Flaky, creamy and utterly delicious, this Chicken and Ham Pie recipe will make you happy with every bite! This recipe has been in-demand and highly requested from my social media following, so I hope you love it!
I have been making this chicken pie recipe for years; it's one of those family recipes that never fails to brighten your day. Whenever it's served to others, they comment on just how good it is.
We all have food memories from childhood, and one of mine was the amazing chicken pie I used to get for school dinner in primary school.
I have memories of being so excited seeing it on the menu because of how incredible it was.
So when testing this recipe with family, I received the biggest compliment from my brother after he tried the Chicken and Ham Pie:
"this reminds me of the chicken pie we used to get at Primary School, it's delicious!"
What To Serve With Chicken and Ham Pie
I have a very specific meal formula for this dish, and it goes like this:
- Mixed Greens (peas, broccoli, brussel sprouts, green beans, cabbage asparagus) etc. They can be either boiled, steamed or airfryed - dependant on the veg. Served with salted butter, sea salt and cracked black pepper.
- Homemade Chips (Fries in US)
- Baxters Pickles - generally either Beetroot or Pickled Onions
You can also serve with: mashed potatoes, crushed potatoes, baby potatoes, any other vegetables
Ingredients
- Chicken: I prefer using thighs as they're juicer, but you can opt for chicken breast if preferred (or you want to reduce calories)
- Butter: flavour, flavour, flavour!
- Oil: this is to stop the butter from burning
- Vegetables: garlic, leek, carrots - you can add other veg too
- Chicken stock: highly recommend using Potts, but any chicken stock (cube) is fine
- Ham: I use ham I've cooked myself from an unsmoked ham joint, but you could also use thickly cut, chunky sandwich ham
- White Wine (Stock Pot): I love the OXO Stock Pots as the alcohol has been removed so totally fine for family meals. You can choose to use actual wine if you like, or totally remove from the recipe altogether.
- Plain Flour and Cornflour (Cornstarch): these are used as thickening agents, you might decide the flour is enough but I like adding the cornflour to make the Chicken and Ham Pie sauce nice and thick
- Double Cream (Heavy Cream): the finishing touch of utter deliciousness!
- Puff pastry sheet: I like Jusrol, but any read-to-roll pastry is good
- Egg: to make the pie pastry golden and crispy, milk can also be used (although won't be as good)
How To Make Chicken and Ham Pie
Finely slice leek, peel and chop carrots then melt butter in a pan with oil and add the vegetables - start to soften (5 minutes).
Add chicken thighs (cut into bite size pieces), cook for 5-10 minutes until cooked through. Add finely chopped garlic and white wine stock pot - mix through.
Stir through plain flour (to thicken the sauce), then pour in chicken stock and add cooked ham and simmer on medium/high heat (20 minutes).
Finally, add double cream and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Then mix together cornflour (cornstarch) and cold water and add into the chicken pie mixture.
Ideally, you want the pie mixture to cool before adding on the pre-made puff pastry, so either allow to cool to room temperature or put it into the fridge overnight.
Layer into a pie dish, top with puff pastry and brush with egg wash.
Preheat oven to 200C (fan) / 220C conventional / 390F
To cook - from room temperature: 20 minutes / from fridge: 30-40 minutes
Storage and Reaheating
You can store the Chicken and Ham Pie in the fridge for 4 days.
To reheat Chicken and Ham Pie: it can be reheated in the microwave until piping hot throughout
I wouldn't recommend freezing this recipe as the pastry will go soggy, unless you want to freeze the chicken and ham pie mix (before adding the pastry).
In which case it will last for 4 months in the freezer. Defrost overnight in the fridge, add to a pie dish and top with puff pastry to cook.
Other Family Favourite Recipes To Try
If you love a pie, then why not try my Steak and Sausage Pie?
Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta is always a solid choice.
If you're in the mood for comfort, then Mince, Tatties and Dumplings could hit the spot.
Or why not make my Chicken Tikka Chasni for Fakeaway Friday?
Chicken and Ham Pie
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 60 g salted butter
- 1 leek finely sliced / or 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 600 g skinless and boneless chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
- 250 g cooked ham See Notes
- 1 white wine stock pot - See Notes or 150ml white wine or leave it out
- 2 tablespoon plain flour
- 500 ml chicken stock see recommendation in Notes
- 200 ml double cream
- 2 tablespoon cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoon cold water - optional but encouraged (cornstarch in US)
- ready roll puff pastry sheet
- 1 egg See Notes
Instructions
- Finely slice 1 leek and peel and chop 2 carrots
- Melt 60 g salted butter in a pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add the prepared vegetables and start to soften (5 minutes)
- Add 600 g skinless and boneless chicken thighs (cut into bite size pieces) and cook for 5-10 minutes until its cooked through
- Then add 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped) 1 white wine stock pot - See Notes to chicken and veg mixture and cook for 30 seconds
- Either add and 1 white wine stock pot - See Notes (and go straight to next step after stirring through) or add 150ml wine and cook until volume has reduced by half
- Stir through 2 tablespoon plain flour (to thicken the sauce), then pour in 500 ml chicken stock and 250 g cooked ham - simmer on medium/high heat (20 minutes)
- Finally, add 200 ml double cream and simmer for a further 10 minutes before taking off the heat.
- If, like me, you want the sauce to be a little thicker - then mix together the optional 2 tablespoon cornflour with 2 tablespoon cold water until smooth and add to the chicken pie mix.
- Ideally, you want the pie mixture to cool before adding on the pre-made puff pastry (for best results), so you could either allow it to cool at room temperature for an hour or so or put it into the fridge overnight.
- Preheat oven to 200C (fan) / 220C conventional / 390F
- Add the pie mixture to a pie dish and layer the ready roll puff pastry sheet on top. Whisk 1 egg and brush the top of the pie with the egg wash.
- If cooking from room temperature: cook for 20 minutes or if cooking from fridge cold then cook for 30-40 minutes until pastry is golden brown and mixture is piping hot throughout.
Paula says
10/10 pie. So so tasty. I cooked a smoked gammon joint in lentil soup first and it was unreal!
GEMMA GILMOUR says
Have used this reciepe twice now and can't recommend it enough. Absolutely delicious and easy to make. Our 3 year old loves it too 🩷
Amy says
I use so many of Lauren’s recipes so this had to be tried, was so tasty and even the kids ate it with no hassle, result!
Donna says
I’d been eyeing up this recipe for a while and finally decided it was the right day to make it, we weren’t disappointed. This is comfort food 2.0 - the family loved it and I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for all your great recipes, I don’t live in Scotland any more so these posts and recipes are my way to stay connected ❤️
Jessica says
Loved making this pie, easy recipe to follow! My children loved it too.
Kayleigh Berry says
I absolutely LOVED THIS chicken pie and it’s now because am family favourite in our house. I have already been requested to make this with the left over turkey from Christmas so I’m going to make sure I have everything in to make it on Boxing Day ❤️
Kathryn Connor says
Amazing pie recipe - my family loved it.
Jacqueline says
This worked exactly as written, thanks! It was absolutely delicious! Beats any farm shop pie I have ever tasted. It was so easy to make and didn’t take too much time. This will now be a regular meal in our house!
Carolyn McLaughlin says
I made Lauren’s chicken pie last night. The recipe was so easy to follow, was a huge hit with everyone and was complimented on how delicious it was. What a tasty delicious pie this was. There was even a fight for the leftover portion for today’s lunch. Winner winner chicken dinner .