Chicken and Ham Pie
A chicken and ham pie is a British pie pairing poached chicken with salty ham in a white sauce under puff pastry. Poaching the thighs in stock does two jobs at once: it cooks the meat gently and creates a flavourful liquid that becomes the base of the sauce.
By the chickenpie.net test kitchen · Published 24 July 2026
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
Ingredients
- 600g skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 500ml chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 200g thick cut cooked ham, diced
- 1 leek, sliced
- 30g butter
- 30g plain flour
- 100ml whole milk
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 320g ready rolled puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten, for glazing
Method
Poach the chicken thighs in the stock with the bay leaf at a bare simmer for 15 minutes, then lift out, reserve 400ml of the liquid, and tear the meat into chunks.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, soften the leek for 5 minutes, then stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
Add the reserved poaching liquid gradually, then the milk, stirring until smooth, and simmer for 3 minutes until thickened.
Stir in the mustard, parsley, chicken, and ham, season with pepper, going easy on salt because of the ham, and cool for 10 minutes.
Fill a 1.5 litre pie dish, top with the puff pastry, trim, press the edge onto the rim, cut a steam vent, and brush with beaten egg.
Bake at 200C (400F) for 30 minutes until the pastry is risen and deep golden, then rest for 5 minutes.
Worth knowing
- Taste the sauce before adding salt, ham varies a lot in saltiness.
- Leave the chicken in rough chunks rather than neat dice, it eats better against the ham.
Common questions
Can I use leftover gammon instead of ham?
Yes, leftover gammon is ideal. Cut it into 2cm chunks. If it is very salty, do not add any salt to the sauce at all and consider using half milk and half stock.
Do I have to poach the chicken?
No, but it is worth it. If you skip it, fry diced thighs for 8 minutes before making the sauce and use 400ml of shop bought stock instead of the poaching liquid.
Can this be made ahead?
Yes. Make the filling up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. Assemble with cold filling and add 5 minutes to the baking time so the centre heats through fully.