Enjoy the delightful flavors of lemon chicken pies.
Made with puff pastry, this savory pie combines tender chicken and zesty lemon in a flaky crust.
Perfect for a cozy meal, it’s a delicious twist on traditional chicken pie that’s sure to impress.
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Lemon chicken pie is a savory and comforting dish that combines the zesty flavors of lemon with tender chicken, all encased in a flaky puff pastry crust.
This pie is perfect for a cozy meal, offering a delicious twist on traditional chicken pie that's sure to impress your family and guests.
The use of puff pastry adds a light and crispy texture to the pie, while the lemon-infused chicken filling provides a refreshing and tangy contrast.
The combination of these elements creates a mouthwatering dish that's both satisfying and full of flavor.
To make lemon chicken pie, start by preparing the chicken filling. Tender chicken is mix with a gravy featuring garlic, cream, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese. Once the filling is cool, it's time to start making the pies.
Cut out the puff pastry and line the muffin pan, adding the chicken filling on top. Cover with another sheet of puff pastry, sealing the edges and cutting slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake in the oven until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
Serve this lemon chicken pie hot, with a side of mixed greens or roasted vegetables.
The flaky puff pastry and zesty chicken filling make each bite a delightful experience, combining rich textures and vibrant flavors in a single dish.
Whether you’re enjoying a family dinner or entertaining guests, lemon chicken pie is a delicious and impressive choice.
It’s easy to prepare, visually appealing, and incredibly satisfying, making it a perfect addition to your recipe collection.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Lemon chicken pie with puff pastry is a comforting and flaky dish that everyone will enjoy.
- This recipe is impressive enough for guests, making it a great choice for entertaining.
- The combination of tart lemon and savory chicken creates a delightful balance of flavors.
- Lemon chicken pie is surprisingly easy to prepare, despite its elegant appearance.
- It’s ideal for family dinners, offering a hearty and satisfying meal.
- Bake these lemon chicken pies in mini muffin tins to enjoy these pies for finger foods and appetizers at parties, game days and more.
Ingredients
Please note that below is a guide for some of the ingredients we used in the recipe. The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast or Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh Fillets: Cut into bite sized pieces.
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- All Purpose Flour (Plain Flour)
- Butter
- Minced Garlic
- Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock
- Thickened Cream: Or heaving whipping cream.
- Lemon Juice
- Dijon Mustard
- Parmesan Cheese: Finely grated.
- Cornstarch (Corn Flour)
- Water
- Ready Rolled Puff Pastry: We used 23.5 cm x 23.5 cm, 9.25 x 9.25 inches in size. Thaw them just before use.
- Egg
Equipment
12 hole muffin tin with each hole being able to hold about ½ cup of mixture.
1 round cookie cutter (9 cm, 3.5 inches).
1 round cookie cutter (7 cm, 2.8 inches).
Instructions
This recipe for lemon chicken pies makes 12 pies. The ingredient quantities can easily be adjusted to suit how many serves you need to make.
You could also use a mini muffin pan to make mini lemon chicken pies.
For the Chicken
Step One: Mix the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Then coat with flour, shaking off any excess.
Step Two: In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium to high heat. When the butter is melted, add the chicken pieces and cook until golden and crispy and cooked through.
Once cooked, remove from skillet and set aside.
For the Sauce
Step One: Using the same skillet you cooked the chicken in saute the garlic for a few seconds. If your pan is a bit dry, add a bit more butter.
Step Two: Next, add the chicken stock, cream, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard to the skillet over low to medium heat. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Scrape the bottom of the pan to dissolve any bits left over from when you cooked the chicken.
Step Three: Add the Parmesan cheese and mix through.
Step Four: Continue to simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
Step Five: Add salt and pepper to taste and reduce heat to low.
Step Six: In a small bowl, mix together the corn starch and water until there are no lumps. This is making a slurry.
Step Seven: Gradually add the slurry to the sauce, mixing it through as you do.
Step Eight: Then mix through the cooked chicken. Coat the chicken in the sauce. Turn off heat and allow to cool completely.
Making the Pies
Step One: Preheat oven to 200°C (392°F), and lightly grease the insides of the muffin tin with butter or oil.
Using a round cookie cutter, cut 12 circles using the larger round cookie cutter into the just thawed pastry.
Step Two: Place the cut pastry into the bottom of the cups in the muffin tin. Gently press the pastry to the sides of each cup.
Step Three: Divide the cooled lemon chicken filling evenly between the pastry lined muffin cups (about 55 grams, 1.94 ounces of filling per pie).
Step Four: With the remaining pastry, cut 12 more circles. This time using the smaller cookie cutter. This will be used to top the pies.
Step Five: Place the cut circles over the muffin cups, gently pressing around the edges to seal the pies. Trim any excess pastry from the edges.
Step Six: Using a fork, poke some holes into the tops of each of the pies. Brush the tops of the pies with some lightly whisked egg.
Step Seven: Place pies in preheated oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Step Eight: Once baked, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Tips for Success
- Pre-cook the chicken filling until it's slightly thickened to prevent the puff pastry from becoming soggy.
- Chill the puff pastry before using it to ensure it bakes up flaky and golden.
Cost To Make
Estimated cost = $7.15 or $0.60 a pie
Substitutions / Variations
Here are some variations for these lemon chicken pies you might like to try:
- Add asparagus or peas.
- Use phyllo dough instead of puff pastry.
- Include a creamy cheese sauce.
- Add a hint of mustard.
- Make it spicy with a dash of cayenne.
Serving Suggestions
Here are some ways you might like to serve this recipe for lemon chicken pies:
- Serve with a side salad.
- Pair with roasted root vegetables.
- Garnish with fresh thyme.
- With ketchup (tomato sauce).
- Serve with mashed potatoes.
Storage
Keep leftover lemon chicken pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until the pastry is crisp and the filling is heated through.
FAQ
Yes, you can put puff pastry on the bottom of a pie.
Chicken pie pairs well with roasted vegetables, a fresh green salad, mashed potatoes, or steamed greens like broccoli and green beans.
To thicken chicken pie sauce, mix flour or cornstarch with a bit of cold water to make a slurry, then stir it into the simmering sauce until it thickens.
Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below! We'd love to hear how it turned out.
Recipe
Lemon Chicken Pies
Equipment
- 12 hole muffin tin with each hole being able to hold about ½ cup of mixture.
- 1 round cookie cutter (9 cm, 3.5 inches)
- 1 round cookie cutter (7 cm, 2.8 inches)
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 750 grams (1.50 pounds) boneless skinless chicken breast or boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon black Pepper
- ¼ cup (35 grams, 1.23 ounces) All purpose flour (plain flour) or as needed
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams, 1.60 ounces) Butter
For the Sauce
- 1 teaspoon (1-2 cloves) minced garlic
- 1 ¼ cup (310 ml/grams, 10.93 ounces) chicken stock or vegetable stock
- ¾ cup (188 ml/grams, 6.63 ounces) thickened cream (or heaving whipping cream)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice or to taste
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ¾ cup ((90 grams, 3.17 ounces) Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch corn flour
- 4 teaspoons water
Pastry
- 4 sheets Ready Rolled Puff Pastry - we used 23.5 cm x 23.5 cm (9.25 x 9.25 inches) in size, just thawed
- 1 egg lightly whisked
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Mix the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Then coat with flour, shaking off any excess.
- In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium to high heat. When the butter is melted, add the chicken pieces and cook until golden and crispy and cooked through. Once cooked, remove from skillet and set aside.
For the Sauce
- Using the same skillet you cooked the chicken in saute the garlic for a few seconds. (see note 1).
- Next, add the chicken stock, cream, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard to the skillet over low to medium heat. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Scrape the bottom of the pan to dissolve any bits left over from when you cooked the chicken.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and mix through.
- Continue to simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and reduce heat to low.
- In a small bowl, mix together the corn starch and water until there are no lumps. This is making a slurry.
- Gradually add the slurry to the sauce, mixing it through as you do.
- Then mix through the cooked chicken. Coat the chicken in the sauce. Turn off heat and allow to cool completely.
Making the Pies
- Preheat oven to 200°C (392°F), and lightly grease the insides of the muffin tin with butter or oil.
- Using a round cookie cutter, cut 12 circles using the larger round cookie cutter into the just thawed pastry.
- Place the cut pastry into the bottom of the cups in the muffin tin. Gently press the pastry to the sides of each cup.
- Divide the cooled lemon chicken filling evenly between the pastry lined muffin cups (about 55 grams, 1.94 ounces of filling per pie).
- With the remaining pastry, cut 12 more circles. This time using the smaller cookie cutter. This will be used to top the pies.
- Place the cut circles over the muffin cups, gently pressing around the edges to seal the pies. Trim any excess pastry from the edges.
- Using a fork, poke some holes into the tops of each of the pies. Brush the tops of the pies with some lightly whisked egg.
- Place pies in preheated oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Once baked, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
You might like to use mini muffin tins to make bite sized lemon chicken pies.
Bruce says
So simple to make, and great to eat cold too!