Chicken and Leek Pie Recipe

Recreate this rich and creamy British classic in your own kitchen. This chicken and leek pie recipe includes instructions for making a large pie in the oven or using your pie maker for individual chicken and leek pies.

Chicken and leeks: a perfect pairing

You really can’t beat a good cake, and Chicken and leeks is a winning combination when it comes to pie fillings.

Chicken, with its mild and versatile flavor, offers a neutral background that allows the distinct flavor of leek to shine. Part of the onion family, leeks offer a delicate and slightly sweet onion-like flavor with a subtle hint of garlic. When cooking together, the flavors merge into an absolutely convincing taste experience.

Leek: National Emblem of Wales

Did you know that the humble leek is an integral part of Welsh culture and is considered a national emblem? TRUE!

Wearing a leek as a sign of being Welsh is an old tradition and was even mentioned in William Shakespeare’s Henry V, performed as early as the 16th century.

Why would you even think about wearing a leek? Apparently, in the 7th century, the King of Gwynedd, Cadwaladr, decided that his men should wear leeks in battle to distinguish themselves from the enemy. It stuck, and the royal household of the Tudors – a family of Welsh origin – required their guards to wear leeks on St David’s Day.

Interesting right? But luckily we’re here to eat leeks – with chicken – in a pie instead of wearing it!

Chicken and Leek Pie recipe

This recipe includes instructions for making chicken and leek pie in the oven and pie maker.

I prefer the Pie Maker version. Cake makers bake the pastry so beautifully and seal the cake so well. I’m not a fan of kitchen gadgets, but I really love my pie maker. They’re pretty affordable, mine is only from Kmart so if you love cakes I recommend investing in one.

Ingredients for Chicken and Leek Pie

For this delicious cake you need:

Chicken

Or use leftover BBQ chicken – about 2-3 cups shredded.

Other ingredients for the filling

• Leek
• potatoes
• olive oil
• tarragon
• corn flour (cornstarch)
• hot chicken broth
• thickened cream (heavy cream)
• seeded mustard
• lemon juice
• chopped parsley
• salt and pepper

pastries

• Store-bought frozen shortcrust and puff pastry sheets – 1 or 2 each for large pies and 3 each for individual pies
• Milk or egg for brushing the pastries (only for cakes baked in the oven).

Please note that the quantities for all ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make chicken and leek pie

Cook the chicken

For this recipe, I poach a chicken breast. However, if you have leftover chicken, simply shred the chicken – you will need about 2 cups.

To poach the chicken breasts, I use Nagi from RecipeTin’s method. She is brilliant and her method of poaching chicken is the best technique I have come across.

Bring a medium-sized saucepan with water to a boil.

Once boiling, add the chicken breast and bay leaf. The water stops boiling. Once the water begins to boil again, place a lid on the pot and allow the chicken to poach in the water for 30 minutes.

When the time is up, use two forks to tear the chicken into pieces.

You can make the filling while the chicken is poaching. Here’s how.

make filling

In a large skillet, sauté the chopped leeks, grated potatoes, and 3/4 the measured amount of tarragon in the oil over low-medium heat for 5 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch with a little cold water to form a liquid paste and then mix this with hot chicken broth. Add this to the leeks and potatoes and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until the mixture thickens.

Next add heavy cream, mustard, lemon juice, chopped parsley, salt and pepper, and cooked shredded chicken.

Let simmer on medium heat for another minute or two.

Bake a big cake in the oven

Make sure you preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and grease the cake tin (approx. 24 cm).

Line the cake tin with shortcrust pastry and place a layer of baking paper weighted with baking beads or rice on top.

Bake 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully remove the weights and parchment paper.

Pour the filling into the tart pan.

Place the puff pastry sheet over the filling and pinch the edges to seal before trimming off any excess pastry.

Brush the dough with a little milk or egg yolk and cut two small slits at the top. Sprinkle with the remaining tarragon.

Bake for 25 minutes or until crust is on top of puff pastry and browning.

Use your cake maker

Preheat your pie maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Lightly grease the pie-maker’s cooking plates with cooking spray or melted butter.

Place a circle of shortcrust pastry in each tart pan and gently press into the bottom and up the sides.

Spoon the chicken and leek filling into each cake, making sure it’s evenly distributed.

Top each cake with another circle of puff pastry.

Sprinkle with a little tarragon before closing the pastry maker and baking for manufacturer’s recommended time or until pastry is golden brown and cooked through.

Carefully remove the cakes from the cake maker and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Enjoy cakes served warm.

Leftover Chicken Leek Pie Packs well in a sealed container in the Fridge up to 3 days (assuming the chicken was cooked the day the pies were made).

When freezing, wrap the patties in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Want more cake recipes?

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