Mini Chicken Pot Pies with Puff Pastry Crust
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These mini pot pies are a delightful treat, and my take on a classic chicken pot pie. Made with a delicious flaky crust and creamy chicken and vegetables filling, they’re perfect for cosy nights in.
These pies are in individual portions, so they’re perfect when you’re craving a comforting recipe yet don’t want to indulge in a bigger pie. These individual pot pies also freeze wonderfully, so they’re great as a make-ahead dish.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
Make ahead – These mini pot pies can be made ahead and frozen, making for easy lunches/dinners in the future.
Comfort Food – The creamy filling stuffed with chicken and veg and the flaky Pillsbury pastry crust help create a deliciously cosy dish.
Use up leftovers – This recipe for mini chicken pot pies is versatile, you can toss in leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken instead of making protein from scratch for the veg and chicken mixture.
Pre-made pie shells – Using pre-made puff pastry or crescent rolls helps cut down on the prep time for this dish.
Flavourful – Herbs, seasoning, and chicken broth help add a ton of flavour to this homemade mini pot pie recipe.
If you love these mini pies, you’ll enjoy my ; Chicken Meal Prep, Greek Chicken Salad and Baked Chicken and Cauliflower
Ingredients
Chicken Breast – I prefer using chicken breast for these mini pot pies to keep them on the healthier side. But, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs too. Rotisserie chicken is also a great option for this mini chicken pot pie recipe. If you have ready made Shredded Chicken that would also work here.
Single Cream – For a richer recipe, use double cream or heavy cream instead of single cream.
Puff Pastry – I recommend using pre-made puff pastry sheets to keep the prep time short. However, you can also use crescent rolls or even biscuit dough to create these mini chicken pot pies.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
Here are some fun ways to make these mini pot pies your own. Instead of creating DIY mini chicken pot pies with pie crust, you can make beef pot pies. Swap out the chicken for sirloin steak or chuck eye roast. You can also use a different crust to turn these into chicken pot pie with biscuits or crescent rolls.
Another easy swap is making these pot pies vegetarian. Skip the chicken, and you’ll still have delicious individual pies. Make these chicken muffin pan pies more decadent by including cheese in the recipe. Simply add the cheese of choice into the filling mixture, then bake.
How to make mini chicken pot pies
- Start by adding the sliced leeks into a large non-stick pan with the rapeseed oil on a low heat. Season with a generous pinch of salt and gently sweat the leeks for around 4 minutes (Image 1).
- Next, add the chopped swede & carrot mix and into the pan. Season with black pepper and fry, increasing the heat to medium and continuously stirring for around 8 minutes (Image 2).
3. After this period, add the garlic, fresh thyme and thinly sliced chicken into the pan to fry for a couple of minutes (Image 3).
4. Slowly add the stock and reducing the heat to low to simmer for 15 minutes (Image 4).
5. After 15 minutes, slowly pour the cream into the mix and stir to combine. Add the frozen peas, ham, white wine vinegar and cornflour slurry. Heat until thickened (Image 5).
6. Divide the creamy pie filling into 5 ovenproof dishes/ ramekins. If meal prepping, store in the fridge for up to 4 days or alternatively freeze half of the batch to consume at a later date before proceeding with step 6 (Image 6).
7. When it’s time to eat, add the puff pastry onto your ramekin with a couple of cm excess pastry for crimping. Use either an egg wash or a milk wash over the crust for a beautiful golden hue. Pierce a hole in the pastry (Image 7).
8. Pop in the oven for 18-25 minutes at 356°F (180°C) (change according to the pastry’s packet instructions). Delicious! (Image 8).
Serve these mini pot pies with some easy side dishes; Airfryer Hash Browns, Creamed Cabbage and Sauteed Leeks
Tips for the best results
- Use ramekins for individual portions. If you don’t have a muffin tin or you want to elevate a dinner party, use small ramekins for this recipe. It should work well in 1-cup ramekins. These also make it easier to freeze uncooked pot pies.
- Don’t skip the egg wash. The egg wash on the top helps create a beautiful golden-brown colour. It also makes the pies look more put-together and crispier.
- Use frozen veg for a quicker prep time. If you don’t have time to chop/prep fresh vegetables, you can use options like frozen mixed vegetables or frozen green beans instead for the filling. This will cut off a few minutes of prep time. Just be sure to defrost or increase the cook time slightly.
- Season at every stage with salt and pepper- this will bring out all of the flavours of the individual ingredients.
What to serve with mini chicken pot pies
I love serving these mini pot pies with a fresh salad on the side to help keep the meal on the lighter side. You can also make some roasted veg and include them with the meal. Potatoes are another great side for pot pies, whether you create jacket potatoes, mashed potatoes, or even fries.
Make Ahead Instructions
If you know you’ll be in a time crunch when making these mini pot pies; you can assemble them ahead of time and bake them so they’re fresh when you need them. For starters, you can cook the chicken beforehand to save time. It will last in the fridge for up to four days in an airtight container.
How to make filling ahead and store
You can also make the filling ahead of time. Simply follow the directions below, then allow the filling to cool completely before packing it into an airtight container.
How to assemble and store
If you prefer, you can also assemble the entire pot pies the day before you bake them. Follow the directions noted below, including adding the filling to the muffin tins and the top crust (leave off the egg wash). Cover the pies with plastic wrap. These pre-made pies will stay good in the fridge for one day. Then, remove the cling wrap, add the egg/milk wash to each mini chicken pot pie, and bake according to the directions.
Storage and Reheat Instructions
If you have leftover cooked chicken pot pies, allow them to cool fully. Then, pack them in an airtight container or wrap them in airtight bags. They will stay good in the fridge for up to four days. You can either reheat them in the oven for about 5-10 minutes or zap them in the microwave for a few minutes.
How to freeze individual chicken pot pies
I recommend leaving these mini pot pies uncooked to freeze them. Prep them and add the top crust. Then, cover the pies with cling film and an airtight bag before freezing them. Be sure the filling is fully cooled before adding the plastic wrap and bag. They should stay good in the freezer for 2-3 months.
How to reheat frozen pot pies that you made ahead
If you’ve frozen leftover pies, allow them to thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, bake them at 356°F (180°C) for 25-30 minutes. They may need to cook for longer, but you’ll know they’re done when the crust is golden-brown and flak
FAQs
Like in this mini pot pies recipe, you’ll be adding a cornflour slurry to the filling to help thicken it. If you find the filling is still too thin, you can either keep simmering it to allow more of the moisture to evaporate. You can also add another cornstarch slurry to help it thicken while it simmers.
No, you don’t have to use pie crust for this recipe. You can use biscuit dough, pizza dough, crescent roll dough, etc.
If you didn’t allow the filling to thicken for long enough in the pan, the recipe may be watery. Alternatively, you may have picked vegetables that release more water, causing a liquidy result. Or, there may be too much chicken soup stock/liquid in the recipe.
I skipped that step with this recipe, as there is no bottom crust in each muffin tin. However, you can always blind-bake the crust first to help it crisp up. This step will prevent the crust from getting soggy.
If you tried this Mini Pot Pies recipes, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Mini Chicken Pot Pies with Puff Pastry Crust
Ingredients
- 1 large leek, washed & chopped (£0.70)
- 500 g diced swede and carrot mix (£0.50)
- 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped (£0.39)
- 600 g chicken breast, boneless skinless, chopped (£4.10)
- 2 handfuls frozen peas (£1.45/10)=(£0.15)
- 300 ml single cream (£0.80)
- 100 g cooked ham, sliced into chunks (£1.20/2)=(£0.60)
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, removed from sprigs (£0.55)
- 1 egg, whisked (£1.50/6)=(£0.25)
- 375 g ready rolled puff pastry (£1.25)
Cupboard Essentials
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1.5 tbsp cornflour + 2 tbsp cold water
- Salt & Pepper
- 500 ml chicken stock
Method
Preheat the oven at 180°F (356°C)
- Start by adding the sliced leeks into a large non-stick pan with the rapeseed oil on a low heat. Season with a generous pinch of salt and gently sweat the leeks for around 4 minutes.
- Next, add the chopped swede & carrot mix and into the pan. Season with black pepper and fry, increasing the heat to medium and continuously stirring for around 8 minutes.
- After this period, add the garlic, fresh thyme and thinly sliced chicken into the pan to fry for a couple of minutes before slowly adding the stock and reducing the heat to low to simmer for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, slowly pour the cream into the mix and stir to combine. Add the frozen peas, ham, white wine vinegar and cornflour slurry. Heat until thickened.
- Divide the creamy pie filling into 5 ovenproof dishes/ ramekins. If meal prepping, store in the fridge for up to 5 days or alternatively freeze half of the batch to consume at a later date before proceeding with step 6.
- When it’s time to eat, add the puff pastry onto your ramekin with a couple of cm excess pastry for crimping. Use either an egg wash or a milk wash over the crust for a beautiful golden hue. Pierce a hole in the pastry and pop in the oven for 18-25 minutes at 180°F (356°C) (change according to the pastry’s packet instructions). Delicious!
Notes
- Use silicone liners, parchment paper, cooking spray, or softened butter to prevent sticking and easy removal.
- Use ramekins for single servings, as these are ideal for freezing uncooked pot pies.
- Apply an egg wash for a golden-brown topping and a crispier texture.
- Use frozen vegetables for quicker prep, saving time on chopping fresh ingredients.
Nutrition
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