There are few things in the culinary world that signal pure, unadulterated comfort quite like a homemade chicken pie. The moment the aroma of savoury, creamy filling and baking pastry begins to drift from the oven, the whole house seems to take a collective, contented sigh. This isn’t just a meal; it’s a feeling. It’s the promise of a satisfying dinner on a chilly evening, a centrepiece for a Sunday lunch, or simply a way to show you care.

This particular chicken pie recipe is one I’ve tweaked and perfected over many years. Friends always ask me for this recipe after trying it at dinner parties, and I’m always happy to share it. What makes it special is the sauce – it’s rich and velvety, with a subtle depth from thyme and a hint of mustard, but it never overwhelms the tender chicken and earthy mushrooms. The filling is encased in a buttery, flaky shortcrust pastry that’s sturdy enough to hold everything together but delicate enough to melt in your mouth.

This is a dish for everyone. It’s a wonderful project for a weekend afternoon and results in a meal that feels both special and deeply familiar. It’s the kind of food that brings people to the table and keeps them there, chatting and enjoying themselves long after the last bite has been taken. If you’re looking for other hearty meals, my Low Carb Chicken Casserole is also a fantastic choice for a comforting evening.

Recipe Overview

This chicken pie recipe features tender pieces of chicken breast and chestnut mushrooms enveloped in a luxurious, creamy thyme and white wine sauce, all baked under a golden, all-butter pastry lid. The flavour is savoury and rich, with herbal notes from the thyme balancing the creaminess of the sauce. I’ve tested this with both chicken breast and thigh meat; while thighs add a little more flavour, I find chicken breast cooks more evenly and keeps the filling looking beautifully pale and inviting.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Servings: 6 people
• Difficulty: Medium

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Pie Recipe

• Genuine Flavour: The sauce is the star here. By simmering double cream with chicken stock, thyme, and a touch of Dijon mustard, we create a sauce with a beautiful depth that’s savoury, herby, and wonderfully rich without being heavy.
• Comes Together in Under 90 Minutes: From starting the prep to pulling it out of the oven, this impressive pie is ready in about an hour and a quarter, making it achievable even on a weeknight if you’re organised.
• Flexible Recipe: This recipe is a brilliant base for customisation. You can add diced carrots and celery with the onions for a mirepoix base, or stir in some cooked bacon lardons or leeks for extra layers of flavour.
• Great for a Family Sunday: This pie works wonderfully for a relaxed Sunday lunch. It feels special enough for an occasion but is straightforward enough that it doesn’t require a full day in the kitchen. For a different style of weekend meal, these Sticky Chicken Rice Bowls are always a hit in my house.
• Family Tested: My whole family adores this pie. The kids love the creamy chicken filling, and my husband always goes back for a second slice, claiming the pastry is the best he’s ever had. It always gets compliments.

Chicken Pie Recipe

⏱️ 25 min prep  •  🍳 70 min cook  •  👥 4 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

For this chicken pie, we are using simple, high-quality ingredients to build a truly memorable flavour. I prefer to use a block of all-butter puff pastry, like the Jus-Rol brand, as it delivers a consistently flaky, golden topping with minimal fuss. Of course, you can make your own if you’re feeling adventurous!

• For the Filling:
• 500g skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2-3cm cubes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 30g unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 50g plain flour
• 100ml dry white wine (optional, can be replaced with more stock)
• 400ml hot chicken stock
• 150ml double cream
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 100g frozen peas
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• For the Topping:
• 320g sheet of ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
• 1 medium egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Sara’s Tip: Don’t be tempted to use single cream here. Double cream has a higher fat content, which means it can be simmered gently without splitting, resulting in that foolproof, velvety sauce we’re after.

How to Make Chicken Pie

The process for this chicken pie recipe is broken down into two main parts: making the delicious, creamy filling and then assembling and baking the pie. We’ll make sure the filling has a chance to cool slightly to ensure our pastry gets beautifully crisp.

1. First, prepare the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or Dutch oven over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add them to the pan in a single layer (you may need to do this in two batches). Sear for 3-4 minutes, until lightly golden on all sides. The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked through at this stage. Remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the same pan. Once melted, add the chopped onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes until they have released their liquid and started to brown. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for one minute more until fragrant.
3. Sprinkle the plain flour over the vegetables and stir continuously for 2 minutes. This step cooks out the raw flour taste and is crucial for a thick, glossy sauce.
4. If using, pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it bubble away and reduce by about half. Gradually pour in the hot chicken stock, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Once all the stock is incorporated, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
5. Pour in the double cream, then add the fresh thyme leaves and Dijon mustard. Return the seared chicken to the pan along with any resting juices. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
6. Let the filling simmer gently for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon and the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the frozen peas and cook for one final minute. Remove from the heat and allow the filling to cool for at least 20 minutes. What works best for me is transferring it to a shallow dish to speed up the cooling process.
7. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Spoon the cooled chicken filling into a 1.5-litre pie dish.
8. Unroll your sheet of puff pastry and lay it over the pie dish. Use a sharp knife to trim the excess pastry around the rim. Crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers to seal. You can use the offcuts to decorate the top with leaves or other shapes if you like.
9. Brush the top of the pastry evenly with the beaten egg. This will give it a beautiful, glossy, golden-brown finish. Cut a couple of small slits in the centre of the lid to allow steam to escape during baking.
10. Place the pie on a baking tray (to catch any potential spills) and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed up, deeply golden, and the filling is bubbling hot. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Temperature Control: The single most important tip for a crisp pastry lid is to ensure your filling is not piping hot when you assemble the pie. A hot filling will start to melt the butter in the pastry before it even hits the oven, which can lead to a soggy result. Let it cool for at least 20-30 minutes.
• The Secret Step: I learned that adding the Dijon mustard right at the end with the cream preserves its subtle tang. It cuts through the richness of the sauce beautifully and adds a layer of complexity you can’t quite put your finger on, but you’d miss it if it wasn’t there.
• Make-Ahead: The entire filling can be made up to two days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, simply reheat it gently, pour it into your pie dish, top with pastry, and bake as directed.
• Storage: Leftover chicken pie keeps wonderfully. Cover it and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place it in an oven preheated to 160°C for 15-20 minutes, which will help the pastry crisp up again beautifully.

Equipment You’ll Need

You don’t need lots of fancy gadgets for this recipe, just some good quality kitchen basics.

• Large heavy-based saucepan or Dutch oven
• A 23cm (1.5 litre) round pie dish
• Rolling pin (if using a block of pastry)
• Sharp knife
• Pastry brush
• Baking tray

Delicious Variations to Try

One of the best things about a pie is how adaptable it is. Here are a few variations we love:

• Chicken and Leek Pie: A classic combination. Simply substitute the onion for two medium leeks, washed and sliced. They add a delicate, sweet flavour that is absolutely wonderful.
• Chicken and Ham Pie: For an extra savoury kick, add 150g of diced cooked ham or bacon lardons to the filling along with the chicken.
• Herby Vegetable Addition: Feel free to add diced carrots and celery at the same time as the onions. A handful of chopped fresh parsley stirred in with the peas also adds a lovely freshness. For another healthy chicken dinner idea, try my Chicken Breast And Green Beans.

What to Serve With Chicken Pie

This hearty chicken pie is a complete meal in many ways, but a few well-chosen sides can elevate it even further.

• Creamy Mashed Potatoes: The ultimate partner for pie. A buttery, fluffy mash is ideal for soaking up any extra sauce on the plate.
• Steamed Green Vegetables: A side of tenderstem broccoli, green beans, or garden peas adds a welcome touch of freshness and colour.
• Wine Pairing: A lightly oaked Chardonnay complements the creamy sauce without overpowering it. For beer drinkers, a traditional English bitter is a fantastic match.

Frequently Asked Questions

Classic Chicken Pie

A comforting and creamy chicken pie with tender chicken and mushrooms in a savory sauce, all topped with a golden, flaky puff pastry crust.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Calories: 780

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Filling

• 500 g skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2-3cm cubes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 30 g unsalted butter
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 250 g chestnut mushrooms sliced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 50 g plain flour
• 100 ml dry white wine optional, can be replaced with more stock
• 400 ml hot chicken stock
• 150 ml double cream
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 100 g frozen peas
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Topping

• 320 g sheet of ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
• 1 medium egg beaten (for egg wash)

Method

 

1. First, prepare the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or Dutch oven over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add them to the pan in a single layer (you may need to do this in two batches). Sear for 3-4 minutes, until lightly golden on all sides. The chicken doesn't need to be cooked through at this stage. Remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the same pan. Once melted, add the chopped onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes until they have released their liquid and started to brown. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for one minute more until fragrant.
3. Sprinkle the plain flour over the vegetables and stir continuously for 2 minutes. This step cooks out the raw flour taste and is crucial for a thick, glossy sauce.
4. If using, pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it bubble away and reduce by about half. Gradually pour in the hot chicken stock, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Once all the stock is incorporated, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
5. Pour in the double cream, then add the fresh thyme leaves and Dijon mustard. Return the seared chicken to the pan along with any resting juices. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
6. Let the filling simmer gently for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon and the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the frozen peas and cook for one final minute. Remove from the heat and allow the filling to cool for at least 20 minutes. What works best for me is transferring it to a shallow dish to speed up the cooling process.
7. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Spoon the cooled chicken filling into a 1.5-litre pie dish.
8. Unroll your sheet of puff pastry and lay it over the pie dish. Use a sharp knife to trim the excess pastry around the rim. Crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers to seal. You can use the offcuts to decorate the top with leaves or other shapes if you like.
9. Brush the top of the pastry evenly with the beaten egg. This will give it a beautiful, glossy, golden-brown finish. Cut a couple of small slits in the centre of the lid to allow steam to escape during baking.
10. Place the pie on a baking tray (to catch any potential spills) and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed up, deeply golden, and the filling is bubbling hot. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

For a crispier pastry base, ensure the filling has cooled completely before topping with the pastry. Serve with steamed green vegetables or a fresh salad.

There is something so deeply satisfying about creating a pie from scratch and serving it to people you love. That moment when you break through the golden pastry to reveal the steaming, creamy filling beneath is just pure kitchen magic. I truly hope this chicken pie recipe brings as much joy to your table as it does to mine. If you try it, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below – I love hearing from you! Happy cooking, Sara.