How to MakeSourdough Chicken Broccoli Hot Pockets
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Hot pockets are the ultimate comfort food: portable, satisfying, and totally nostalgic. Instead of the processed version from the freezer aisle, these Sourdough Chicken Broccoli Hot Pockets are made from whole-food ingredients and a flaky sourdough pie crust. They’re perfect for lunches, quick dinners, or a batch to freeze for busy nights. Make the crust ahead for extra flavor, use rotisserie or prepped chicken to keep the work low, and enjoy a much healthier, tastier hot pocket your family will ask for again and again.!
- Skill level: Beginner-friendly
- Prep time: 20–30 minutes (plus dough rest)
- Cook time: 20–25 minutes
- Yield: 4 hot pockets (adjust by scaling dough)
- Key tools: Rolling pin, cookie scoop, baking sheet, fork
Table of contents
- Ingredients
- Notes before you start
- Quick Prep Overview
- Sourdough isn’t complicated! Just prep
- Pick a cheese for your family
- How to Make the Filling
- Roll Out the Sourdough Crust
- Assemble the Hot Pockets
- Bake
- Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions
- Serving Suggestions —
- Well rounded sourdough hot pocket meal
- Tips for Success
- Benefits of sourdough
- Final Notes & Encouragement
- Other Sourdough Receipts You’ll Love
Ingredients
- 1 sourdough pie crust (see note below)
- 1 cup shredded, cooked chicken (rotisserie or leftover)
- 1 cup cooked, mashed broccoli (see cooking note)
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar (or Colby Jack)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp mixed herbs (optional: sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano — choose your favorite)
- 1 egg + 1 Tbsp water (for egg wash)
Notes before you start
- Dough timing: For the best flavor, make your sourdough pastry at least 1 hour before assembling; an overnight rest in the fridge adds a lovely depth of flavor.
- Chicken: Rotisserie chicken or a cooked whole chicken (Instant Pot is great) speeds prep and gives you broth for other recipes.
- Broccoli: Cook completely until very tender, then mash. The broccoli should blend into the filling — no crunchy bites.
Quick Prep Overview
- Prepare or chill your sourdough crust.
- Cook and mash broccoli until very soft.
- Shred chilled cooked chicken.
- Mix filling, roll crust, fill pockets, and bake.
Sourdough isn’t complicated! Just prep
You can make this a quick and easy meal to put together by using a rotisserie chicken. I like to make a whole chicken early in the week in my instant pot so I have both shredded chicken and chicken broth available for recipes. It also helps if the shredded chicken is already chilled, so it’s nice to have it prepped and in the fridge before you start making your hot pockets.
If you want the flavor and benefits of sourdough, you’ll need to make your pastry dough/pie crust at least an hour ahead of time. An overnight ferment add a depth of flavor to this recipe that you won’t believe! Either way, prep the crust first and let it rest in the fridge while you make your filling.
The broccoli for your hot pockets must be completely cooked through so it’s easy to smash up. No one wants a bite of crunchy broccoli in his hot pocket. The broccoli is not the star of the show, so mash it well. It may feel like you’ve overcooked it, but trust me on this one. The broccoli should be complimentary to the chicken and cheese, not overpower it.
Pick a cheese for your family
My family really enjoys sharp cheddar. The tanginess of it really lends itself to adding another layer of flavor to the sourdough pastry, savory chicken, and bitter broccoli. If you don’t enjoy sharp cheddar, we’ve also made this recipe with Colby jack and it turned out great. The sourdough hot pocket will have a wonderful flavor profile anyway, so don’t get hung up on the details of the filling.
How to Make the Filling
Stir well until the mixture is evenly combined and not overly wet. The filling should be thick enough not to leak when baked.Mix all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. This may take a good bit of stirring because it’s not a very wet sauce. There is only a small amount of sour cream. The mixture needs to be dry so it doesn’t leak out of your hot pocket dough while baking. Get everything stirred well, then add your herbs and spices and mix well again.
Cook broccoli until very tender (steam or boil 6–8 minutes), then drain and mash thoroughly — you want a soft, spreadable texture.
In a large bowl combine:
1 cup shredded chicken
1 cup mashed broccoli
1 cup grated cheddar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp optional herbs (adjust to taste)
The herbs and spices are easy to change and adapt to your family’s taste. We all like salt and pepper, garlic powder, and some sage. This recipe is also delicious with some rosemary or tarragon. We tried it with thyme, and only half of us liked it. Just play around and find what everyone in your home enjoys in their sourdough hot pockets!
Roll Out the Sourdough Crust
- Lightly flour your work surface.
- Roll the chilled sourdough dough into a large rectangle about 8″ x 12″.
- Cut the rectangle into 4 equal long rectangles (about 4″ x 8″ each). These will become four hot pockets.
Assemble the Hot Pockets
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment.
- Portion filling: Use a 2–4 Tbsp scoop or small cookie scoop to place even amounts (~2–4 Tbsp) on one half of each rectangle, leaving a 1/2″ border.
- Brush the border lightly with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water).
- Fold the empty side over the filling so edges align.
- Crimp edges firmly with a fork or pinch and fold to seal completely. Make 2–3 small vents on top with a sharp knife to let steam escape.
- Place assembled pockets on the prepared sheet pan. Brush tops with egg wash for a golden finish.
Bake
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown.
- Let cool 5–10 minutes before serving — the filling will be hot.
Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions
- To freeze pre-baked: Do not brush with egg wash. Freeze the assembled pockets flat on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a gallon-size freezer bag. When ready to bake, brush with egg wash and bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes (add ~5 minutes if still frozen).
- To freeze raw: Assemble and freeze raw on a sheet pan until solid; then bag. Bake from frozen, adding 6–8 minutes to cook time.
- To refrigerate: Fully cooked pockets keep 3–4 days in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions —
Build a Balanced Plate These hot pockets are hearty, but pairing them with fresh sides rounds out the meal:
Sauerkraut for probiotics and a bright contrast.
Flavored rice made with chicken broth (use broth from a cooked whole chicken).
Simple fresh salad (use leftover grated cheese — saves dishes).
Homemade ranch (raw milk + herbs + cayenne) or plain yogurt dip.
Well rounded sourdough hot pocket meal
We really like to add a lot of nutrition to our meals, especially with something that feels like junk food. Even though the sourdough hot pockets are loaded with nutrition, we add several other delicious and nutritious items to our plates to make this a complete meal. I like to make rice with the chicken broth that was a by product of cooking my whole chicken. The rice is incredibly delicious this way and adds healing properties to the meal.
A nice fresh salad is an easy side to throw together. Fresh lettuce can be cut or torn apart, and you’ve already had to grate the cheese for the hot pocket recipe, so it’s no additional work or dishes. Whip up some homemade ranch with raw milk and cayenne pepper for some antibacterial benefits. Or try some homemade honey mustard with only 3 ingredients. And of course, you can’t forget a healthy helping of sauerkraut for those probiotics.
Tips for Success
- Chill the dough and keep butter cold if you made the crust — cold fat = flaky pastry.
- Don’t overfill — too much moisture makes sealing difficult and increases leakage risk.
- Mash broccoli completely; it’s a supporting flavor, not the star.
- If the filling seems loose, add 1–2 tablespoons extra grated cheese or a little more sour cream to bind, then chill 10 minutes before filling.
Benefits of sourdough
If you’re searching for this recipe, you probably already understand the benefits of using sourdough to ferment your flour recipes. But I want to remind you of a few ways to benefits from sourdough, and to increase the nutrients in this meal. Sourdough works great with whole grains– try making the pastry dough with half all purpose flour and half whole wheat. Bonus points if you grind it fresh!
Sourdough is a traditional food, which means it can help you avoid the commercial processed foods that our modern grocery stores offer. In addition, being a traditional food requires that it doesn’t need refrigeration and you can create it yourself, unlike commercial yeasts. One amazing benefit of learning sourdough is that in an emergency situation or a scenario where the stores don’t have yeast, you can get a starter going in a week and prepare sourdough products. As long as you’ve got some flour or wheat stored, you can be prepared for all sorts of things and not be totally reliant on the supply chain.
Sourdough Chicken Broccoli Hot Pockets
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan lined with parchment
- 1 knife/pizza cutter
Ingredients
Sourdough Pie Crust
- 2 Cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 Cup coconut sugar
- 1 Cup cold butter, cubed or grated
- 1 Cup sourdough starter
Hot Pocket Filling
- 1 Cup shredded chicken
- 1 Cup cooked, mashed broccoli
- 1 Cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 Cup sour cream
- 1 tsp salt, pepper, garlic powder, favorite herbs
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1-2 tsp water
Instructions
Make the sourdough pie crust
- Whisk together flour, salt and sugar.
- Cut in the butter until well incorporated with flour. I prefer to cut the butter until it is smaller than pea size, but you can follow the traditional recommendation to make the butter pea sized.
- Stir in the starter until the dough comes together. Knead 5-10 times to form a ball. If there is still dry flour, add cold water 1 tsp at a time until all flour is kneaded into dough ball.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a wet tea towel. Leave to ferment on the counter. We leave our overnight, but you could also leave this in the fridge for several days.
Make the filling
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all filling ingredients welll.
Roll our pastry dough
- Lightly flour your work surface. Cut your pastry dough in half. Roll one half out into a large rectangle. Trim the edges to create flat sides.
- Cut the large rectangle into 4 long, skinny rectangles. Each pastry should measure about 4" x 8" .
- Add 2-4 Tbs of filling to each rectangle of dough.
- Brush edges with egg wash, then fold the empty side over the filling. Align all edges and crimp with a fork.
- Repeat on other half of pastry dough.
Bake the hot pockets
- Place all of your hot pockets on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake at 350℉ for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.
Yes — discard works well in pastry. For best texture, keep butter cold and allow a short rest before rolling.
Yes — thaw and drain thoroughly, then mash. Squeeze excess water with a towel before mixing to prevent a soggy filling.
Up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen: brush with egg wash and bake at 350°F, adding extra baking time if needed.
Absolutely. Adjust the cut sizes and filling portion accordingly; just keep about a 1/2″ border for sealing.
Final Notes & Encouragement
These sourdough hot pockets are a great way to turn pantry basics and leftover chicken into a whole-food, family-friendly meal. Don’t worry about perfection — the first batch is practice, and you’ll dial in your favorite herbs and cheese combination quickly. If you try freezing a batch, label the bag with the bake date and enjoy the convenience later. I’d love to hear which cheese and herb combo becomes your family’s favorite!
