Chicken and Leek Pie (Printable)

Comforting chicken and leek filling with smoky bacon in a rich, creamy sauce topped with golden flaky pastry.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
02 - 3.5 oz smoked bacon lardons or diced streaky bacon

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

03 - 2 large leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 medium carrots, diced
07 - 1 stalk celery, diced

→ Dairy

08 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
09 - 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
10 - 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk

→ Pantry

11 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
12 - 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
13 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
14 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
15 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
16 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnish
17 - 13 oz ready-rolled puff pastry sheet
18 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash
19 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How-To:

01 - Set oven to 400°F.
02 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until beginning to crisp, approximately 3 minutes.
03 - Add onion, leeks, carrots, and celery to the skillet. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until softened.
04 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
05 - Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly golden on all sides, approximately 5 minutes.
06 - Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir thoroughly, cooking for 2 minutes.
07 - Gradually pour in chicken stock while stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add milk and cream, bringing the mixture to a simmer.
08 - Stir in Dijon mustard, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
09 - Transfer filling into a deep 6 to 8 cup pie dish. Unroll puff pastry and arrange over the filling, trimming excess. Press edges to seal and cut a small slit in the center for steam release.
10 - Brush pastry with beaten egg. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden and puffed.
11 - Allow pie to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The smoky bacon weaves through the creamy sauce so quietly you almost miss it until suddenly you can't imagine the pie without it.
  • Leeks soften into something almost sweet, making chicken feel like you've treated it properly without any fussy techniques.
  • That golden pastry moment when it emerges from the oven never gets old, no matter how many times you make it.
02 -
  • If your sauce seems too thin before you pour it into the pie dish, the filling will be soupy when you cut into it—better to simmer it an extra few minutes and watch it thicken than to gamble on it setting in the oven.
  • Egg wash makes the difference between pastry that looks homemade and pastry that looks intentional, so don't skip this small step.
03 -
  • Let the filling cool to at least room temperature before covering with pastry—warm filling starts melting the butter in the pastry before it hits the oven, and you lose that beautiful puff.
  • If your pie dish is shallow, you can freeze the filling overnight and assemble it straight from the freezer, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time for a meal that's genuinely ready when you need it.
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