Chicken pie with shortcrust pastry recipe

This chicken pie with shortcrust pastry is under 600 calories per portion and serves four to six people. 

Unlike this Joe Wicks chicken pie, our chicken pie with shortcrust pastry has bacon and mushrooms in the filling and a delicious homemade pastry. The pie can be made ahead and then baked for 40-45 minutes when you’re ready to serve. We like to enjoy the pie with mashed potatoes and veggies on the side but a salad is a nice light option too.  

Ingredients

• 250g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 60g butter
• 60g lard
• 2 tbsp light olive oil
• 4 chicken breasts, skinned and cubed
• 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon, roughly chopped
• 125g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 30g butter
• 30g plain flour
• 150ml milk
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• Salt and ground black pepper
• Egg, for glaze 

Method

1. To make the pastry: Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl. Cut the butter and lard into cubes and add to the flour. Use a knife to start cutting the fats into the flour.
2. Rub the fats into the flour, using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Add 2tbsp very cold water and start mixing it into the flour mixture. Gradually add enough water until the mixture binds together, using only the minimum amount of water, because too much water will make a tough pastry.
4. When the mixture starts to form the dough, roll it into a ball — again, handling it as little as possible. Wrap the pastry in a freezer bag, or cling film, and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
5. Set the oven to 220C (200C fan, Gas 7). Place a baking tray in the oven to heat up.
6. Heat the oil in a pan and add the chicken and bacon, and cook for 3-4 minutes over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for a further 4-5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms have softened. Remove mixture from the pan.
7. Melt the butter in the pan and add the flour. Stir well and then gradually beat in the milk and 150ml (¼ pint) water to give a smooth sauce. Crumble in the stock cube and stir until it dissolves. Stir the chicken, bacon and mushrooms into the sauce and add the chopped parsley and season to taste. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly.
8. Roll out half of the pastry until it is large enough to line the base of a 24cm pie plate. Spoon the chicken mixture on top. If the chicken mixture is still warm, then you’ll need to work fairly quickly, so that the fats in the pastry don’t melt.
9. Roll out the remaining pastry for the top. Brush water around the edge of the pastry on the pie plate and lay the top over it. Seal the lid of the pie by pressing the pastry edges together. Using a fork’s prongs to go around the edge will help ensure that they’re well sealed.
10. To decorate pie, re-roll pastry trimmings and cut out leaf shapes. Mark veining with a knife. Brush water on the back of leaves to stick on top of the pie.
11. Brush beaten egg over the top to glaze and make a hole in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape when it’s cooking.
12. Place pie on the hot baking sheet. Bake it in the centre of the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes before slicing and serving with your choice of side.

Watch how to make chicken pie with shortcrust pastry 

Top tips for making chicken pie with shortcrust pastry

If you have leftover pastry you can roll it out to make jam tarts for dessert or freeze it and use it to make lids for some future pot pies. We have made the pastry by hand but you could also use a food processor to combine the ingredients if you like. 

For more tips and tricks on how to make this pie, continue reading below.  you can enjoy after.

For this recipe we recommend using a large round pie dish such as this enamel one but you can use a ceramic one if you prefer or any oven-safe dish or bowl. 

Traditional Circular Round 24cm Falcon White Enamel Pie Dish - View at Amazon 

This pie dish has a classic, timeless design and is suitable for freezer and oven-use. The lip of the dish makes it easy to lift in and out of the oven and is also useful for pressing the pastry lid onto. Use a fork to seal the edges for a professional finish. 

If you like this recipe you should also try our chicken and leek pie. This turkey and mushroom pie is a tasty option too or if you prefer less pastry, give our chicken casserole pot pie a go.