Mary Berry Chicken and Ham Pie Recipe

This Mary Berry-style Chicken and Ham Pie is a creamy and comforting recipe, featuring tender pieces of chicken and salty ham, all brought together in a rich, savory leek and white wine sauce, and topped with a flaky, golden-brown puff pastry lid. It’s the ultimate family dinner or a perfect, unassuming centerpiece for a casual dinner party, ready in about an hour and a half.

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Mary Berry Chicken and Ham Pie Ingredients

For the Filling:

50g (¼ cup) butter
2 large leeks, trimmed, washed, and finely sliced
200g (7 oz) good-quality cooked ham, cut into thick chunks
50g (⅓ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
150ml (⅔ cup) dry white wine (optional)
400ml (1 ¾ cups) hot chicken stock
150ml (⅔ cup) double cream or heavy whipping cream
500g (about 3 cups) cooked chicken, shredded or diced
A small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Pastry:

1 x 320g sheet of ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
1 medium free-range egg, beaten (for egg wash)

How To Make Mary Berry Chicken and Ham Pie

Prep the Oven and Sauté the Base: Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C Fan, Gas Mark 6). In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and cook gently for about 10 minutes, until very soft and sweet but not browned.
Make the Sauce: Stir the flour into the soft leeks and cook for one minute to create a roux. If using, pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, letting it bubble for a minute while you scrape up any flavorful browned bits from the bottom. Gradually pour in the hot chicken stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, until you have a smooth sauce.
Finish the Filling and Cool: Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it cook for 3-4 minutes until it has thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the double cream. Add the cooked chicken, the ham chunks, the chopped parsley, and the thyme leaves. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Crucially, let the filling cool completely.
Assemble the Pie: Pour the cooled filling into a 1.2-litre (approximately 9-inch round) pie dish.
Top with Pastry and Bake: Lay the sheet of puff pastry over the top of the pie dish. Trim the excess pastry from around the edges with a sharp knife and use a fork to crimp the edges to seal. You can use the off-cuts to create decorative leaves for the top.
Bake Until Golden: Brush the entire pastry top with the beaten egg wash. Cut a small steam vent in the center of the lid. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed up, a deep golden brown, and the filling is piping hot. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips

How to get a non-soggy bottom? The most important secret is to cool the filling completely before you top it with the pastry. Placing hot, steamy filling under raw pastry is the number one cause of a soggy, undercooked lid.
How to get a perfectly golden, flaky crust? A generous brush of egg wash all over the pastry before it bakes is the key to a beautiful, shiny, golden-brown finish. The high initial oven temperature also helps the puff pastry to rise quickly and create flaky layers.
Can I make this ahead of time? Absolutely! This pie is a perfect make-ahead meal. You can make the filling completely and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Then, simply assemble the pie and bake it when you’re ready for dinner.
What’s the best chicken to use for a pie? This is a fantastic recipe for using up leftovers! The meat from a leftover Sunday roast chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken is perfect and a great time-saver.

What To Serve With Chicken and Ham Pie

This is a classic British comfort food meal that is a complete dish on its own. It is traditionally served with simple sides:

Creamy mashed potatoes.
Steamed green vegetables, like green beans, broccoli, or peas.
A simple side of glazed carrots.

How To Store Chicken and Ham Pie

Refrigerate: Cover leftovers tightly with foil or transfer to an airtight container. It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, though the pastry will soften.
Reheat: For the best results, reheat slices of the pie on a baking sheet in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15-20 minutes, until the filling is hot and the pastry has crisped up again.

Chicken and Ham Pie Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1/6th of pie
Calories: 700 kcal
Carbohydrates: 40g
Protein: 45g
Fat: 42g
Saturated Fat: 24g
Sodium: 1300mg

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

Can I make my own pastry?

Yes. While a store-bought all-butter puff pastry is a fantastic shortcut, this pie is also delicious with a homemade shortcrust pastry lid, or even a full pie with a shortcrust base and a puff pastry top.

Can I use a different vegetable instead of leeks?

Yes. If you don’t have leeks, one large, finely chopped yellow onion will work as a good substitute to provide the sweet aromatic base.

Why is my sauce so thin?

A thin sauce is usually the result of not cooking the roux (the butter and flour mixture) for long enough, or not letting the final sauce simmer and thicken before you add the main ingredients.

Try More Recipes:

Mary Berry Hoisin Chicken Recipe
Mary Berry Chicken and Mushroom Pie Recipe
Mary Berry Paprika Chicken Thighs Recipe