Chicken and Leek Pie Recipe

A creamy mixture of poached chicken and leeks in flaky puff pastry that's easy enough for a weeknight meal.

By
Sydney Oland
Sydney Oland: Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Sydney Oland
Sydney Oland lives in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, where she develops recipes and owns and operates three businesses: a bean-to-bar chocolate company, an ice cream company, and a collective food production space. Previously, she wrote brunch and British food recipe columns for Serious Eats.
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Updated August 11, 2023
A square baked chicken and leek pie in puff pastry on a platter.

Serious Eats / Sydney Oland

Why It Works

  • A combination of breast and leg meat offers a greater variety of textures.
  • Starting with raw chicken allows you to tailor the taste of both the chicken and the stock.
  • It's a great dish for company because it can be assembled in advance.

Of all the great things that Britain has given the world, savory pies have got to top the list. From the hand-held pasty to the potato-topped fish pie or the always delicious steak and kidney, a good savory pie is hard to refuse. And this version filled with chicken and leek is a fantastic pie to get started with, if this type of dish is not already one of your favorites. A creamy mixture of poached chicken and leeks in between flaky puff pastry, it's a simple enough meal for a weeknight but is fancy enough that you could easily serve it to guests.

This version is inspired by Nigel Slater's chicken and leek pie for the BBC, with a few basic changes. I like to use a combination of breast and leg meat to get a greater variety of textures in the final product. Working from raw chicken allows you to tailor the taste of both the chicken and the stock using your fridge and spice cupboard (peppercorns, carrot, and celery would all go well in the pot you simmer the chicken in). But if you're limited on time and looking for a shortcut, buying a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, shredding it, then using a premade stock cuts the time way down.

This is a great dish for company because it can be assembled before they arrive and then brushed with egg and baked when you're ready to eat. It is also delicious served at room temperature, which makes it perfect for an early spring picnic or a potluck as well. A tart green salad would be the ideal side to cut the richness of the pastry and the creamy filling.

This recipe is adapted from BBC and originally published as part of the column "British Bites."

March 2013

Recipe Details

Chicken and Leek Pie Recipe

Prep 20 mins
Cook 2 mins
Active 30 mins
Total 22 mins
Serves 4 to 6 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken leg pieces (thighs and drumsticks)

  • 1 medium onion, quartered

  • 3 sprigs parsley

  • 1 small bunch thyme, divided

  • 6 sage leaves, divided

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

  • 2 leeks, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 1/4 cup cream

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 pound frozen puff pastry, thawed

  • 1 egg, beaten

Directions

  1. In a large pot, combine chicken leg pieces, onion, parsley, 1/2 bunch thyme, and 3 sage leaves, and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce to low, cover, and cook until chicken is tender and falling off bone, about 1 hour. Remove and reserve chicken pieces, strain cooking liquid and reserve, and discard remaining solids. Return cooking liquid to pot and simmer until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes. Reserve.

  2. Shred the chicken and transfer to a large bowl, discarding skin and bones.

  3. Remove leaves from the remaining thyme, and finely slice remaining sage. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks, thyme leaves, and sliced sage. Cook, stirring often, until the leeks are softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Combine leeks and chicken.

  4. Melt remaining butter in the skillet over medium-high heat and add flour. Cook, stirring often, until flour just begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, slowly add 1 1/2 cups reserved cooking liquid and Dijon mustard and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and whisk in cream, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and leeks and mix until fully incorporated; taste and season again with salt and pepper if necessary. Allow the mixture to fully cool before assembling pie.

  5. To Assemble the Pie: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 400°F (200°C). Divide puff pastry into 2 pieces and roll each piece into a 9- by 11-inch rectangle. Place 1 rectangle on an aluminium foil-lined baking sheet, then place the filling in the center of the pie, leaving a 1-inch border. Brush the border with beaten egg, then place the remaining sheet of pastry on top. Pinch the edges closed, then brush the edges with egg and fold each edge over. Brush the rest of the pie with egg. With the tip of a knife, make two holes for the center for the steam to escape, Gently score the top of the pie. Bake until pie is golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

    Assembled chicken leek pie, brushed with egg wash.

    Serious Eats / Sydney Oland

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
666Calories
46gFat
38gCarbs
27gProtein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories666
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 46g58%
Saturated Fat 12g61%
Cholesterol 155mg52%
Sodium 781mg34%
Total Carbohydrate 38g14%
Dietary Fiber 1g5%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 27g
Vitamin C 2mg8%
Calcium 37mg3%
Iron 3mg18%
Potassium 310mg7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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