Chicken and Leek Pie (Printable)

Tender chicken and leeks with smoky bacon in creamy sauce, wrapped in golden flaky pastry for ultimate comfort.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
02 - 3.5 oz smoked bacon lardons or diced bacon

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 large leeks, cleaned and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
04 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 small onion, finely chopped

→ Sauce and Dairy

08 - 3.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
09 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
10 - 1 2/3 cups whole milk
11 - 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chicken stock
12 - 1/3 cup heavy cream
13 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Pastry

16 - 1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry, approximately 11.3 ounces
17 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F (180°C fan-forced).
02 - In a large frying pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels.
03 - In the same pan, add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides for 5 to 6 minutes until golden. Transfer to a clean plate.
04 - Add butter to the pan, then stir in the onions, leeks, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
05 - Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir well for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour flavor, creating a paste-like base.
06 - Gradually pour in the milk and chicken stock while stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce thickens.
07 - Stir in the cooked bacon, browned chicken, heavy cream, Dijon mustard, and thyme. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
08 - Pour the cooled filling into a 1.6 quart pie dish, distributing evenly.
09 - Unroll the puff pastry and lay it over the filling. Trim any excess pastry and press the edges firmly to seal. Cut a few small slits in the top to allow steam to escape during baking. Brush the surface generously with beaten egg.
10 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • The bacon and leeks work together in a way that feels like a secret nobody told you about until now.
  • You get crispy pastry on top with absolutely no stress, thanks to ready-rolled sheets doing the heavy lifting.
  • It actually improves your mood on difficult days—comfort food that earns the title.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling the filling before topping—I learned this when my pastry went soggy and sad instead of crispy and proud.
  • Constant stirring when you're adding the liquid prevents lumps, and it's genuinely the difference between silky sauce and grainy regret.
03 -
  • Keep your roux pale and cook it gently—rushed roux tastes bitter and ruins everything downstream.
  • Taste the filling before it goes into the pie dish because adjusting seasoning then is infinitely easier than adjusting a baked pie.
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