Roast chicken, leek and bacon pie

Name: Roast chicken, leek and bacon pie
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 240 min
Yield: 6 servings

Posted: 17/06/2026Updated: 17/06/2026

A creamy roast chicken, leek and smoky bacon filling seasoned with fresh thyme and sage, encased in shortcrust pastry.

Serve with buttery mashed potatoes and a selection of green vegetables, such as peas, tenderstem broccoli or lightly steamed cabbage. Finish with spoonfuls of roast chicken gravy all over.

Active prep: 45 minutesPassive prep: 45 minutesActive cooking: 30 minutesPassive cooking: 2 hours

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Ingredients

Adjust servingsServings

Roast chicken

1.6 kilograms Whole chicken
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 teaspoon Fine salt
0.5 teaspoon Ground black pepper
1 Lemon
3 cloves Garlic, whole and lightly crushed
2 Fresh thyme sprigs
2 Fresh rosemary sprigs

Shortcrust pastry

375 grams Plain flour
185 grams Unsalted butter, cold
1 teaspoon Fine salt
90 millilitres Cold water

Filling

2 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoon Olive oil
250 grams Smoked streaky bacon, diced
1 medium Brown onion, finely diced
2 large Leeks, thinly sliced
3 cloves Garlic, finely minced
50 grams Plain flour
700 millilitres Chicken stock
1.5 teaspoons Dijon mustard
650 grams Roast chicken meat
1 teaspoon Fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon Fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste

Assembly

1 large Egg

Instructions

Roast chicken

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
Bring the chicken to room temperature for 20–30 minutes and pat it dry with kitchen paper before rubbing all over with olive oil, salt and black pepper. Ensure you rub the olive oil under the skin.
Stuff the cavity with lemon halves, garlic cloves, thyme and rosemary.
Place in a roasting tin and roast for 1 hour 10 minutes or until the thickest part of the breast reaches 75°C internal temperature.
Rest for 15 minutes before removing the meat from the bones and shred or cut into bite-sized pieces.

Shortcrust pastry

Cut the butter into small cubes. In a bowl, rub the butter in the flour and salt with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the cold water gradually and bring it together into a dough.
Wrap tightly and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Filling

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the diced bacon and cook until lightly crisp.
Stir in finely diced onion and sliced leeks, cook for 8–10 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir thoroughly to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the flour forms a smooth paste-like roux.
Gradually whisk in the chicken stock until smooth and simmer for 3–4 minutes until thickened.
Mix in the shredded roast chicken, Dijon mustard, thyme and sage until evenly distributed.
Season to taste and allow to cool until no longer hot.

Assembly

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
Divide the pastry into four pieces - two slightly larger portions for the bases and two slightly smaller portions for the lids.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the larger portions and use it to line the bottom and sides of the first 8×5×2 inch rectangular dish. Repeat with the second larger portion for the other dish.
Optional: Chill for 10-15 minutes just before baking to maintain pastry flakiness.
Add half of the cooled filling to each dish and spread it out evenly.

Helpful notes

Cooking tips

Let the chicken sit for 20–30 minutes at room temperature before roasting. This ensures more even cooking.
Oiling under the skin over the breast and thighs ensures the meat is flavoured directly and keeps it moist.
Keep the butter cold while making pastry; overworking warms it up and results in tough dough. Chill the rolled pastry before baking to maintain flakiness.
The consistency of the filling before adding the chicken should be slightly thicker than the consistency you want once cooked. The filling will loosen slightly once cooked.
Cool the filling before assembly to prevent the heat and steam softening the pastry before baking and resulting in a soggy pastry.
Leave a little space between the filling and lid so it doesn't push through the pastry lid.
Reserve the chicken carcass, wings and skin after roasting. Simmer with vegetable scraps (such as onion ends, carrot peels, celery tops and herb stems) in water for 45–60 minutes, then strain. Make a roux with 2–3 tbsp butter and 2–3 tbsp plain flour, cook for 2–3 minutes, then gradually whisk in the stock and simmer until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Alternative ingredients

Any variation of herbs can be used in the filling such as parsley, rosemary or tarragon.
Ham can be used instead of bacon.
Instead of using flour in the filling, use double cream and slightly reduce the amount of stock.
Shortcrust pastry can be swapped for puff pastry for a flakier lid.

Storage instructions

After baking, allow the pie to cool completely before storing.

Refrigeration: If refrigerating an unbaked pie, store in an airtight container for no more than 24 hours. Store the baked pie in an airtight container or wrap tightly in foil or cling film for 3–4 days.

Freezing: Wrap the unbaked pie tightly in cling film and foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Wrap the baked pie in foil and place in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

Re-heating instructions

Oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). If reheating an already baked pie, cover with foil and bake for 25–35 minutes (45-50 minutes if frozen), then remove foil for the last 5–10 minutes. Bake an uncooked pie directly from frozen, adding 15–20 minutes to the normal cooking time.

Nutrition and dietary facts

Per serving:Calories: 746kcal (33%), Protein: 55g (92%), Fat: 61g (76%), Saturated fat: 25.8g (172%), Carbohydrates: 61.5g (22%), Sugars: 3.3g (13%), Fibre: 3.1g (10%)

NOTE: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is an estimate based on ingredients and cooking instructions as described - it is intended for informational purposes only.