There are so many different ways to make chicken pie – double crust, single crust, single serving, deep dish. All are delicious and all are perfect in their own way. Below, we have a recipe for one of the easiest chicken pies for beginners to make: a single crust, or chicken pot pie. This means no soggy bottom crust, and you don't need to worry about the filling being cool before you begin. If you'd prefer a double crust pie, use the filling below with our Thai green chicken pie recipe.
What sort of chicken do you use in chicken pot pie?
Chicken pot pie is very flexible – you can use leftover cooked roast chicken, chicken breast, chicken thighs – anything really. We've used boneless, skinless chicken thighs below, as they don't dry out as easily as chicken breast and the meat doesn't need taking off the bone, but anything with plenty of meat will work.
How do you stop the pastry from sinking into a chicken pot pie?
If you've made chicken pot pie before, you might have had the frustrating experience of seeing your painstakingly rolled out and layered pastry become submerged below the chickeny depths of your filling. There are a few different ways to prevent this. One innovation, from America's Test Kitchen, is to bake your pastry separately. This gives you a very crispy top – possibly too crispy, if you like your pastry to be slightly soft underneath from the filling, like we do.
Instead, our number one tip is simply not rolling your pastry out too thin. For some pastries thinner is better, but not pot pie. Some added heft will help stop it sagging in the middle. Secondly, secure the pastry to the side, making sure you've got plenty of overhang and using egg wash if necessary to keep it attached. Finally – embrace a little big of sog! It's natural for some filling to bubble up, and it definitely won't ruin your pie. If all else fails, use store-bought puff pastry – it puffs up beautifully and will give you a reliably flaky, crispy crust.
How to make chicken pie
So long as you keep the rough amounts the same, the filling for this pie is very flexible. Feel free to use a mixture of carrots and parsnips, or mix in some chopped asparagus with the peas. We love this Smitten Kitchen-inspired pastry using sour cream for extra tenderness, but you can also use rough puff or shop-bought puff pastry.
Metric
Imperial
Pastry
- 150g of plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 110g of unsalted butter, cold and diced
- 50g of sour cream
- 2 tbsp of water, plus an extra teaspoon if needed
- 2 tsp vinegar
- 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
Filling
- 500g of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 600ml of chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme, or 1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 150g of frozen peas
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 tbsp of unsalted butter, oil, or a mixture
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium leeks, sliced into half moons
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp of plain flour
- 4 tbsp of single cream
- salt and pepper
First, make the pastry. You can either make the pastry in a food processor or by hand. To make the pastry by hand, mix together the flour and salt, then cut in the butter with a butter knife, the tips of your fingers or a pastry blender. You want to the mixture to be sandy, with no pieces of butter bigger than a pea
If you’re using a food processor, first add the flour and salt. Give them a quick blitz to combine the two, then add the diced butter. Pulse the mixer in short bursts until the butter is blended into the flour
Whisk together the sour cream, water and vinegar. Pour the mixture into the flour and butter mixture, then mix to combine, either in a bowl or food processor
Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and knead just until it comes together – it should combine fairly easily – then store in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill
Next prepare the filling. Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a 20–23 cm ovenproof pan. Add the bay leaf, thyme and chicken thighs
Poach the chicken, keeping the stock at a bare simmer, for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the stock and set aside
Add the peas and carrots to the stock. Simmer until the carrots are tender, about 5 minutes. Pour the stock, peas and carrots into a large jug
Set the pan back over a medium heat and add the butter or oil. Once hot, add the onion, celery and leeks. Cook over a medium heat for 20 minutes until everything is softened and the leeks have cooked down. Stir occasionally to start and more frequently towards the end – as the water cooks off the vegetables will start sticking
Meanwhile, chop up the chicken roughly or finely, defending on your preference
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook until the flour ‘gelatanises’, or turns sticky, and has fully coated the vegetables
Stir in the cream, then add the chicken stock, carrots and peas back in. Stir in the chicken and then simmer until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste then remove from the heat
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until it’s slightly larger than your pan and about half a centimetre thick. You don’t want to roll it out too thinly – it should be nice and chunky. If the pastry is too thin, when you try and press it onto the edges of your pan it will just tear and fall onto your filling. See notes above for tips on how to keep your pastry crisp
Brush the pastry with egg wash and then cut four slits into the centre. It’s easier to do this on the work surface rather than after the pastry is on the pie, but you can do it later if you prefer
Place the pastry over the pan, pressing it to the sides of the pan to keep it attached. If the pastry won’t stick, you can brush the side of the pan with a little egg wash and then try pressing it down again. Trim off any excess pastry
Bake the pie for 30–40 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden brown
Let cool for 5–10 minutes, then serve
Can you make chicken pie ahead of time?
Both the filling and pastry can be made a few days ahead of time. Keep the pastry well-covered so that it doesn't dry out. Then, simply roll out the pastry and bake the pie on the day you're ready to serve.
How do you reheat chicken pie?
It's best to reheat chicken pie in the oven if you want to keep the pastry crisp. It depends how much you have leftover, but 20 minutes at 180°C should be plenty. You might need to cover the pastry with foil to stop it from burning.
What do you serve with chicken pie?
You can't go wrong with pie and mash, but some simple vegetables – peas, broccoli, green beans – are also a great addition. It's also delicious with a light salad.
Can you freeze chicken pie?
You can freeze the pies once they're assembled and egg washed but before they're baked. However, wait for the filling to cool before you add it to the dish, so that the steam doesn't make the pastry soggy. Then, freeze the pies immediately.
Make sure that your tin is safe to go from the freezer to the oven – glass containers can shatter if they have sudden temperature changes for example.
To bake from frozen, cook at the same temperature but add an extra 10–15 minutes.
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