Got leftover roast chicken? Turn it into a comforting and delicious leftover chicken pie! Our recipe combines tender chicken and a vegetable filling topped with a golden, flaky pastry, creating an easy, hearty dinner that the whole family will love.
This recipe is also perfect for holiday leftovers. You can switch the chicken for turkey or ham and even add your leftover roast vegetables for a delicious Christmas leftover pie!
Why you’ll love this leftover chicken pie recipe
- Easy to make: With simple ingredients and minimal prep, it’s the perfect weeknight meal.
- Perfect for leftovers: Give your leftover roast chicken a second life with this crowd-pleasing recipe.
- Incredibly comforting: A warm, flaky pie always feels like a hug on a plate.
- Versatile: Depending on what you have on hand, you can easily swap in different proteins, vegetables, or toppings.
If you love easy chicken dinners that are packed with flavour, this chicken kofta recipe is a must-try!
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Onion
- Carrot
- Button mushrooms
- Sweet potato - Substitute with white potato or leftover roasted vegetables.
- Butter
- Oil - use your preferred cooking oil
- Dried Thyme
- Plain flour
- Chicken stock - homemade or a good quality store-bought.
- Roasted shredded chicken - meat only. Don’t have leftover chicken? A store-bought rotisserie chicken works great for this dish.
- Frozen green peas
- A sheet of puff pastry - substitute with savoury shortcrust pastry. We used a frozen sheet, thaw out before using.
- An egg
See recipe card for quantities.
Step by step instructions
1. Prepare the filling
- Dice the carrots, onion and sweet potato into 1cm cube and quarter the mushrooms.
- Over a medium heat, heat the butter and oil in a large pot then saute the prepared veg, add a pinch of salt and dried thyme. Cook the veg until slightly softened.
2. Make the sauce and add the chicken
- Add the flour and mix well the coat all the vegetables.
- Slowly add the chicken stock a little at a time and stir until thickened then add a little more and repeat until the sauce is thick but not sticky.
- Once thickened, add the peas and shredded chicken stir and cook until heated through. Season to taste, and set aside to cool a little.
3. Assemble the pie
- Pour the mix into a large pie dish, and place the pastry sheet over the top.
- Whisk the egg and then use a brush the egg wash the pastry. Cut a few slits and dock holes in the pastry lid.
4. Bake, serve and enjoy!
- Place the prepared pie in the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until piping hot and the pastry is golden.
- Once baked, allow to cool slightly, serve and enjoy!
Chef tips
- The secret to a creamy, delicious sauce - It's the addition of flour and slowly added stock that creates the perfect sauce. Be sure to add the stock gradually and mix well before adding more, allowing the sauce to thicken.
- Homemade stock is perfect for this recipe and can be easily made using the leftover chicken carcass, herbs, vegetables, and aromatics. If you don't have homemade stock, buy the best quality one you can, as the flavour will add a great boost to the base.
- Mix up the vegetables with leeks, mushrooms, or even roasted root vegetables for a different but delicious flavour profile.
- For a lighter option, top your pie with mashed potatoes instead of pastry.
Serving suggestions
Serve your leftover chicken pie with:
- A crisp, green salad for a light and fresh side.
- Buttered peas or steamed greens to keep things simple.
- Creamy mashed potatoes for extra indulgence.
- A tangy chutney or relish for added flavor.
Variations
Keep things interesting with these variations:
- Switch up the protein: No chicken? Use leftover turkey, ham, or even a mix of both!
- Add a potato top: Switch out the pastry lid for a mashed potato topping.
- Make it spicy: Add a pinch of chili flakes for a warming kick.
- Try filo pastry: For a lighter pie, use layers of filo pastry instead of puff.
Storage and reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven for the best texture, or microwave for a quick meal. Reheat until piping hot and allow to cool a little before serving.
Related recipes
More delicious week day dinner ideas:
There’s something so satisfying about turning leftovers into something as delicious as this chicken pie. It’s a dish full of flavor and comfort, a real treat for the whole family. Whether you’re using up Sunday roast or Christmas leftovers or looking for a quick weeknight dinner idea, this versatile recipe is sure to be an easy family favourite.
Did you try this dish? Please leave a rating and review below. And if you have any questions about the recipe, you can ask us in the comment section below too.
Happy cooking!
Recipe
Leftover Chicken Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Onion
- 1 Carrot
- 8 Button Mushrooms
- 1 Medium Sweet Potato
- 50 g Butter
- 50 ml Canola Oil
- 2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 60 g Flour
- 600 ml Chicken Stock
- 2 Cups Roasted Shredded Chicken Meat See note 1
- 100 g Frozen Green Peas
- 1 Sheet Puff Pastry We used a frozen pastry sheet, thawed out before assembling.(Substitute with shortcrust pastry)
- 1 Egg
Instructions
- Pre heat your oven 190 °c fan bake
Prepare the filling
- Dice carrot, onion, and sweet potato into 1cm cubes and cut the mushrooms into quarters.
- Place a large pot over a medium heat, add and heat the butter and oil together. Then add the carrot, onion, mushrooms and sweet potato, with a pinch of salt and the dried thyme.
- Sauté the vegetables until slightly softened then stir in the flour and mix well to coat all the vegetables.
Make the sauce and add the chicken.
- Slowly add the chicken stock a bit at a time, after each addition stir until thickened, then add a bit more and repeat until you have a nice thick but not sticky sauce.
- Add the green peas and the roasted chicken, stir and cook until heated through. Taste and season with a little salt and pepper if needed, the amount will vary depending on the seasoning of the stock. Set aside to cool.
Assemble the chicken pie
- Pour the mixture into a large pie dish or into individual pie dishes, and cover with the pastry sheet. Whisk the egg and then brush the egg wash over the pastry.
- Place some slits in the centre and dock holes in the pastry.
Bake
- Place the prepared pie in the preheated oven and bake 35-40 minutes until piping hot with golden pastry.
