Mary Berry Chicken and Ham Pie Recipe

Chicken and ham pie is one of the most quintessentially British pies there is. Not trendy, not reinvented, not given any kind of modern twist — just good chicken, good ham, a rich cream sauce, and a lid of golden puff pastry that rises dramatically in the oven.

It is the pie that appears in pub menus up and down the country and is almost always the best thing on the menu when it is made properly.

Making it properly at home means a few things. It means using ham hock or a good quality cooked ham with real flavour rather than thin-sliced supermarket sandwich ham.

It means making the sauce from scratch rather than using a tin of soup. And it means all-butter puff pastry for the lid.

I make this pie for Sunday lunch at least once a month through autumn and winter. It feeds six people generously, looks completely impressive on the table, and leftovers — if there are any — are wonderful cold the next day.

Ham Hock vs Cooked Ham — What to Use

Ham hock is the best choice for this pie. The slow-cooked, slightly shredded, intensely flavoured meat from a ham hock gives the pie a much more interesting character than sliced cooked ham.

It also adds gelatin from the bones to the sauce during making, which gives it extra body. You can buy cooked ham hock from most supermarket deli counters or cook your own — it is very easy.

Good quality cooked ham — the thick-cut variety from a deli counter or butcher rather than thin sandwich slices — works very well and is the more convenient option. Avoid thin, watery pre-sliced sandwich ham — it goes rubbery in a pie and has almost no flavour.

Ingredients for Mary Berry Chicken and Ham Pie

For the Filling

• 600g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into generous chunks
• 300g cooked ham hock or thick-cut cooked ham, torn or cut into pieces
• 50g unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 leeks, washed and sliced into 2cm rounds
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 150ml dry white wine
• 400ml good quality chicken stock
• 200ml 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 Ham Pie

Step 1 — Brown the Chicken

Melt half the butter in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces. Brown in batches — three to four minutes per batch — until golden on the outside. Remove and set aside. The chicken does not need to be cooked through.

Step 2 — Soften the Vegetables

In the same pan, melt the remaining butter. Cook the onion over a medium heat for five minutes until beginning to soften. Add the leeks and cook for eight to ten minutes until completely soft and sweet. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for one more minute.

Step 3 — Build the Sauce

Sprinkle over the flour. Stir for one to two minutes to cook through. Add the white wine and let it bubble, scraping up the browned bits. Add the chicken stock and cream. Stir well. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for five minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy. Add the mustard and parsley. Season well — taste before adding salt as the ham is already salty.

Step 4 — Add the Chicken and Ham

Return the browned chicken to the sauce. Add the ham hock or cooked ham pieces. Stir gently to combine everything. Leave to cool completely — at least 30 minutes. Warm filling prevents the pastry lid from rising.

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 approximately 28x20cm.

Roll the pastry slightly larger than the dish. Cut strips from the edges. Brush the rim with beaten egg. Press pastry strips onto the rim. Brush with egg. Lay the pastry lid over. Press firmly. Trim. Crimp the edges. Brush the entire lid with egg wash. Cut two or three steam holes. Apply a second coat of egg wash.

Step 6 — Bake

Bake for 28 to 32 minutes until the pastry is risen, deep golden, and the filling is bubbling through the steam holes. Rest five minutes before serving.

My Top Tips For Mary Berry Chicken and Ham Pie

Use ham hock if you can find it. The flavour difference between ham hock and sliced sandwich ham in a pie is immediately apparent. Torn ham hock gives a more interesting texture and a much more complex, robust flavour. Most supermarket deli counters sell cooked ham hock.

Taste the sauce before seasoning. Ham is very salty. The sauce may need very little extra salt once the ham is added. Always taste after the ham goes in.

The leeks are important. Leeks soften the filling and give a gentle sweetness that complements both the chicken and the ham beautifully. Cook them fully — ten minutes until completely soft — so they meld into the sauce rather than giving a slightly raw edge.

Cool the filling completely. I say this in every pie recipe and mean it every time. The filling must be completely cold before the pastry goes on. Set a timer and walk away.

Press the pastry strips onto the rim first. This is the professional trick for a pie lid that stays sealed and does not shrink back from the edges during baking.

Serving Suggestions

With buttery mashed potato and steamed greens — the complete Sunday lunch. With crusty bread for mopping the sauce from the plate. With a simple green salad for a lighter approach.

How to Store  Mary Berry Chicken and Ham Pie

In the fridge: Store covered for up to 3 days. Reheat covered with foil in a 180°C oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

In the freezer: Freeze the assembled unbaked pie for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 200°C for 50 to 55 minutes, covering with foil if the pastry browns too quickly.

Mary Berry Chicken and Ham Pie Recipe

Mary Berry's chicken and ham pie is a classic British pie with tender chicken, ham hock, and a rich cream sauce under a golden puff pastry lid.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Cooling Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6 Portions

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Calories: 560

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• Filling:
• 600 g boneless skinless chicken thighs in chunks
• 300 g cooked ham hock or thick-cut cooked ham torn
• 50 g unsalted butter
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 2 leeks sliced 2cm rounds
• 3 garlic cloves crushed
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 400 ml chicken stock
• 200 ml double cream
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
• Salt and pepper — taste before adding
• Pastry Lid:
• 375 g ready-made all-butter puff pastry
• 1 large egg beaten

CHECK THIS RECIPE  Mary Berry Mushroom Quiche Recipe

Method

 

1. Brown chicken in batches in half the butter — 3–4 minutes per batch. Remove.
2. Melt remaining butter. Cook onion 5 minutes. Add leeks — cook 8–10 minutes until completely soft. Add garlic and thyme — 1 minute.
3. Add flour — stir 1–2 minutes. Add wine — bubble and scrape. Add stock and cream. Simmer 5 minutes until thick. Add mustard and parsley. Taste carefully before seasoning.
4. Return chicken. Add ham. Stir gently. Cool completely.
5. Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. Spoon filling into dish. Add pastry strips to egg-washed rim. Lay lid over — press, trim, crimp. Brush with egg. Steam holes. Second coat egg wash.
6. Bake 28–32 minutes until golden and filling bubbling. Rest 5 minutes.

Notes

Use ham hock if possible — the flavour difference over sandwich ham is significant.

Taste the sauce after adding ham before adding salt — ham is already very salty.

Cook leeks fully — 8 to 10 minutes until completely soft and sweet.

Cool filling completely before adding pastry lid.

Press pastry strips onto rim first — they prevent the lid from shrinking.

Freeze assembled unbaked pie for up to 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?

You can — breast works well in a pie because the cream sauce keeps it moist. Thighs give a richer, more forgiving result. If using breast, do not brown for too long — just lightly golden.

Can I use shop-bought shortcrust pastry instead of puff?

Yes — shortcrust gives a more substantial, less flaky lid and a base as well as a top if you want a double-crust pie. Puff pastry gives a more dramatic, showstopping lid. Both are good.

Can I add mushrooms?

Yes — 200g of sliced chestnut mushrooms caramelised until golden and added with the chicken and ham give an earthy depth that works beautifully with both the chicken and the ham.

Can I make the filling ahead?

Yes — make the filling up to two days ahead and refrigerate. Assemble with the pastry lid on the day and bake. This is the ideal approach for entertaining.

What is the best way to use leftover roast chicken in this pie?

Shred leftover roast chicken and add it to the sauce in place of the browned chicken thighs. Skip the browning step. The roast chicken flavour works beautifully in this filling.