This chicken ham and leek pie is made with tender cooked chicken, salty ham, and sweet leeks in a creamy mustard-free sauce, all under golden puff pastry. It is a proper pub-style pie that takes under an hour and serves 6.
I use a rotisserie chicken for this and it cuts the work in half. The filling can go in the fridge overnight, so I often make it on Saturday and bake the pie on Sunday.
Why Does This Chicken Ham and Leek Pie Work So Well?
The roux holds the filling together – Cooking flour into the leeks before adding stock creates a sauce thick enough to hold its shape when you cut the pie. Cream-only fillings run everywhere. This is the same principle that makes a proper Hairy Bikers cheese sauce so stable.
Two proteins, two textures – Shredded chicken soaks up the sauce while diced ham stays firm and salty. That contrast keeps every forkful interesting.
Leeks sweeten as they cook – Ten minutes of gentle cooking turns leeks silky and sweet. They melt into the sauce rather than sitting in chunks like onion would. For a deeper leek flavour, try the Hairy Bikers leek and potato soup alongside this pie.
A hot baking tray crisps the base – Preheating the tray means the bottom of the dish gets a blast of heat from the start. This stops the pastry going soggy underneath.
5 Ways to Change Up This Pie
- Chicken and leek pie (no ham) – Leave the ham out and increase the chicken to 650g. The pie works well without ham – the leeks and cream sauce carry enough flavour on their own.
- Shortcrust pastry version – Use two sheets of ready-rolled shortcrust. Blind bake the base at 200°C for 10 minutes with baking beans, add the cooled filling, then top with the second sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. This gives a sturdier, fully enclosed pie. Add 50g grated parmesan to the sauce for extra richness.
- Chicken, ham, and mushroom pie – Add 150g sliced mushrooms, fried until golden, to the filling. The earthy flavour works well with the creamy sauce. The Hairy Bikers chicken and mushroom pie takes this further if mushrooms are your thing.
- With raw chicken thighs – Use 750g boneless chicken thighs, diced and seared in oil until golden before adding the leeks. This gives a deeper, more savoury flavour than using leftover chicken. Add 5 minutes to the sauce simmering time.
- Individual pot pies – Divide the cooled filling among 4-6 ramekins, top each with a puff pastry circle, egg wash, and bake for 25 minutes. Great for dinner parties.
Chicken Ham and Leek Pie Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 50g butter
- 2 large leeks, trimmed, washed, and sliced
- 50g plain flour
- 450ml hot chicken stock
- 150ml double cream
- 500g cooked chicken, shredded or diced
- 200g cooked ham or gammon, diced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Pastry Topping:
- 375g block of all-butter puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
How to Make Chicken Ham and Leek Pie
- Soften the leeks: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the leeks and cook gently for 8-10 minutes until very soft but not coloured.
- Make the sauce: Stir the plain flour into the leeks and cook for one minute. Gradually pour in the hot chicken stock, whisking to prevent lumps. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until thickened.
- Add the filling: Remove from heat. Stir in the double cream, then fold in the chicken, ham, and parsley. Season with black pepper. Taste before adding salt – the ham carries plenty.
- Cool completely: Transfer the filling to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Hot filling steams the pastry from underneath and ruins the crust.
- Assemble: Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan / gas 6). Place a baking tray in the oven to heat. Spoon the cooled filling into a 1.5 litre pie dish.
- Top with pastry: Roll out the pastry on a floured surface. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg, lay the pastry over, trim, and press down with a fork to seal. Brush the top with egg wash and cut a small slit for steam.
- Bake: Place on the hot baking tray and bake for 30-35 minutes until deeply golden, puffed, and bubbling.
What Is the Secret to a Perfect Chicken Ham and Leek Pie?
- A rotisserie chicken saves an hour. Strip the meat off a shop-bought rotisserie and you skip poaching entirely. The meat is already seasoned, tender, and moist. You get about 500g of usable meat from a standard one.
- Make the sauce thick enough to coat a spoon. If the sauce seems thin after adding the stock, simmer it for another 2-3 minutes. A runny sauce before assembly means a soggy pie after baking. The flour needs time to fully thicken.
- A squeeze of lemon lifts the whole filling. Stir in 1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice with the cream. It cuts through the richness and brightens the flavour without anyone tasting lemon. This is the trick that makes Tom Kerridge’s version sing too.
What Should You Serve on the Side?
Creamy mashed potato is the best match – it soaks up any sauce that escapes when you cut in. Steamed tenderstem broccoli or buttered peas keep it simple. For a bigger spread, add Hairy Bikers sausage rolls as a starter.
If you want gravy, a light chicken gravy on the side works well, but the cream sauce inside the pie usually makes it unnecessary. A sharp dressed green salad cuts through the richness nicely.
Does This Pie Freeze Well?
Leftover pie keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, covered with foil. Reheat in a moderate oven (180°C / 160°C fan) for 20 minutes until the pastry crisps up and the filling is hot through.
It freezes well both baked and unbaked. Wrap tightly in cling film then foil. An unbaked pie can go straight from freezer to oven – add 20-25 minutes to the baking time and cover with foil if the pastry browns too fast.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 660 kcal
- Total Fat: 45g
- Saturated Fat: 25g
- Cholesterol: 180mg
- Sodium: 950mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 30g
- Dietary Fiber: 4g
- Sugars: 5g
- Protein: 35g
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best ham to use? Thick-cut cooked ham or a gammon steak, diced, gives the best meaty texture. Deli ham roughly chopped also works. Avoid wafer-thin sliced ham – it disappears into the sauce.
Can I use shortcrust pastry instead of puff? Yes. Shortcrust gives a denser, sturdier lid. For a fully enclosed pie, blind bake the base at 200°C for 10 minutes before adding the cooled filling and top sheet. Both styles are classic.
Can I prepare the filling in advance? Yes. The filling keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. This is actually better – a fully cold filling guarantees crisp pastry. Assemble and bake when you are ready to serve.
Can I make this without ham? Yes. Increase the chicken to 650g and the pie works well on its own. The leeks and cream sauce carry enough flavour. You could also swap ham for crispy bacon lardons stirred in at the end.
Can I use raw chicken instead of cooked? Yes. Dice 750g boneless chicken thighs and sear in oil until golden before softening the leeks. This adds about 10 minutes but gives a deeper, richer flavour. Make sure the chicken is fully cooked through before cooling the filling.
Try More Recipes:
- Hairy Bikers Chicken and Mushroom Pie Recipe
- Hairy Bikers Turkey Ham Pie Recipe
- Hairy Bikers Game Pie Recipe
Hairy Bikers Chicken Ham And Leek Pie Recipe
Description
This chicken ham and leek pie has tender chicken, salty ham, and sweet leeks in a creamy sauce, topped with golden puff pastry. Ready in under an hour and serves 6.
Ingredients
For the Filling:
For the Topping:
Instructions
- Make Filling: Melt butter in a large pan and soften the leeks. Stir in the flour, then gradually whisk in the hot stock until you have a smooth, thick sauce. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Combine: Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the double cream, cooked chicken, ham, and parsley. Season with pepper. Let the filling cool completely.
- Assemble: Preheat the oven to 200∘C (180∘C Fan). Spoon the cooled filling into a 1.5-litre pie dish.
- Top with Pastry: Roll out the pastry to cover the dish. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg, lay the pastry over the top, and press to seal. Trim any excess.
- Bake: Brush the pastry top with beaten egg, cut a steam hole in the centre, and bake for 30-35 minutes on a preheated tray until golden and puffed up. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.
