Chicken and Leek Pie

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, Updated Apr 24, 2026

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Chicken and Leek Pie is the ultimate comfort food – tender bites of chicken and sweet leeks in a creamy sauce, topped with buttery, flaky puff pastry. This easy chicken pot pie is perfect for family dinners – I guarantee empty plates and happy tummies 🙂

Golden-brown chicken and leek pie with a lattice puff pastry topping with a slice removed, revealing creamy filling, sits on a marble board next to a checkered oven mitt and a bowl of filling on a blue-gray surface.

Chicken and leek pie is my go-to recipe whenever I crave something comforting that the whole family will enjoy. Trust me, it’s not always easy to please two hungry – but still fussy! – teenagers. I long for the day they will both happily eat whatever is put if front of them…

This British classic can often be found in pub menus, but tastes miles better when you make it at home. The combination of tender chicken pieces, smoky bacon and leeks in a creamy sauce is a winner – add a topping of crisp, golden puff pastry and you can’t go wrong!

I used a trusty Mary Berry chicken pie recipe as my inspiration here, but have given it my own twist of course. Feel free to play around with the pie filling to suit your preferences.

A golden-brown lattice chicken and leek pie with a portion missing, revealing a creamy filling of chicken and vegetables, sits on a marble surface next to a brown checkered cloth.

Here’s What You’ll Need

Bacon: Streaky smoked bacon for that gotta have it irresistible flavor.
Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces.
Leeks: Make sure to remove the outer leaves and give them a good clean as dirt can settle under the leaves.
Celery and onion: These round off our filling, melting into the sauce.
White wine and chicken stock or broth to poach the chicken.
Unsalted butter and flour: Combined they create the roux which thickens the sauce.
Sour cream or heavy cream: Just a splash to bring creaminess to the filling.
Wholegrain mustard or Dijon mustard adds tang to the sauce.
Salt, pepper, dried thyme, garlic powder to season.
All-butter puff pastry: Two packs of ready-rolled pastry plus an egg and a little milk to brush on top for that golden finish.

Top-down view of labeled bowls containing celery, white wine, flour, bacon, chicken, leeks, garlic & herb cream cheese, onion, sour cream, wholegrain mustard, and chicken broth or stock on a white surface.

How to Make Chicken and Leek Pie

Make the filling

Heat a large pan and fry the diced bacon until it starts to crisp and render its fat. Add the chicken pieces and seasoning and cook for a minute or two.

Side-by-side image showing chopped raw bacon on the left and diced raw chicken breast on the right, both in gray bowls.

Pour in the white wine and bring to a rolling simmer. Cook for a couple of minutes or until the aroma of the wine dissipates then add the chicken stock.
Cover tightly with a lid and cook for 10 minutes over medium-low heat. Transfer the chicken and bacon to a bowl and reserve the poaching liquid.

Raw, chopped chicken pieces in a pan with broth being poured over them, preparing for cooking.

Meanwhile melt the butter in a large pan and sauté the leeks, celery and onion over medium-low heat, stirring often, until softened.

Side-by-side images showing chopped leeks being sautéed in a pan; the left side shows leeks cooking, and the right side shows flour being stirred in with a wooden spoon.

Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually add the reserved liquid, stirring to incorporate the flour to make a roux (paste).
Add the mustard and sour cream once all the liquid has been added then add the chicken and bacon back into the pan.
Transfer the filling into a suitable baking dish (such as a 9-9.5 inch round deep-dish pie pan) and chill so that the filling cools down before adding the pastry.

Side-by-side images showing a close-up of chopped vegetables and broth being stirred in a pan on the left, and pieces of raw chicken being mixed into the sautéed vegetables on the right.

Make the pie topping

If you have a bit of time on your hands, you can make this pretty pie lattice with your puff pastry to top your pot pie with. If you are in a hurry just top the pie with a pastry sheet and add a few holes to allow the steam to escape.

Unroll one pack of the puff pastry sheets on a piece of baking paper and place with the long edge facing you. Cut into short strips (I was using an oval pie dish – if your dish is a different shape you may need to adjust the length).
Do the same with the second pastry, placing the short edge facing you. Cut into long strips and keep handy.
Fold alternate strips of the pastry halfway back. Lay one long strip over the unfolded strips. Bring the folded strips back down over the new strip.
Now fold back the opposite set of strips and add another perpendicular strip. Repeat this process until you have created a pie lattice that’s a little bigger than the size of your baking dish. Chill for 30 minutes.

Side-by-side photos showing strips of dough being woven into a lattice pattern. The left shows the weaving process in progress, while the right shows the completed woven lattice on parchment paper.

Assemble and bake

Beat the egg with a little milk. Brush the edge of the baking dish with the egg wash. If you have a bit of spare pastry, attach thin strips around the edge of the dish and brush with egg wash (this gives the pastry a little lift and allows it to puff up better).

Two side-by-side images show hands mixing a creamy casserole with chunks of ham and vegetables in an oval white dish using a green spatula, on a gray tabletop background.

Take the pastry lid out of the fridge and place on top of the pie to cover the whole dish, letting the edges overhang. Press the edges to seal and then cut any excess pastry. You can use these offcuts to decorate the pie, if you like.

Two images show hands shaping a lattice pie crust. On the left, a fork presses the edges; on the right, scissors trim excess dough. Both images display the pie on a gray surface.

Brush the top of the pie with egg wash. Place on a baking dish to catch any leaks and bake in a 400°F (200°C) preheated oven (360°F / 180°C if you are using a fan oven) for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the filling is starting to bubble through. Cool the pie for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Two images side by side show a lattice-top pie. On the left, a hand brushes egg wash on the crust. On the right, the unbaked pie has an even egg wash and some small heart shapes cut into the top.

Recipe Notes and Tips

Leftovers and Storage: If you have leftovers, cover the pie with foil and pop it in the fridge – it’ll keep well for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or the air fryer to keep the pastry crisp (the microwave might make it a bit soggy).
How to prevent the dreaded”soggy bottom”: This recipe uses only a top crust, which is the most effective way to avoid a mushy base. To prevent the top from going soggy, never top the pie with pastry while the filling is hot. This will cause the pastry to melt down instead of puffing up.
Make-Ahead: You can prepare the filling up to 2 days in advance and keep it in the fridge, making it a perfect midweek meal.
Wine substitutes: If you prefer not to use wine, simply replace it with an equal amount of extra chicken stock or a splash of apple cider vinegar. You can also use zero alcohol wine if preferred.
Gluten-free variation: To make this chicken and leek pie gluten-free, you will need to swap the thickening agent in the filling and the pastry lid for gluten-free alternatives.
Filling variations: This pie is an excellent way to sneak vegetables into kids meals. You can add chopped carrots and mushrooms when cooking the onion and leeks and some frozen peas just before the filling stops cooking.

A person places a freshly baked pie with a golden, flaky lattice crust on a checkered cloth, the pie resting in a white ceramic dish on a marbled surface.

👉 Please leave a comment and rating if you try my chicken and leek pie recipe, follow me on Pinterest for more easy recipes and don’t forget to tag me on @Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations.

Chicken and Leek Pie

Here’s What You’ll Need