Oven-Baked Tartlets with Chicken, Mushrooms, and Cheese
Tartlets, or “tartinettes,” trace their roots to French cuisine, where “tartelette” means a small pie. They were originally made from shortcrust pastry, but as puff pastry became widespread, recipes turned lighter and airier. This miniature appetizer quickly became popular worldwide as an ideal format for buffets and festive tables, allowing all kinds of fillings to be combined.
Updated : 25 February, 2026
Easy
About 45 min.
Ingredients
Dough
500 grams
Puff pastry
Filling
350 grams
Chicken fillet
250 grams
Champignon
100 grams
Hard cheese
50 grams
Melted cheese
110 grams
Cream
1
Garlic
2 tablespoon
Mayonnaise
to taste
Salt
to taste
Pepper
Decorating
10 grams
Greens
50 grams
Honey fungus
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients. For the tartlets, I used store-bought yeast-free puff pastry that doesn’t need rolling out. You can also buy ready-made tartlet shells or make puff pastry yourself. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
Step 2
When the pastry reaches room temperature, start working with it. If needed, roll it out slightly in one direction. Using a sharp knife and the diameter of your molds as a guide, cut out rounds for the tartlets. I’m baking them in a muffin tin and in metal tartlet molds. I used small glasses as templates.
Step 3
Lightly grease the molds with refined vegetable oil. Place the pastry rounds inside and gently press them to the sides to form a cavity. Prick the pastry with a fork so it puffs evenly; lightly oil the top as well. If you want deeper tartlets, cover the tops with small pieces of parchment and add dried peas or beans as weights.
Step 4
Lightly grease the molds with refined vegetable oil. Place the pastry rounds inside and gently press them to the sides to form a cavity. Prick the pastry with a fork so it puffs evenly; lightly oil the top as well. If you want deeper tartlets, cover the tops with small pieces of parchment and add dried peas or beans as weights.
Step 5
While the tartlets cool, make the filling. Chicken fillet can be boiled or pan-fried. Button mushrooms can be fresh or frozen. You can make mayonnaise at home if you like. Choose spices to taste - I used only salt and pepper.
Step 6
Thaw the meat in advance, rinse it, and pat dry well. Slice into thin, long strips along the grain. Heat vegetable oil in a thick-bottomed skillet (the amount depends on the skillet size). Fry the meat for about 3-4 minutes over high heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the fried fillet to a paper towel to remove excess oil.
Step 7
Use mushrooms fresh or frozen. Thaw them if frozen, rinse, dry, and finely chop: first into slices, then into smaller pieces. Finely chop the fried fillet across the grain. The chopped mushrooms will look about twice the volume of the fillet, but they shrink a lot during cooking.
Step 8
In a clean skillet, heat vegetable oil and add the mushrooms. Fry until the liquid evaporates. When the mushrooms start to turn golden, add the fillet. Stir and pour in a little cream, then salt to taste. Cook the chicken and mushrooms with the cream until the liquid fully evaporates, but the mixture should stay moist. Remove from the heat and let it cool - don’t overdry it so the filling stays juicy.
Step 9
Grate two types of cheese on a fine grater. Press or finely chop a garlic clove. Add mayonnaise and mix well. The mixture shouldn’t be wet.
Step 10
Fill the tartlets. Put about 1 tsp of the cheese mixture on the bottom and spread evenly. Top with 1 tbsp of the chicken-mushroom mixture and smooth it out so it’s easy to add a garnish. For garnish, you can fry mushroom slices, use small pickled mushrooms, and/or sprinkle with fresh herbs.
Step 11
Serve the tartlets right away or make them ahead. They look great on a festive table, work well for a buffet, or make a filling snack. Enjoy!
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