Anna Louise There is a version of this pie that I make when I need the kind of dinner that sorts out a bad week. It is rich, it is golden, it smells extraordinary from the moment the tin goes in the oven, and it tastes even better than it smells. That is this pie.
The combination of chicken and bacon in a cream sauce under a puff pastry lid is one of those things that is greater than the sum of its parts. The bacon gives the filling a smoky depth that plain chicken sauce does not have.
The chicken absorbs that smokiness and becomes something more interesting than it would be on its own. And the cream sauce — made with the fat that the bacon renders into the pan — carries all of that flavour throughout every spoonful.
Mary Berry’s chicken and bacon pie recipe is the version I come back to every time. Proper filling from scratch, all-butter puff pastry lid, baked until the pastry has risen dramatically and gone that deep golden brown that makes everyone want to be first to the table.
The Bacon Changes Everything
I make a chicken and leek pie and a chicken and mushroom pie regularly on this site and they are both wonderful. But there is something specific that bacon does that neither leeks nor mushrooms can — it gives the filling a smokiness and a saltiness that fundamentally changes the character of the cream sauce.
When bacon is cooked first in the pan, it renders its flavoured fat. Everything cooked in that fat — the onion, the chicken — absorbs the smoky, slightly salty quality of the bacon.
The cream sauce is built in the same pan, capturing everything. The result is a filling that tastes completely different from a plain chicken and cream sauce, even though the method is very similar.
Always cook the bacon first. Always use its fat. It is the detail that makes this pie what it is.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Chicken and Bacon Pie
For the Filling
- 700g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into generous chunks
- 200g smoked bacon lardons or smoked streaky bacon, roughly chopped
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 50g unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 300ml good quality chicken stock
- 150ml double cream
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Pastry Lid
- 375g ready-made all-butter puff pastry
- 1 large egg, beaten
How to Make Mary Berry Chicken and Bacon Pie
Step 1 — Cook the Bacon First
Place the bacon lardons in a large, cold frying pan and turn the heat to medium. Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is golden and crispy and its fat has rendered into the pan. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside — leave all the fat in the pan. This fat is going to flavour everything that follows.
Step 2 — Brown the Chicken
Increase the heat to medium-high. Season the chicken pieces. Add them to the bacon fat in the pan — in two batches if needed so you do not crowd the pan. Brown for three to four minutes per batch until golden on the outside. They do not need to be cooked through. Remove and set aside with the bacon.
Step 3 — Build the Sauce
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter to the same pan. Cook the onion in the combined butter and bacon fat for eight minutes until soft. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for one more minute.
Sprinkle over the flour. Stir for a minute to cook it through. Add the chicken stock gradually, stirring all the time, then add the cream and mustard. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for five minutes until the sauce is thick and smooth and coats the back of a spoon nicely.
Step 4 — Combine and Cool
Add the browned chicken, bacon, and parsley to the sauce. Stir together. Taste — the bacon will have added salt, so check carefully before adding more. Leave to cool completely. Warm filling goes under the pastry lid and prevents it from rising properly.
Step 5 — Assemble the Pie
Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. Spoon the cooled filling into a deep pie dish — about 24cm round.
Roll the puff pastry slightly larger than the dish. Cut thin pastry strips from the edges of the rolled pastry. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg. Press the pastry strips onto the rim — this gives the lid something to hold on to. Brush the strips with more egg. Lay the pastry lid over the top. Press and crimp the edges firmly. Trim any overhang. Brush the entire lid with beaten egg. Cut two or three small holes in the centre.
Brush with a second coat of egg for maximum colour.
Step 6 — Bake
Bake for 28 to 32 minutes until the pastry is dramatically risen, deep golden, and the filling is bubbling through the steam holes. Leave to rest for five minutes before serving.
My Top Tips For Mary Berry Chicken and Bacon Pie
Start the bacon in a cold pan. This renders the fat slowly and gives you more of it — and it is the fat you cook everything else in. A cold start for bacon = more flavour in the pan.
Cool the filling before adding the pastry. I say this in every pie recipe on this site because it matters enormously every time. Warm filling melts the butter layers in puff pastry and prevents it from rising. Cool filling — even refrigerate it overnight — and you get pastry that rises dramatically and crisps beautifully.
Press pastry strips onto the rim first. This is the trick that keeps the pastry lid attached during baking. Without the strips, the lid can shrink away from the edges and the filling escapes. With them, everything stays beautifully sealed.
Two coats of egg wash. One coat before the pie goes in, one immediately before. Deep, even golden colour every time.
Season carefully. Smoked bacon is salty. Taste the filling before adding any extra salt — you may need very little.
Serving Suggestions
With creamy mashed potato and steamed peas — a classic that never fails. With crusty bread to mop the sauce. On its own — this pie needs very little. It is complete.
How to Store Mary Berry Chicken and Bacon Pie
In the fridge: Store covered for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 180°C oven covered loosely with foil for 20 to 25 minutes.
In the freezer: Freeze the assembled unbaked pie for up to 2 months. Wrap tightly. Bake from frozen at 200°C for 45 to 55 minutes, covering with foil if the pastry browns too quickly.
Mary Berry Chicken and Bacon Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Start bacon in a cold pan over medium heat — cook 5 minutes until golden and fat has rendered. Remove — leave fat in pan.
- Brown chicken in batches in bacon fat — 3–4 minutes per batch. Remove.
- Add butter to pan. Cook onion 8 minutes. Add garlic and thyme — 1 minute. Add flour — stir 1 minute. Add stock gradually, stirring. Add cream and mustard. Simmer 5 minutes until thick.
- Add chicken, bacon, and parsley. Taste carefully. Cool completely.
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. Spoon filling into pie dish. Add pastry strips to egg-washed rim. Lay lid over — press, trim, crimp. Brush with egg. Cut steam holes. Second coat of egg.
- Bake 28–32 minutes until golden and filling is bubbling. Rest 5 minutes.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
You can. Thighs are more forgiving in a braise and stay moist, but breast works well in a pie because the filling is not cooked for as long as a casserole. Add the chicken to the sauce and make sure it is just cooked through before cooling.
Can I add leeks or mushrooms?
Yes — either is wonderful. Add leeks with the onion and cook until soft. Add mushrooms separately at high heat until golden, then add to the filling with the chicken and bacon.
Why is my puff pastry not rising?
The filling was too warm when the pastry went on, or the pastry itself was warm and the butter layers had melted. Keep everything cold and make sure the filling is completely cool.
Can I make the filling the day before?
Yes — and I recommend it. Cool completely, refrigerate overnight, and add the pastry lid the next day. The flavour improves overnight and the cold filling is much easier to top.
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