Then use a round ring mold with diameter 8 cm to cut 20 number of circles. You will need one circulat piece of dough for the bottom and another for the top of the pastry.

Step 3. Weigh out about 25 grams of the savory meat mixture and place in the the middle of the pastry dough, then place the second dough ontop and seal with a fork.

Step 4. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle some sesame seeds ontop

Step 5. Preheat your oven to 200 °C/ 392°F, once it hits the temperature, place your pastries in the middle level of the oven for 45 minutes

Step 6. Once the pastries are a nice golden brown they are ready to take out these hunger hug meat pies and enjoy!

Storage Tips

Should you have any leftovers, I usually keep them in an airtight container and freeze up to a month and then reheat back in the oven at 180 degrees or air fryer for 10 minutes

If you're looking for a well-balanced meat puff pastry recipe, then give this Vietnamese Pâté chaud recipe a go.

How to Warm Up Pâté Chaud?

Air Fryer (Quick and Crisp)

Preheat the air fryer to 160°C (320°F).
Place the pâté chaud in the basket, ensuring they don’t overlap.
Heat for 3-5 minutes, checking to ensure they’re warmed through without over-browning.

Why Use an Air Fryer?

It quickly reheats while keeping the puff pastry crisp and flaky.

Oven (Even Heating, Great for Larger Batches)

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
Place the pâté chaud on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Reheat for 5-7 minutes or until warmed through and the pastry is crispy.

Why Use an Oven?

Ideal for reheating multiple pieces at once, ensuring even warmth and texture.

Tips:

Avoid using a microwave; it will make the pastry soggy and lose its crispiness.
For extra crispiness, brush the pastry lightly with water before reheating in the oven or air fryer.

Pâté Chaud: Vietnamese Pork Meat & Pâté Pastry Recipe (Patê Sô)

What is the Meaning of Pâté Chaud