Indulge in a classic British comfort food with this air fryer chicken and mushroom pie recipe. Perfectly cooked succulent chicken and earthy mushrooms covered in a golden pastry. Easy, convenient, and utterly delicious!
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We’re very much a pie-loving household.
Whether it’s a homemade pie like this, a store-bought frozen pie that just needs warming up, or a classic steak and ale pie at an old-fashioned pub, we’re big pie lovers.
I’d find it hard to choose a favourite filling. I love them all, but chicken and mushroom is always a big hit with the whole family, and this creamy mustard and tarragon sauce is such a lovely and rich flavour that works so well with chicken and mushrooms in a golden pastry.
However, this air-fried chicken pie recipe gave me some trouble.
You can’t just bake it like you would in the oven. The air fryer is meant to crisp things; it doesn’t cook in a nice, even way.
This is great for that crispy golden top. It’s perfect.
But the bottom doesn’t cook. The first time I tried, the bottom was totally raw.
Then, I tried blind baking the bottom. Better, but still not perfect, and frankly, you might as well just make it in the oven by the time you’ve blind-baked the bottom.
The secret to a good homemade pie in an air fryer is cheating. Don’t bother with the bottom and sides.
Make a yummy chicken and mushroom pie filling. Spoon it into your tin, cover it with a lovely pastry top, and air fry it for delicious golden brown pastry.
It looks like a pie; it tastes like a pie, and it’s just missing the bottom and sides. It’s quick, easy, and healthier!
Why I Love Air Fryer Chicken and Mushroom Pie
Mushroom and Chicken pot pie is glorious because:
- Air frying homemade pie means you get a wonderfully golden, crispy pastry, which can take ages to achieve in the oven.
- Heating the small space of the air fryer is much cheaper than heating a whole oven.
- The chicken and mushroom filling is absolutely gorgeous.
- There are plenty of changes that you can make – see some suggestions below.
- Air fryer chicken and mushroom shortcrust pastry pie is the perfect comfort food.
- I add potatoes for an extra filling pie. It means you don’t really miss the bottom of the pastry.
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Ingredients For Air Fryer Chicken and Mushroom Pie
When I make chicken pie in the air fryer, I use:
Butter – You can switch to olive oil or another cooking oil if you prefer.
Red Onion
Chicken Breasts – You could also use skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
Plain Flour
Mushrooms
White Potatoes
Double Cream
Chicken Stock
Wholegrain Mustard
Tarragon
Black Pepper
Ready to Roll Shortcrust Pastry
Egg wash
You’ll Also Need
What you use will depend on what you’ve got and the size and shape of your air fryer. I use:
- Sharp knife, chopping board and potato peeler.
- Jug and whisk.
- Flameproof dish or pan: I use my cast iron Dutch oven, but a large frying pan is fine, too.
- Spatula.
- Tin that fits in your air fryer comfortably. Mine’s around 8-inch square, but with the rounded corners of my air fryer, this is a squeeze. Ideally, I’d like it to be a little smaller.
- Food thermometer. I use one like this. (Affiliate link)
Take a look at some of my air fryer essentials here.
How to Make Chicken and Mushroom Pie in an Air Fryer – Step-by-Step Instructions
Full, easy-to-follow instructions and quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step One
Melt the butter in a large, non-stick, heatproof dish or pan over medium heat on the hob. I use my cast-iron dish.
Step Two
Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes until soft, stirring often.
Step Three
Add the chicken and fry for 5-10 minutes until browned, stirring often. Try not to let it stick to the bottom of the pan.
Step Four
Stir in the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes, stirring often until they’ve reduced slightly.
Step Five
Add the potatoes.
Step Six
Stir in the flour, mustard, tarragon and pepper. You can add salt to taste, too, but I don’t think it needs it.
Step Seven
Add the stock, stirring in a bit at a time. This stops the flour from clumping together and leaving lumps.
Step Eight
Pour in the cream and stir well.
Step Nine
Bring to a simmer.
Step Ten
Reduce the temperature if necessary and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan.
Step Eleven
After 30 minutes, remove from the heat and leave to one side to thicken a little.
You aren’t using a pastry bottom, so it doesn’t need to cool completely. I just leave it to thicken while I prepare the pastry, maybe 10 minutes.
Step Twelve
On a lightly rolled surface, roll the pastry into a square that comfortably fits over the top of your tin. It should be a little bigger than the tin if your filling is higher in the middle.
Step Thirteen
Spoon the filling into your pie tin. Filling as much as possible. It doesn’t need to be perfectly level, and it’s ok if bits are higher than the sides of the tin.
Step Fourteen
Cover carefully with the pastry. Use your fingers to crimp it down, sealing it to the tin. Make sure it’s really pressed down. The pastry will shrink as it cooks, and if it isn’t firmly secured, it will come away from the sides, and you’ll have a little floating pastry island in the middle of your pie.
If there’s lots of excess, trim it away carefully, but if there’s just a little, leaving it can help hold it in place.
Step Fifteen
Liberally brush with whisked egg.
Step Sixteen
Pierce the top with two holes. I use a knife to cut two slits in the middle.
Step Seventeen
Carefully place it in the air fryer basket. My tins are quite a tight fit, so I kind of drop them in. It works!
Step Eighteen
Air fry at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the chicken is piping hot. I recommend using a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is above 75 degrees C.
If it needs longer, reduce it to 160 degrees C and check every five minutes.
Step Nineteen
Carefully remove the tin from the basket. The sides will be hot, so be super careful.
Top Tips
There are some really important tips for a well-cooked homemade air fryer pie.
- Use a Food Thermometer. Again, the air fryer doesn’t cook as evenly as the oven, so there’s a risk, especially if you leave the pie filling to cool completely, that the chicken won’t be hot enough. Use a food thermometer to make sure your chicken is above 75 degrees C before you serve it. If it isn’t, turn the air fryer down to 160 degrees and cook for longer, checking every 5 minutes until the chicken is right.
- Crimp the edges down to the lip of your tin, pressing in place with your fingers so there’s pastry pinched to the top and bottom of the lip. This holds it in place as it cooks. Leaving a little excess (but trim if there are lots) can also help.
- Be careful getting it in and out of the basket. My tin only just fits, so this is a challenge. In the ideal world, I recommend using something that leaves you with a little more space.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Chicken and Mushroom Pie
There are potatoes and vegetables in this air fryer chicken pie, so you can serve it as it is if you want to.
However, if you want extras, mushy peas, garden peas, air-fried veggies and steamed veggies are great. And chips or wedges are always good!
Variations
There are a few things that you could do differently.
Use Puff Pastry
I don’t like a puff pastry pie, so my air fryer chicken and mushroom pie is shortcrust, but if you prefer puff, that’s fine.
Use Homemade Pastry
You can, of course, use homemade pastry. I’m too lazy for this!
Swap Mushrooms for Leeks
If you don’t like mushrooms, swap them for leeks!
Leftovers
You can reheat leftover pie in the microwave for a few minutes or in the air fryer. How long it will take depends on how much you’ve got left.
Use your thermometer to make sure the chicken is piping hot.
How Do You Reheat Chicken and Mushroom Pie in the Air Fryer?
If your air fryer has a reheat setting, use this. If not, air fry at 150 degrees C in a suitable tin or dish. Start with 10 minutes, and use your thermometer to make sure the chicken is piping hot.
Storage
Store cooled pie covered in the fridge for 1-2 days.
I use ready-made pastry, so there’s always some left. You can usually keep the leftovers in the fridge or freeze for another time, but check the storage instructions on the box.
FAQ
Yes, you can make homemade chicken pie in an air fryer.
Start at 20 minutes, but cook until the pastry is golden and the chicken is piping hot.
Chicken and mushroom pie is very creamy and should be enjoyed in moderation.
No, I only use a pie lid, so it doesn’t need blind baking.
Other Recipes
If you are looking for more air fryer dinner recipes, you might also want to try:
- Air Fryer Lasagne
- Crispy Chicken Wraps
- Loaded Potato Skins
- Mac and Cheese
- Chicken Katsu
- Cottage Pie
- Fish Pie
- Chicken Burgers
- Beef Burgers
- Air Fryer Enchiladas
- Corned Beef Hash (Air Fryer Recipe)
Recipe Card
Air Fryer Chicken and Mushroom Pie
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 1 Red Onion – Finely diced.
- 650 g Chicken Breasts – Diced into chunks.
- 1 Tablespoon Plain Flour + Extra to dust.
- 400 g Mushrooms – Chopped into 4.
- 400 g White Potatoes – Peeled and diced into 1-2cm chunks.
- 300 ml Double Cream
- 500 ml Chicken Stock
- 2 Tablespoons Wholegrain Mustard
- 2 Teaspoons Tarragon
- Pinch Black Pepper
- 160 g Ready to Roll Shortcrust Pastry (or pre-rolled)
- 1 Egg – Whisked
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large, non-stick, heatproof dish or pan over medium heat on the hob.
- Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes until soft, stirring often.
- Add the chicken and fry for 5-10 minutes until browned, stirring often.
- Stir in the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes, stirring often until they’ve reduced slightly.
- Add the potatoes.
- Stir in the flour, mustard, tarragon and pepper.
- Add the stock, stirring in a bit at a time.
- Pour in the cream and stir well.
- Bring to a simmer.
- Reduce the temperature if necessary and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 30 minutes, remove from the heat and leave to one side to thicken a little.
- On a lightly rolled surface, roll the pastry into a square big enough to cover your pie tin and the filling comfortably.
- Spoon the pie filling into your tin, filling as much as possible.
- Place the pastry square on top and pinch the edges into the lip of the tin in a crimping style to seal it firmly and hold the pastry in place.
- Liberally brush with whisked egg.
- Pierce the top with two holes.
- Carefully place it in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the chicken is piping hot. I recommend using a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is above 75 degrees C.
- If it needs longer, reduce it to 160 degrees C and check every five minutes.
- Carefully remove from the air fryer and serve.
Notes
- See the post above for more tips and advice.
Nutrition
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
