Mom's Chickenpie: A Recipe for Chaos (and Deliciousness)

Every family has that one recipe that nobody writes down. The kind that lives in your mom's hands—pinch of this, splash of that, taste and adjust. Mom's Chickenpie was exactly that: a Sunday afternoon ritual disguised as dinner. The kitchen smelled like butter and secrets, and if you walked in at the wrong time, you got recruited to chop onions.

Chickenpie isn't your standard pot pie. It's a Filipino comfort hybrid—savory chicken stewed with mushrooms and aromatics, bound in a creamy sauce with just a touch of sweetness from caramelized onions, then tucked under a golden puff pastry blanket. It's the kind of food that makes you close your eyes when you take the first bite.

This recipe matters because it's forgiving. You don't need culinary school. You don't need fancy equipment. You need a pot, an oven, and the willingness to let something beautiful happen slowly. It's the perfect Nom Nom Friday project—start it, let it do its thing, and come back to something that smells like home.

Quick Facts

⏱️ Prep: 20 min | Cook: 50 min | Servings: 6-8 | Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 500g chicken thighs, boneless, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 200g mushrooms, sliced (button or shiitake)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg yolk, beaten (for egg wash)

How to Make It

1. Make the Filling: Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Toss in the chicken pieces and cook until no longer pink on the outside. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and start to brown.
2. Build the Sauce: Stir in tomato paste, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 15 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in the heavy cream, season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
3. Assemble: Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Pour the filling into a deep baking dish. Drape the puff pastry sheet over the top, pressing the edges to seal against the dish. Cut a few slits in the top for steam to escape. Brush generously with the beaten egg yolk.
4. Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is puffed, golden, and flaky. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving—if you can resist. The filling will be volcanic hot, and that's part of the experience.

Pro Tips

• Use dark meat (thighs) for juicier filling. Breast meat dries out during the long bake and you'll end up with sad, stringy chicken.
• Make the filling the night before and refrigerate. Cold filling + hot oven = better pastry puff. Science backs this up.
• Don't skip the egg wash. That golden, glossy top isn't just aesthetic—it seals the pastry and gives you that satisfying crackle when you break through.

The Chickenpie Touch: Serve with pickled vegetables or hot sauce on the side. The acidity cuts through the richness and makes every bite feel like the first one. Mom would drizzle calamansi over her slice—controversial, but she was right.

The best part about this pie isn't eating it alone—it's watching someone else take their first bite. Make it for your family, your friends, your neighbors. Cut generous slices. Don't gatekeep the recipe. Food is meant to be shared, and this one carries enough love to go around.

Happy Nom Nom Friday. 🍗💛