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This creamy chicken pie with mushrooms and leeks is like a hug in a dish. It’s a classic for a reason, and I love it throughout winter and autumn for someting cosy and comforting. It’s full of sweet leeks, nutty mushrooms, shredded chicken in a creamy, herby sauce, topped with golden crisp pastry.
This chicken pie with mushrooms recipe has rich flavour, crisp texture, and just a delicious warmth. Below you’ll find step-by-step instructions, pastry tips, variations and troubleshooting, and FAQs. You might also want to try my whole roasted poule au pot or my one pan Greek chicken.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- It’s pure comfort food with golden, buttery puff pastry wrapped around a rich, creamy chicken and mushroom filling that feels like a warm hug in food form.
- Easy yet impressive – made with ready-rolled puff pastry and simple ingredients, but looks and tastes impressive.
- The pie is make-ahead friendly – the filling can be prepared in advance or frozen, making it perfect for busy weeknights or effortless entertaining.
Ingredients:
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Red onion: you could use also a shallot or white onion but I find a red onion adds the right amount of sweetness.
Leeks: 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.
Cooked chicken: I make this pie often with leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken. Like my Turkey and Ham Pie, you could also swap chicken for leftover turkey here. You could also roast a few chicken thighs and shred up if you need.
Double cream: known as heavy cream.
Substitutions and Variations:
Add bacon/pancetta: Fry some diced bacon at the start then remove from the pan and add the mushrooms. I use this in my mini chicken pies.
Vegetarian option: swap the chicken for tinned white beans.
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.
One-pan chicken mushroom pie: for a simpler method, skip the pie dish and make the fillng in an ovenproof frying pan. Place the puff pastry topping directly on top of the frying pan.
Chicken Pie Plait: I like to also serve this as a plait (well, a cheat’s plait). The instructions for both versions of the pie are in the recipe card but it’s very simple to do as I just make little slits in the pastry rather than actually plaiting. I’ll explain here what I mean
Here’s how to make chicken plait pie :
Here’s a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe at the bottom of the page for detailed instructions.
ONE: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes until they start to soften. Add the chopped red onion and leek, season with a little salt and pepper, and cook gently for around 10 minutes until soft and fragrant.
TWO: Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until you can smell it. Add the butter to the pan and allow it to melt. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well to make a roux. Cook for 2–3 minutes.
THREE: Gradually pour in chicken stock, whisking well to prevent lumps. Simmer gently for 5 minutes until thickened.
FOUR: Stir in the double cream, shredded chicken and chopped parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning – it will definitely want a good grind of black pepper. If you want to make it a classic pie, scroll down to the recipe card.
FIVE: Once the filling has chilled, you are ready to assemble the pie. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and lay the ready-rolled puff pastry sheet on top. Slice the pastry lengthways so you have two long thin strips.
Take one of the rectangles of pastry and use a knife to slice it horizontally, around 1cm apart, leaving a border around the edges on all sides.
SIX: Spoon the filling down the centre of the other long thin rectangle of pastry, leaving a gap at the top and bottom. Brush the border with beaten egg.
Lay the sliced pastry sheet over the filling and seal the edges with a fork.
Brush all over with beaten egg, sprinkle with thyme and sea salt flakes, and bake at 170°C fan for 30–35 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Cooking Tips:
| Problem | Possible Cause | Fix / Advice |
|---|---|---|
| Filling too thin | Not reduced enough / overloaded with liquid | Return to heat, simmer gently until thickened |
| Pastry not browning | Low oven heat / no egg wash | Brush with egg (or even just egg yolk), ensure oven is hot enough |
| Mushrooms release water | Too many mushrooms / cooked too fast | Don’t overcrowd the pan with mushrooms, fry the mushrooms until liquid evaporates, and if needed, drain any excess water |
| Filling bubbles out edges | Overfilling / weak seal | Reduce filling in the plait/dish next time, seal edges well with beaten egg. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, assemble the unbaked pie, wrap tightly in foil and plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 2 months. You can bake from frozen; just bake covered with foil for an hour and then 20–30 minutes uncovered. Or you can freeze the filling separately and top with fresh pastry when ready.
Chestnut (or cremini) are ideal: they balance flavour with lower water content. Portobello have stronger flavour but tend to release more moisture, which may risk thinning the filling. I do also like buttom mushrooms as you don’t need to slice them and can add them whole.
Make make mini chicken pies, divide the filling between small ramekins or mini pie dishes and top each with a pastry circle. Reduce the baking time to around 20-25 minutes.
Yes, leftover roast chicken works perfectly. It saves time and adds extra flavour. Just shred it into bite-sized pieces before adding to the sauce.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
If you like this chicken and mushroom pie recipe, you will like my butternut squash gratin, whole roasted chicken and creamy beans, or my melty cheese pithivier with ham and mustard. For more comfort food, you will like my creamy pastina recipe.
Easy Dinner Recipes
Tomato Puff Pastry Tart
Comfort Food
Chicken Mini Pot Pies
Christmas Recipes
Camembert en Croute (Whole Baked Camembert in Puff Pastry)
If you tried this Chicken Pie with Mushrooms or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Creamy Chicken Pie with Mushrooms and Leeks
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 40 g butter
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1 large leek, washed and finely chopped
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- Salt and black pepper
- 450 ml hot chicken stock
- 100 ml double cream
- 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded or chopped (approx. 300 g)
- Small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
- 1 beaten egg, for egg wash
- 20 g grated Parmesan
- A sprinkling of sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C fan (190°C conventional / 375°F).
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes until they start to soften. Add the chopped red onion and leek, season with a little salt and pepper, and cook gently for around 10 minutes until soft and fragrant.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until you can smell it.
- Add the butter to the pan and allow it to melt. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well to make a roux. Cook for 2–3 minutes then gradually pour in chicken stock, whisking well to prevent lumps. Simmer gently for 5 minutes until thickened.
- Stir in the double cream, shredded chicken and chopped parsley.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning – it will definitely want a good grind of black pepper.
To make it a classic pie:
- Pour the filling into a pie dish (roughly 20–22 cm).
- Unroll the puff pastry and lay it over the top, trimming any excess around the edges.
- To seal it, press the edges down with a fork or your fingers. If you want to make the patchwork pattern, cut the sheet of puff pastry into small squares and lay them on top of the pie filling, slightly overlapping as you go.
- Brush the top with beaten egg, dried thyme and a few sea salt flakes.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.
- Allow the pie to rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. Grate with parmesan before serving too!
To make it a cheat's plait pie (you will likely have enough filling for two plaits):
- The filling must be chilled so give yourself time for it to chill before you assemble. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and lay the ready-rolled puff pastry sheet on top. Slice the pastry lengthways so you have two long thin strips.
- Take one of the rectangles of pastry and use a knife to slice it horizontally, around 1cm apart, leaving a border around the edges on all sides.
- Spoon the filling down the centre of the other long thin rectangle of pastry, leaving a gap at the top and bottom. Brush the border with beaten egg.
- Lay the sliced pastry sheet over the filling and seal the edges with a fork.
- Brush all over with beaten egg, and sea salt flakes, and bake at 170°C fan for 30–35 minutes, until golden and crisp. Grate over parmesan at the end!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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