How to Make Chicken Pie: Recipes For Chicken Pie

It is thought that 'pies' were a food product first established earlier than 2000BC, where Ancient Egyptians created the first model of what we know today as a pie. However, it appeared more as a crusty cake made from oats and barley, as well as honey.

Moving on to the 5th Century BC, it is thought that the Ancient Greeks invented pastry, where cooked meats were placed inside a pastry shell. However, it was the Romans that created a pie that is more closely linked to what we would recognise today. The pastry was intended as a way of preserving the taste of the meat and was not actually eaten. This was because long-lasting food was essential, especially for those at sea and so the basic concept of a pie was born!

Such variations, like fruit pies and others, were not around until the 16th century, when the first fruit pie, cherry to be exact, was served to Queen Elizabeth I. Over time, the creation of pies has continued to change and adapt, creating the vast amount of pie recipes we have in circulation today.

How to Make Chicken Pie

Making a chicken pie often involves creating a pastry, most likely shortcrust, and a filling. However, you do not always need to do both. For many recipes, it will just require the filling, often containing chicken and vegetables.

You should pre-cook the chicken in most cases, but always check with a specific recipe and follow it. This chicken will then be coated in a sauce, quite often white sauce or one of its many variations. You can use a pre-made shortcrust pastry or puff pastry depending on your preference. Another alternative is to pre-buy the filling. This can be bought in canned form or packaged in your local store. Cook as stated on the packaging. This then allows you to concentrate on the pastry if you wish to make that from scratch. You could even buy both pre-made and put them together. All methods can produce a tasty chicken pie.

Recipes for Chicken Pie

Most traditional chicken pie recipes consist of a filling made of poultry (chicken) and gravy, or a creamy sauce. This is then finished with a shortcrust pastry topping. However, there are many variations of this and different recipes can provide different tastes and textures. There is much argument about whether a chicken pot pie, as more commonly referred to in America, is the same as a chicken pie, however, it appears that pot pies will contain vegetables. 

Whether you wish to have these included in your pie is completely up to you and the following recipes will suit both desires.

Traditional Chicken Pie by BBC Food

It seems fitting to start the recipes for chicken pie off with a traditional one. This recipe provides a full step by step guide on how to create a traditional chicken pie from scratch, pastry included. This is a great family recipe and can feed up to 8 people, making it the perfect weekend meal. The following ingredients are needed.

This recipe also includes additional ingredients such as peppercorns, salt and bay leaves. The full recipe and a step by step guide can be found on the website.

Proper Chicken Pie (with pancetta, leeks & mushrooms) by Jamie Oliver

This recipe claims to produce an amazing homemade chicken pie, with a crumbly pastry and tender pieces of chicken in a creamy cider sauce. This recipe is perfect for those cold winter nights and what better way to get warm than with a proper chicken pie. The ingredients you need are listed below.

There are also some smaller ingredients such as mustard and thyme, and the recipe does provide you with a side of cabbage that you are able to have alongside your chicken pie.

Old-Fashioned Chicken Pie by Sainsbury's Magazine

This recipe is very convenient as it allows for the pastry to be made before the creation of the filling. The pastry can be made a couple of days in advance and can also be frozen. You are able to assemble the pie a day prior to baking, ensuring that you keep it refrigerated. Allow the pie to resume room temperature before cooking. The ingredients needed for this recipe are as followed:

There are also additional ingredients such as egg, thyme and bay leaf where the exact measurements can be found on the recipes website.

Easy Chicken and Broccoli Pie by Delicious Magazine

Delicious magazine challenges you to show off your cooking skills by creating this chicken pie recipe. Note that they advise you use a 1.5 litre pie dish. The following ingredients will be needed.

• 20g butter
• 1 onion
• 400g free-range chicken thighs
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 broccoli head
• 650ml white sauce (perhaps use your own recipe if you have one)
• 320g ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
• 1 free-range egg

This recipe is great for when you're time-limited and need a quick, but the efficient recipe. This is slightly quicker due to you not needing to make the white sauce from scratch. It is estimated to have around 30 minutes of prep time.

Chicken Pot Pie by Food Network

This is a traditional chicken pot pie recipe with a flaky pastry topping. It has a medium difficulty rating, making it a great challenging dish for those who are new to cooking. The following ingredients are needed.

There are also ingredients that are included such as salt and pepper. You will need half of the thyme pastry but the full step by step guide can be found on the website.

Recipes for Chicken and Ham Pie

Another adaption of chicken pie is a chicken and ham filling. This has become increasingly popular and many people love to eat a pie with this filling. It is a great form of comfort food. Challenge yourself with the following recipes for a chicken and ham pie.

Chicken and Ham Pie by BBC Good Food

This is advertised as an easy recipe that can serve 6 people and only takes 25 minutes to prep. The following ingredients are needed to make this recipe.

• 6 chicken breasts, cubed
• 3 carrots
• 3 potatoes
• 2 celery stalks
• 850ml chicken stock
• 50g butter
• 2 onions
• 300ml milk
• 50g plain flour
• 4 slices of ham, cut
• 500g shortcrust pastry

This recipe also includes ingredients such as parsley, thyme, lemon juice and 1 free-range egg, but to get the full recipe and a step by step guide, visit the website where the recipe is shown.

Hairy Bickers' Creamy Chicken, Ham and Leek Pie by BBC Food

This recipe has gained five stars from those who have left reviews. It takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and is the perfect size for a family meal. The following ingredients are used.

You have the option to include white wine (2-3tbsp) if you wish to the recipe. It does include other ingredients such as salt, pepper and garlic.

Easy Chicken and Ham Pie by Mrs Jones Kitchen

This chicken and ham pie recipe is lower in calories than many other chicken pies. This is due to the single layer of pastry that covers the creamy filling. It is a family recipe, shared on the website through the creator and a clear, concise step by step guide is provided with photographic aid alongside it. The ingredients used are outlined below.

You will also find other ingredients such as garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and an egg listed on the website.

Recipes for Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Another popular pie filling is that of chicken and mushroom. We have gathered some recipes for chicken and mushroom pie for you to try, as seen below. In Britain, this is a very common pie and ranks among one of the most popular.

Chicken & Mushroom Puff Pie by BBC Good Food

This filling of this recipe is freezable making it a very convenient and time-efficient recipe, perfect for midweek meals. The following ingredients are needed to make this meal.

• 8 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
• 8 bacon rashers, smoked
• 250g baby button mushrooms
• 500g puff pastry
• 1 onion
• 2tbsp plain flour
• 200ml milk
• 1 egg
• thyme sprigs
• 400ml chicken stock

This is a short, six-step recipe that is easy to follow. Prep time is estimated at around 45 minutes. This recipe has gained 5 stars from those who have reviewed it.

Chicken and Mushroom Pie Recipe by Tesco Real Food

This recipe only takes 10 minutes to prepare. It is advertised as a classic pie with a smooth sauce and chicken filling. They suggest it be served with a side of fresh steamed greens. The following ingredients are needed.

• 600g chicken
• 100g soft cheese
• 2 onions
• 1 chicken stock
• 375g puff pastry
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 380g mushrooms

You will also need other ingredients such as garlic, parsley and vegetable oil.

Chicken and Mushroom Pie with Cheddar Shortcrust Pastry by Great British Chefs

This pie is said to be a great source of comfort food, putting a twist on the traditional pie crust to add a cheesy flavouring. It is thought this should be served with potatoes, wild rice or salad, but the choice can be endless. The following ingredients needed are:

This recipe also calls for ingredients such as white pepper, garlic, olive oil, chives and parsley. To access the full recipe, visit their website.

Chicken Pie Slow Cooker

To guarantee more tender meat, try cooking the pie filling in a slow cooker. This will enhance the pies flavourings as it allows the herbs and spices to infuse into the sauce for much longer. This can make the process of making a chicken pie much longer as you will need to construct a pastry topping, wait for the filling to cool before placing it on top and then finish it off in the oven. But if you have some extra time, it is definitely worth giving it a try.

In most cases, you will be able to freeze the slow-cooked filling and use it when you need it. Alternatively, you could place it in the fridge if you plan to use it soon. Check with each individual recipe before you do this.