Creamy Chicken Pie

One of the best things about the weather getting colder is all the delicious comfort food we get to eat! When I’m craving some serious soul food I always bust out the pie dish and bake my famous Creamy Chicken Pie. It is completely irresistible!

About my Creamy chicken pie

I come from New Zealand, and for those not in the know, pies are a serious business in my homeland. I’m not talking about the fruit kind of pie, I mean double-crust, meat and gravy-filled pies of deliciousness.

While the most popular is without a doubt a beef mince pie, (another recipe for another day) my favourite has always been a chicken pie. A double-crust pie with a creamy filling and flaky pastry like this is pure comfort food.

Made with a bottom layer of buttery shortcrust pastry, a filling of rich and hearty chicken stew and topped with a flaky puff pastry lid, this recipe is a real crowd pleaser and something the whole family can enjoy.

Ingredients

To make a chicken pie you’ll need the following main ingredients :

• Butter: I always use unsalted butter, so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe
• Plain or all-purpose flour: Used both in the pastry and to thicken the chicken stew.
• Carrots, celery and leek: The vegetables used in the stew. I prefer to use diced celeriac or celery root as it has a delicious flavour and bite. If you can’t get it then use celery stems instead.
• Chicken: The star of the show! You can use chicken breast or chicken thighs. If you’re not up for handling raw chicken, shred the meat off a rotisserie chicken and use that instead. You can also use leftover cooked chicken to make this pie.
• Milk and white wine: To make a creamy and delicious gravy.
• Parsley and oregano or thyme: Classic fresh herbs that go beautifully with chicken.
• Ready-made puff pastry: I buy ready-rolled puff pastry sheets to make the top crust of my pies. If you’d prefer to make all of the pastry yourself, simply double the amounts in the pastry recipe.

Equipment

• A 23cm / 9 in. pie dish: While you can make a pie in nearly any dish, some will work better than others. I use and recommend enamel-coated pie dishes. They are both practical and beautiful enough to bring to the table. Even better, they conduct heat extremely well which means the base of the pie cooks evenly.

Glass and ceramic pie dishes can also be used, though you’ll need to chill the pastry in the fridge rather than freezing it before baking when using these dishes.

Variations

• Vegetables: Pies are a great way to use up vegetables so switch up the vegetables to suit what you have. Zucchini, mushroom, pumpkin or sweet potato all taste great in this pie. Remember the golden rule: Sauté the hardest vegetables first!
• Make it lighter: You can use the same instructions to make a chicken pot pie. Simply omit the bottom pastry base. Alternatively, top the pie with mashed potato instead of puff pastry.
• Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free flour blend in place of the plain or all-purpose flour in this recipe. You’ll need to track down a gluten-free puff pastry or top with mashed potato as above.
• Individual serves: If you have smaller pie plates you can use this same recipe to make individual chicken pot pies

What to serve with chicken pie

Chicken pie is full of fresh vegetables, but it never hurts to add some more greens to your diet. I often serve pie with a simple green salad, but it is delicious with peas or green beans as well. Pies are always tasty with a good chutney like my Sweet Fruit Chutney or some Homemade Redcurrant Jelly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Chicken Pie Recipe

Creamy Chicken Pie

Jay Wadams

My Creamy Chicken Pie recipe with buttery pastry, a rich and tender chicken filling and creamy sauce makes a fantastic family meal. Make in advance and reheat for a super simple dinner. One of my favourite easy dinners, this is pure comfort food.

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4.80 from 10 votes

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Serves 6

Ingredients

 

MetricU.S. Customary

for the pie shell:

• ▢ 200 g plain or all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 tsp sugar
• ▢ ½ tsp sea salt
• ▢ 100 g unsalted butter, slightly softened
• ▢ 1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water

for the pie filling:

• ▢ 1 Tbsp sunflower oil
• ▢ 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• ▢ 3 large carrots, diced
• ▢ ¼ head of celeriac or 2 sticks of celery, diced
• ▢ 1 leek, quartered and sliced
• ▢ 500 g chicken breast, diced
• ▢ 3 Tbsp plain or all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 tsp chicken stock powder
• ▢ 1 tsp dried oregano or dried thyme
• ▢ 125 ml white wine
• ▢ 250 ml whole milk
• ▢ 1 bunch fresh parsley, finely diced
• ▢ 4 Tbsp sour cream, optional
• ▢ sea salt and black pepper

for the pie lid:

• ▢ 1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry, defrosted if frozen.
• ▢ 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 Tbsp water
• ▢ 2 tsp sesame seeds

Instructions

 

• MAKE THE PASTRY: Grease a 23cm (9 in.) diameter pie dish with a little butter and set aside. Stir together the flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl, then add the butter. Rub the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture is crumbly. Pour in the egg yolk and use a fork to stir the mixture into a rough dough.
• LINE THE PIE DISH: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead very briefly until smooth. Shape into a disk, dust with a little more flour and then roll out to a circle larger than your pie dish. Lift the pastry into the pie dish, pressing gently into the corners. Fold over the top lip of the pastry and crimp the edges. Transfer to the freezer. Heat oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas 6 with a baking sheet in the bottom third of the oven.
• SAUTÉE THE VEGETABLES: Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the carrots and celery to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes until beginning to soften.
• ADD CHICKEN: Add the leek and chicken and cook, stirring, until the chicken is no longer pink. Stir through the flour, stock powder and oregano and cook for a further 3 minutes.
• DEGLAZE THE PAN: Pour the wine and milk into the pan and stir well, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any flour stuck to the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes until thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir through the parsley. If the mixture is much too thick, loosen with a splash of water.
• ASSEMBLE: When the oven is hot, remove the pie shell from the freezer, and fill it with the chicken mixture. Spoon over the sour cream (if using). Top the pie with the puff pastry, then brush all over with the beaten egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• BAKE: Bake pie in the preheated oven for 40 minutes until the top of the pie is dark golden brown and well puffed up.
• SERVE: Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
  

Notes

• IMPORTANT NOTE: If using a glass or ceramic pie plate, chill the pastry in the fridge, NOT the freezer.
• Imperial and cup measurements are approximate. For best results, I use and recommend a digital kitchen scale like the one below.

Recommended Equipment

Enamel Pie Plates

Digital Kitchen Scale

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Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 722kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 567mg | Potassium: 736mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 6848IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 5mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a review or a star rating and let me know how it was! Use the hashtag #daysofjay on Instagram so I can see your delicious creations.

Course | Main Event

Cuisine | British

Ⓒ | Jay Wadams

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