There is nothing better to warm you up than a chicken pie, my slow cooker chicken pie recipe has a creamy chicken filling flavoured with herbs. The filling is cooked in the slow cooker, then popped in a pie dish and baked in the oven to cook and crisp the pastry and you’re done!
Chicken pie is a great homely and comforting dish which works well in the colder months but is suitable for all year round.
This recipe includes leeks and chunks of ham, and the creamy sauce is made using creme fraiche. A touch of lemon zest and chopped parsley add freshness!
I like to serve the dish with green vegetables like broccoli and crusty bread to mop up every last bit of the sauce.
This dish was inspired by my very popular slow cooker shepherd’s pie recipe, since that dish is another good family option.
Top tip! If you are short on time and not home during the day, you can cook the filling the day before in the slow cooker, allow it to cool then put the filling in the fridge, then transfer to a pie dish, add the pastry top and bake the next day.
This is good for those busy days with lots of activities in the evening.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredient you will need to make this chicken pie – get the quantities from the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- chicken thigh fillets – it is better to use thighs than chicken breast in the slow cooker, because chicken breast is lower in fat so dries out if cooked too long, also more flavourful.
- leeks – if you like you can also add some diced carrot or your preferred veg.
- onion
- olive oil
- plain flour – this is added to ensure the sauce is nice and thick.
- chicken stock cube – or use your preferred chicken stock,
- ham chunks – or slices of ham cut into small pieces.
- parsley – fresh is great but you can use dried instead.
- creme fraiche – this makes the sauce nice and creamy.
- lemon zest
- sheet of ready rolled shortcrust pastry – make sure it isn’t a sweet pastry sheet, and it can be used for savoury dishes.
Instructions
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this slow cooker chicken pie recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Cut the chicken thighs into chunks, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan and brown them off all over. Place in slow cooker.
Slice the onion and leeks, fry in another tbsp olive oil until soft.
Add the plain flour, stir so it coats all the ingredients. Transfer to slow cooker.
Add chicken stock, ham chunks, chopped parsley, creme fraiche, lemon zest and salt and pepper. Stir.
Cook on high for 3-4 hours until fully cooked. Leave to cool.
Transfer the filling to a pie dish once cool.(Letting the filling cool ensures the pastry lid won’t go soggy).
Place the pastry sheet on top of the pie dish, trim to size, crimp the edges, brush with a little oil or beaten egg, cut out a steam hole in the centre.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (fan) and cook for 35-38 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
Serve right away, with green veg and bread to get every last bit of the tasty sauce!
Hint: if you have no eggs for the egg wash before baking, brush a little olive oil all over the top of the pie using a pastry brush instead.
Variations
Try these variations on the recipe too:
- Vegetarian – leave out the chicken and ham and add diced mushroom, carrot and red peppers or Quorn chunks
- Bacon – add fried bacon sliced into pieces
- Turkey – replace the chicken thigh with diced turkey thigh.
Equipment
You’ll need the following to make this recipe:
- chopping board
- frying pan
- 3.5 litre slow cooker
- pie dish
Freezing
You can freeze the cooked pie filling to use at a later date. Transfer the cool filling to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost before use. Then put in a pie dish, top with pastry and cook following the instructions.
Alternatively, freeze the pie assembled before baking the pastry lid. Wrap the whole pie dish in a layer of foil and clingfilm then freeze. If doing this, defrost the pie fully then bake as stated in the recipe. Not suitable for cooking from frozen.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Chicken Pie
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 600 g chicken thigh fillets
- 2 leeks
- 1 onion
- 45 g plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 150 ml water boiling
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 100 g ham chunks
- 3 g curly parsley
- 150 ml creme fraiche
- ½-1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 sheet ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
Instructions
- Cut the chicken thighs into chunks, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan and brown them off all over. Place in slow cooker.600 g chicken thigh fillets
- Slice the onion and leeks, fry in another tbsp olive oil until soft.2 leeks, 1 onion
- Add the plain flour, stir so it coats all the ingredients. Transfer to slow cooker.45 g plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- Add chicken stock (made with stock cube and boiling water), ham chunks, chopped parsley, creme fraiche, lemon zest and salt and pepper. Stir.150 ml water, 1 chicken stock cube, 100 g ham chunks, 3 g curly parsley, 150 ml creme fraiche, ½-1 tsp lemon zest
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours until fully cooked. Leave to cool.
- Transfer the filling to a pie dish once cool.(Letting the filling cool ensures the pastry lid won't go soggy).
- Place the pastry sheet on top of the pie dish, trim to size, crimp the edges using a fork, brush with a little oil or beaten egg, cut out a steam hole in the centre.1 sheet ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (fan) and cook for 35-38 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
- Serve right away, with green veg and bread to get every last bit of the tasty sauce!
Notes
- Vegetarian – leave out the chicken and ham and add diced mushroom, carrot and red peppers or Quorn chunks
- Bacon – add fried bacon sliced into pieces
- Turkey – replace the chicken thigh with diced turkey thigh.
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