If you have ever tasted the Nigerian meat pie or Jamaican beef patty and loved it, you would be interested in how to make the famous Nigerian chicken pie.

From the deliciously creamy and savory filling to the crunchy finish of the pie crust, this detailed recipe will be worth every second invested!

How to Make Chicken Pie

This recipe stays close to my heart as each bite takes me back to some of my earlier elementary school days. My mother would buy us some mini chicken pies from a roadside vendor close to our school gate for us to have during school lunch.

I still remember the taste of the creamy fillings and the salty and sweet crunchiness of the crust, it all culminated into an experience my adult self has come to cherish.

Now that I think of it, 2 or 3 of those mini-chicken pies were never enough, but thank goodness, now I get to make full-sized chicken pies and eat to my heart’s content!

Nigerian Chicken Pie Ingredients

Some of the ingredients for Nigerian chicken pie are similar to that of the famous meat pie from Nigeria, such as carrots and diced potatoes.

Ingredients for Nigerian chicken pie filling:

You might be considering using chicken breast for this recipe, but for the best texture, it is best to go with the thighs.

The plan is to end up with a texture of chicken that is not too soft and not hard, the middle is just apt. The skinless chicken thighs are seasoned and boiled until tender, deboned, and shredded before further cooking.

The usual additional ingredients include diced potatoes, carrots, green pepper, and so on but you have the freedom to customize the filling to your taste. Add or remove any ingredients you like to your filling.

As for the crust, it is made with flour, unsalted butter, sugar, salt, and ice-cold water. This is all mixed to form a no-knead dough, one that will need to be kept very cold. This dough will be cut up into equal portions, each portion rolled out into a round shape.

The filling is added in the center of each piece and folded once with the filling securely tucked in using a fork to pinch the edges.

Ingredients for Pie Crust

4 cups All-Purpose Flour

2 sticks of unsalted butter cut into small squares

1 tsp salt

3 tsp granulated sugar

2 cups ice cold water

1 egg for egg wash

Ingredients for Chicken Pie Filling

6 chicken thigh pieces of skin must be removed

1 large onion chopped

4 garlic cloves chopped

1 large carrot diced

3 Irish potatoes diced

1/2 green bell pepper chopped

1 chopped scotch bonnet optional

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp black pepper

Chicken bouillon to taste

1 tsp Paprika

1/2 cup All-purpose flour for thickening

Vegetable oil as needed

Water as needed

Baking Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and sugar.

2. Add in the chunks of unsalted butter and use your hands to work the butter into the flour till it becomes grainy.

3. Gradually incorporate the ice water into the flour mix until the dough comes together into a ball. Remember, do NOT knead. Cover with a wrap and keep in your refrigerator till ready to use.

4. In a pot, toss in your washed chicken (your chicken can be washed with lime or lemon juice a few times till water is clear), some of your chopped onion, season with salt, black pepper, and 2 bouillon cubes, and add 1/2 cup of water.

5. Transfer to heat and let the chicken thighs cook for about 25 minutes till soft and tender.

6. Take out the chicken, debone, and shred the meat. Set aside and keep the chicken broth as this would be needed later.

7. In a little pot, add 1- 2 cups of water, and bring to a boil.

8. Add in salt to taste, pour in the diced potatoes, and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes in the boiling water, drain and set aside to cool.

9. In a large pan, add 3 Tbsp of vegetable oil, when hot, go in with the chopped onion and garlic, and let it fry till fragrant.

10. Add in the diced carrot and let it fry for 5 minutes before going in with your shredded chicken. Keep frying for another 10 minutes.

11. 12. Add in the chopped scotch bonnet and green pepper, season with black pepper, salt, chicken bouillon (don’t forget we still have the chicken broth that’ll be added, so go easy on the salt and seasoning) and paprika, keep stirfrying for 10 minutes.

12. Sprinkle in the 1/2 cup of flour and add in 1/3 cup of the chicken broth.

13. Cover the pot slightly and let it slow cook on low heat for 10 minutes. You should end up with a moderately thick consistency, if runny, add a bit more flour, if too thick, add 2- 3 Tbsp of water, and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 400F.

14. Take out your dough from the fridge and place it on a floured surface, cut the dough into eight equal portions.

15. Use a rolling pin to flatten out each portion, and use a round-shaped cutter or a round kitchen bowl to carve out a neat circle.

16. Scoop a portion of the chicken filling into the middle of the carved-out dough, fold once taking the edge of one end and pinning it over the edge of the 2nd end. Use the edges of a fork to secure the edges tightly.

17. Repeat the process, and lay out the pies on a lined baking sheet.

18. Break the egg in a bowl, whisk, and brush on the surface of each pie, use a fork to create vents in the chicken pies.

19. Bake in your oven for 30 mins. Let it stay for 10 minutes before serving.

20. Let’s get into the recipe.