Mini Chicken Broccoli and Cheddar Pies: 22g Protein

By Annette

Mini Chicken Broccoli and Cheddar Pies: 22g Protein

You want something that pops out of a muffin tin, fits in one hand, and doesn’t fall apart on the way to the car.

Something the kids will actually eat and you’ll actually crave.

These little pies are that. Rotisserie chicken, broccoli, sharp cheddar, and a crispy golden top in a portion that you can meal-prep Sunday and pull from the fridge all week.

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đź“Š The Macros

🥩 PROTEIN: 22g

Calories 252 · Carbs 6g · Fat 15g · Fiber 1g Protein density: 8.7g protein per 100 calories Serves 8 · ~45 min · freezer-friendly

8.7 grams of protein per 100 calories puts this in elite territory for a handheld snack.

At 252 calories for 22 grams of protein, these pies earn a place in the rotation whether you’re treating them as a quick breakfast, a high-protein snack, or a lunch you can eat without a fork.

The original recipe made 12 smaller pies at 13g per serving. This version adds a couple of eggs to the batter, bumps the chicken slightly, and serves 8 more generously-sized pies. The protein number follows.

🍳 The Recipe

Mini Chicken Broccoli and Cheddar Pies. Makes 8 pies. About 15 minutes of prep, 30 minutes in the oven.

The filling comes together in one skillet. The batter is just pancake mix, eggs, and milk whisked in a bowl. Layer, bake, done.

Ingredients (makes 8 pies)

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2.5 cups chopped rotisserie chicken (up from 2 cups, the protein foundation)
  • 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1 cup fresh broccoli florets, stems removed, chopped well
  • 1/8 tsp seasoning salt
  • 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 3/4 cup krusteaz pancake mix (or similar)
  • 1/2 cup Fairlife ultra-filtered milk (or regular milk)
  • 4 eggs (up from 2, the second protein layer)

Method

  1. Spray a 12-count muffin tin generously with nonstick cooking spray (you’ll fill only 8 wells). Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 2 minutes, stirring. Add the broccoli, salt, and pepper and cook another 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in the chicken, remove from heat, and let the mixture cool 5 minutes. Then stir in the cheese.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pancake mix, milk, and eggs until smooth.
  5. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of the batter into the bottom of 8 muffin wells.
  6. Add about 1/3 cup of the chicken and broccoli mixture on top of the batter in each well.
  7. Spoon another heaping tablespoon of batter over each filled well.
  8. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, until golden brown on top and set in the center.
  9. Rest in the pan 5 minutes, then run a butter knife around the edges and transfer to a wire rack to cool another 5 to 10 minutes.

Make-ahead: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze individually wrapped for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave for 45 seconds or in a 350°F oven for 8 minutes.

Made these? Reply and tell me if you tried any variations on the filling. I love hearing what people do with this one.

🔄 The Swap

Bump the chicken to 2.5 cups and add 2 more eggs to the batter (4 eggs total), then bake 8 pies instead of 12. Those three moves add 22 grams of protein across the batch, lifting each pie from 13g to 22g.

More chicken means more of the highest-protein ingredient per pie. Extra eggs make the batter richer and give each portion more of that egg protein foundation. Slightly fewer, larger pies means each one carries more of everything, including the protein number you’re actually looking for.

Want to push past 25g? Swap the pancake mix for a protein-enriched pancake mix (many brands now offer these) or stir a half-scoop of unflavored protein powder into the batter. Either option can add 3 to 5 more grams per pie with no noticeable change in texture once baked.

🔬 The Science

Why does a handheld pie format matter for protein intake?

Portability is a surprisingly strong predictor of whether you actually eat the food. Meal-prep containers that require a fork and a microwave get skipped when you’re running late. Food you can grab with one hand and eat at room temperature does not get skipped. The format of what you’re eating affects how consistently you hit your protein targets across a week.

Rotisserie chicken is a leucine heavyweight. Chicken breast delivers about 26 grams of protein per 6-ounce cooked portion, which makes it one of the highest-density protein sources per calorie available. At 2.5 cups (roughly 10 ounces of shredded chicken), this recipe puts about 43 grams of chicken protein into 8 pies, which is the foundation the number is built on.

The broccoli isn’t decoration. Broccoli contains a modest amount of protein (about 3g per cup) and meaningful fiber that slows the digestion of the whole meal. The combination of protein, fat, and fiber is what gives these pies their staying power beyond the first hour.

The best high-protein food is the one you’ll actually grab when you’re in a hurry. These ones fit in one hand. [QUOTABLE]

đź’ˇ The Takeaway

Eight protein-packed handheld pies, 22 grams each, baked in 30 minutes and eaten all week with zero fork required.

These go in the rotation the first time you make them. They’re the answer to every “I didn’t have time for breakfast” Tuesday and every “I need something to eat in the car” Thursday.

Send this to someone who meal-preps lunches but never figures out breakfast. These solve both at once.

If you want a full week of breakfast-through-dinner at 120 grams of protein, all the planning is already done.

Download the free 7-Day 120g-Protein Meal Plan → Seven days of meals and snacks, every day hitting 120g of protein, with a full grocery list and honest macros on every plate.

Written by Annette. Real food, honest macros, not medical advice.

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