Have you ever tried chicken and leek pie? It's a delightful flavor combination you won't want to miss. This classic British pie is worth making for your next family dinner!
Looking for other savory pies? You definitely won't want to miss these recipes for chicken and mushroom pie and chicken, bacon, and apricot pies.
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Why This Recipe Works
- It's made with chicken thighs. Compared to white meat, dark meat has a lot more flavor and moisture, which makes the pie filling even tastier.
- The sauce has lots of flavor. The addition of white wine, garlic, and fresh tarragon to the sauce adds an amazing flavor to the simple cream sauce.
- It's made with homemade pastry. Using flaky shortcrust pastry for the crust adds so much more flavor and a better texture than if you use store bought pastry.
Ingredients
Curious what you need to make our chicken and leek pie recipe? Let's talk about the most important ingredients for this delicious savory dish.
- Chicken: We used all dark meat (chicken thighs) in this recipe, but feel free to use a mixture of white and dark or all white if you prefer.
- Leeks: This aromatic vegetable is the key ingredient in the filling. Choose leeks with firm, white necks and rich green tops. Avoid cracked or wilting leeks.
- Aromatics: There isn't any onion in this recipe since it tastes similar to the leeks, but we did add some minced garlic for extra flavor.
- Herbs: Chopped fresh tarragon adds a delightful flavor to this filling.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Use chicken thighs instead of breast for more flavor and moisture.
- Want additional meat? Add cooked ham or bacon for more protein and flavor.
- Love mushrooms? Sauté 8 ounces (226g) of sliced mushrooms in 2 tablespoons (30g) of butter until brown, then stir into the filling.
- Want an extra-creamy sauce? Use half cream and half milk for a richer sauce. Add a dollop of crème fraîche for a tangy twist.
- Add other herbs like sage, thyme, parsley, or dill to change up the flavor.
How to Make
Gather the ingredients for the filling of the chicken and leek pie.
- Brown the meat in 3 tablespoons of olive oil until the meat reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh, about 7 ½ minutes on each side.
- Remove the meat from the pan and fry the leeks and garlic in the rendered fat until soft. Deglaze the pan with ⅓ cup of white wine.
3. Melt the butter in the same skillet, then add the flour to make a roux and whisk for 2 minutes to cook the flour. (Your roux should be lighter than this; the roux was cooked too long in this photo.)
4. Add the white wine and milk, whisking continuously until smooth. Bring to a boil and whisk until thick.
5. Add the cooked veggies and spices and cook for 2-3 minutes to bring out the flavors.
6. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and stir most of it into the sauce. Reserve any leftover meat for another use.
7. Let the filling cool, then cover with pastry and brush with beaten egg. Bake at 400°F for 35-40 minutes until it's a deep golden brown.
8. Let the chicken and leek pie cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
This flavorful British pie consists of white or dark meat chicken and sliced leeks tossed in a flour-thickened sauce and baked in a pastry crust. It's a delicious supper that will please the whole family!
You can serve almost any dish with it, but some good ideas include mashed potatoes, mushy peas, cress or rocket salad, roasted Brussels sprouts, asparagus, or pickled beets.
The most popular choice is puff pastry (or rough puff pastry). For this recipe, we used flaky shortcrust pastry. The choice is really up to you and your preferences.
This dish is fairly healthy, as the filling contains largely meat, herbs, and veggies, but it does contain a sauce and pastry. As long as it's enjoyed in moderation, this dish is healthy.
Serve
Looking for side dishes to serve along with this chicken and leek pie? Make sure to try British favorites, like sautéed beet greens, mushy peas, and broccoli and Stilton soup.
Round out your meal with a refreshing glass of raspberry cordial or a soothing mug of hot wassail, then finish the meal with a sampling of traditional British sweets. Vegan sticky toffee pudding, treacle sponge pudding, or cinnamon raisin rolls (Chelsea buns) are great cozy desserts to serve with this hearty meat pie.
Store
Make Ahead: You can make the filling or the whole pie the night before you plan on serving it.
Leftovers: Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, as long as they are sealed in an air tight container.
Freezing: You can freeze our chicken and leek pie recipe before or after it has baked. It is preferable to freeze it before it's baked.
- Let the filling cool completely.
- Place it in a freezer-to-oven safe dish, such as an aluminum or enamel pie dish.
- Cover with pastry, then a layer of aluminum foil.
- Seal tightly in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Bake from frozen--just increase the baking time.
Reheating: Bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, until warmed to your liking. Alternatively, microwave individual slices until hot. (Remember, don't put metal dishes in the microwave.)
Expert Tips
- Speed up the cooking time by using boneless skinless thighs.
- Save time by using roasted or rotisserie chicken.
- Is the sauce too thick? Add additional wine or milk to thin it.
- Season the sauce generously. The seasonings will be less potent once the meat and veggies are added.
Other Savory Pies You'll Enjoy
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Recipe
Chicken and Leek Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 1 lb 14 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs, 4 thighs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ¼ cup leeks, sliced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup white wine
- 5 tablespoons salted butter
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 5 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Pastry
- 15 ounces shortcrust pastry
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
Making the Filling
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, pat dry the chicken thighs with paper towel.
- Once the oil is shimmering, add the thighs to the skillet and brown for 7 ½ minutes on each side. After a couple minutes of cooking, turn down the heat to medium-low and cook until the meat reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the thigh.
- While the meat is cooking, slice the leeks, mince the garlic, and chop the tarragon. Measure out the butter, flour, wine, and milk, as you won't have time to measure them out later.
- Once the meat has browned, remove it to a plate with a pair of tongs. Take the skillet off the heat and scrape out most of the browned bits with a metal spatula.
- Return the skillet to medium-high heat, then add the leeks and cook for 3 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with ⅓ cup of white wine, stirring until the brown fond is gone from the bottom of the pan. Add additional wine if needed. Dump the cooked veggies into a bowl and set aside.
- Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Dump in the flour and whisk constantly for 2 minutes to cook the flour. Immediately dump in the wine and milk, then whisk constantly until smooth and thickened. Add the chopped fresh tarragon, salt, and pepper, then cook for 2 to 3 minutes and remove from the heat.
- Chop the cooked meat into bite-sized pieces, then stir it and the cooked veggies into the sauce. (You'll probably have a little extra meat; just set that aside to eat later.) Spread the meat filling into a 9-inch pie plate and set aside to cool completely. You can cover and refrigerate the filling at this stage and bake it another day.
Baking the Pie
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Roll out the shortcrust pastry on a lightly floured surface until ⅛ inch thick. Brush the edge of the dish with beaten egg, then lay the pastry on top and press down the edges to seal. Cut off the excess pastry with a sharp knife and brush the top with beaten egg. Cut a few vent holes in the pastry and decorate as desired.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 35-40 minutes, until the top is a rich golden brown. Let it cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack, then serve warm with mashed potatoes or vegetables.
Notes
- Use chicken thighs instead of breast for more flavor and moisture.
- In a hurry? Use rotisserie or leftover roasted chicken.
- Is the sauce too thick? Add additional wine or milk to thin it.
- Season the sauce generously. The seasonings will be less potent once the meat and veggies are added.
- Make your own shortcrust or use store bought puff pastry.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Andrew
Hi. I assume that if i wanted to put pastry around it rather than just on the top I could follow the instructions the same but add the pastry before putting filling in pie dish? Thanks
Emma
That's exactly right, Andrew! Brush the edge of the bottom crust with beaten egg before putting the top crust on to help them stick together. Enjoy!
Beth
Combining leek with chicken is genius. Leeks are not to commonly used where I live, but they are really good. The pastry is delightfully buttery, and the chicken is tender. The pie as a whole is a cozy meal for winter days.
Emma
I agree, Beth! Chicken and leek pie is a perfect dinner for a cold day.