Chicken Mini Pot Pies

Name: Chicken Mini Pot Pies
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 tsp olive oil; 70g (approx) pancetta lardons, or bacon; 50g butter; 1 small red onion, chopped; 2 leeks, washed and finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; 60g flour; 1 tsp dried tarragon; salt and pepper; 450ml chicken stock; 130ml milk; 450g cooked chicken, preferably leftover roast chicken, or shredded rotisserie chicken; 1 x 160g drained tin of sweetcorn; 500g ready-made puff pastry, or you can use the ready-rolled kind but you might need two packets depending on the size of your ramekins. You will have leftover pastry but they are delicious turned into cheese twists.; 1 beaten egg, to egg wash; 20g grated parmesan; 2 tbsp dried tarragon; sprinkling of sea salt flakes

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I think pies are the epitome of cosy comfort food. They are just so comforting and warming, a piping hot, creamy filling with crisp, golden pastry. These chicken mini pot pies are exactly what they say on the tin. Mini pies filled with creamy chicken and bacon filling, with sweetcorn and leeks, then made into a pie with crisp, golden pastry on top. These pies are actually based on my mum’s chicken pie recipe, my favourite in the world. I wrote about her pie last year in my newsletter but these are a very delicious version and I like that you get an individual pie each.

This recipe is super easy as the pastry is just neatly laid on top and baked, rather than having to line the pie with pastry underneath. Of course, we are using pre-made puff pastry. The supermarket sells such good ones that I truly don’t feel the need to ever make it myself these days. I make them in these little cocotte ramekins but if I had the budget, these Staub ramekins would be in my basket tomorrow. I also love these little goat’s cheese galettes with puff pastry if you want more inspiration. If you have puff pastry leftover, they make wonderfully easy cheese twists.

Why you will love these Mini Chicken Pies recipe:

They are surprisingly simple to make as you just have to make the filling then top with pre-made pastry. You could also make double the filling and freeze it for a very quick supper another day.
The pies look so sweet as individuals for each person around your table. Great for a dinner party!
Using up leftover roast chicken like this is really delicious and ensures the filling doesn’t dry out. Would be excellent with leftover turkey at Christmas or Thanksgiving too
You can customise the vegetables in the filling like the sweetcorn or the leeks to use up what you have. Peas, Broccoli, kale...all would be great.

Ingredients:

Pancetta: Using pancetta for the base of the pie filling is a great way to make a really flavourful filling. It adds a salty, fattiness that is hard to replicate elsewhere and important here since the sauce is simple otherwise.

Butter: use salted or unsalted, it doesn’t matter so much but just make sure you are tasting as you go to adjust the levels of seasoning.

Red onion: you could use also a shallot or white onion but I find a red onion adds the right amount of sweetness.

Leeks: I love using leeks in a pie. Make sure you wash them well as dirt tends to sit in the folds of the leek. I cut the leek in half lengthways but keep the root on. Then wash in running water, separating the layers but with the root intact, it will keep it together.

Garlic: I use 3 garlic cloves here but adjust for your taste. If you love garlic, use fresh and you could supplement with some garlic granules too.

Flour: plain flour here as it’s just to thicken the sauce rather than for any rise as you would with self-raising.

Dried tarragon: I like using dried here as it has a more subtle flavour than fresh tarragon, and then you can keep it in the cupboard until the next time you are in a pie mood. If you only have fresh, you can of course use it.

Chicken stock: I love using Knorr stock pots. They are as easy as a stock cube but I find have so much more flavour.

Milk: semi-skimmed or whole milk is ideal here. This gets added to the butter and flour to make a roux. I like using half milk half stock so that it isn’t too creamy and rich as if you are eating white sauce.

Cooked chicken: I make these pies often with leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken. The flavour is best somehow and it’s usually shredded into perfect pieces for mini pies. You could also roast off a few chicken thighs and shred up if you need but I would go for rotisserie chicken in that case.

Sweetcorn: a tin of sweetcorn makes this pie so good and adds a little crunch and sweetness.

Puff pastry: as mentioned, I never really make puff pastry as I find the ready-made products so good. Here I would use a block that you roll out yourself as it works best to cover small pies but you could use sheets of puff too, you just may need 2 sheets depending on the size of your ramekins.

Egg: just to egg wash.

Parmesan: a sprinkle on top to help the pastry crisp up and add a salty bite to the pie.

Salt & Pepper

Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!

Substitutions and Variations:

Chicken: if you don’t have leftover roast chicken and can’t get hold of rotisserie chicken, just roast a few chicken thighs in the oven at 200c for 30-40 mins (or until cooked through) with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of salt. Then shred up once cooked. Turkey would also be excellent, and you could add in some chopped ham too.

Pancetta: use bacon if you have it to hand. Pancetta has higher fat content which makes a great flavour base for the filling but bacon would work. I would use smoked bacon but use what you prefer.

Vegetables: the pies would be great with carrots too alongside the leeks. You could add a handful of frozen peas instead of corn. Broccoli, kale, spinach, carrots, courgette...

Dried tarragon: dried rosemary or dried thyme would also be delicious here. Tarragon works nicely with chicken but use what you have to hand.

Directions:

Here's a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe below for detailed instructions.

ONE: Add the pancetta and oil to a cold pan and turn to medium heat. Fry the pancetta until crispy, around 10-15 minutes. Once golden, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

TWO: Add the butter to the pan with the leftover pancetta oil. Add the onions and leek. Season and fry gently for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds.

add flour and dried tarragon to the base

THREE: Stir in the flour and dried tarragon, give it a good stir. Fry for a few minutes to cook out the raw taste of the flour.

add milk and stock to make the roux for the base of the chicken pie

FOUR: Then add the hot stock and the milk. Whisk well to get rid of lumps. Allow to simmer gently for 5 minutes to thicken.

FIVE: tir in the chicken, sweetcorn and the pancetta. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Once you're happy, scoop into the ramekins.

adding pastry to the edges before covering with a lid

SIX: Cut 4 long strips of the pastry, about 2 cm wide and 4 circles which are about 2 cm bigger than the ramekins. Press the strips onto the lip of each ramekin, wrapping it around like a loop.

top with decorative pastry and poke with a knife

SEVEN: Then lay the lid on top of this, using a fork to seal it on and crimp it down. Use a knife to poke two holes in each pastry lid and decorate with extra pastry if you want.

add tarragon and parmesan before baking the chicken mini pot pies

EIGHT: Brush each pie with egg wash, sprinkle with parmesan, dried tarragon and a little flakey sea salt. Bake at 170c fan for about 30-35 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

Cooking Tips:

How to decorate a pie: this is optional but after all, we eat with our eyes first so I love to make a little pattern on top. Crimp the edges with a fork and then I like to use the remaining pastry offcuts to make a ‘leaf’ pattern and place on top. Egg wash as normal and bake. You could decorate with letters if you had the time like the initial of each one of your guests for a special touch (not necessary though of course!)

How to ensure the pastry crisps: since we aren’t sitting the filling in pastry underneath, you avoid that risk so it should be fairly simple to get a golden top. This is why I like to have the oven a little bit lower in temperature and cook for longer as I think they go more golden on top. Make sure you also poke a hole to let steam escape as that will help too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these mini pies into one big pie?

Absolutely. Just follow the recipe as normal then add to a pie dish or roasting tin where the chicken filling almost fills it totally - try a tin that is 30x20cm roughly but use your judgement here. Or use an ovenproof pan on the stove and then you can put that in the oven too. Roll the pastry out to fit over the single pie and then follow the instructions as before. Make sure the filling is bubbling and hot before serving. 35 minutes should be fine.

Can I make this vegetarian?

If you want to omit the chicken, just sub for a tin of butter beans or cannellini beans to bulk it out a little. Skip the pancetta just start with frying onion in a generous knob of butter. Make sure to use vegetable stock rather than chicken stock too. If you don’t like beans, just add more vegetables such as carrots, peas, green beans, another leek. The world’s your oyster.

Can I make these chicken mini pot pies dairy free?

Yes, you can! Use dairy free butter for frying and then use a plant-based milk in the sauce. Use an unflavoured milk so not something like coconut milk or hazelnut milk.

Can I make them ahead and freeze for later?

Yes, you can make chicken mini pot pies ahead of time and freeze them for later. Make the pies as usual, but don’t bake them. Wrap each unbaked pot pie tightly in cling film then freeze. When ready to cook, bake directly from frozen, for around 45 minutes total, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly. Or make the filling and leave to cool before freezing in a ziplock bag, then defrost it and you're ready to assemble your pies!

Other recipes you might enjoy:

Winter warmers come in many different forms. I love these pies of course but there are so many other comforting, cosy meals on the website. Try my Baked Chorizo Mac and Cheese for a creamy pasta dish, or this Spicy Sausage Pasta Bake. It’s not as creamy but it’s hot and delicious. It uses both nduja and sausages. For something a little bit lighter but just as cosy, I love this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with chilli. It’s a perfect prep-ahead lunch to keep in the fridge for a chilly day. For more pastry recipes, these goat’s cheese tartlets are a savoury option and very simple or this classic puff pastry tart complete with whipped ricotta and tomatoes.

Made this recipe and loved it?

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