15 best savoury pie recipes

How do you make pastry from scratch?

You can pick up ready-rolled puff, filo and shortcrust pastry at the supermarket, but if you’ve got the time and the inclination, making pastry from scratch can yield wonderful results.

Check out some of our top tips for making homemade pastry:

• For light crumbly pastry, handle the dough gently. The more you mix, the stronger and stretchier the gluten strands become, causing tough, shrinking pastry.
• Go easy on the liquid. When adding liquid (cold water/milk), start with half the amount stated in the recipe, pulsing/stirring in until the mixture starts to clump together (don’t let it form a ball). The more liquid in the pastry, the greater the risk of shrinkage.
• Chill it. Shape the pastry into a disc, wrap in cling film, then put in the fridge for at least an hour (this relaxes the glutens in the dough). Chill again once you’ve lined the tin for best results.
• When blind baking, line the pastry with baking paper and fill to the brim with baking beans/uncooked rice, which will support the sides of the pastry and help prevent shrinkage.
• Don’t trim the rim of the pastry before baking. Leave a 1cm overhang to allow for shrinkage and curl it over the rim of the tin, pinching it lightly so it grips the edges. Trim after baking using a sharp knife.

Click here for our guide on making shortcrust pastry from scratch.

Can you make pastry vegan?

Vegan pastry can be made with vegan margarine instead of butter. You could use our vegan pastry recipe here, omitting the icing sugar for a savoury pie. You can also use ready-made vegan pastry, widely available in supermarkets.

Can you freeze pastry?

Homemade pastry freezes well, wrapped in clingfilm for 1 month. Just ensure you fully defrost it before cooking.

Our best-ever savoury pie recipes…

Jalfrezi chicken pie with lime pickle pastry

Have you ever wondered what happens when curry meats pie? Behold, our chicken jalfrezi pie. Cumin, chilli and curry leaves bring warm and complex spicing to the filling, with a crisp pastry and lime-pickle glaze holding it all together.

Find the recipe here

Cheese and potato pie

Spring onion, parsley and mustard brighten up this cheese and potato pie, which uses a hefty quantity of cheddar, as is only right. The crunchy pastry case makes it as suited to a picnic as the dinner table!

Find the recipe here

Delia Smith’s steamed steak and kidney pudding

Queen of cookery Delia’s steak and kidney pudding is made with flaky suet crust pastry and filled with a deep gravy-like filling.

Find the recipe here

Smoked haddock and mackerel fish pie

Smoked mackerel, smoked haddock and prawns come together in this fish pie. It’s brimming full of Omega 3 and a comforting classic to feed the family, as are our 35 other fish pie recipes.

Find the recipe here

Creamy chicken, mushroom and dijon pie

A creamy chicken and mushroom pie with a crisp pastry lid is a classic for a reason. The balance of cream, white wine and mustard hits all the right sweet and sour notes. Check out all of our other chicken pie recipes whilst you’re at it.

Find the recipe here

Slow-cooked shepherd’s pie

Lamb shoulder is used here, instead of mince, with slow-cooking providing a melt-in-the-mouth texture to the meat. This is a real game-changing version of this British classic.

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Venison and stout pies

Is there anything better than a pie all to yourself? In these diddy delights, slow-cooked venison is paired with stout beer and redcurrant jelly and topped with a puff pastry lid before baking. Dinner guests will be chuffed.

Find the recipe here

Cheesy sausage mash pie

A hearty sausage and onion pie, flavoured with Marmite for a salty, tangy kick, and red wine for sweetness. This pie is topped off with a cheesy mash which brings a crispness to the lid.

Find the recipe here

Feta, chard and spinach filo pie

This Bulgarian pie is by Caroline Eden. It’s a treat eaten fresh from the oven, warm, with mid-afternoon tea. This pie is excellent all year round.

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Caper, lemon and dill fish pie

Piquant capers and sweet leeks bring interest to this puff pastry fish pie, while the delicate herbs add colour and flavour.

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Beef bourguignon pies

Beef shin, mushroom and red wine come together in delicious puff pastry in these beef bourguignon pies by Georgina Hayden. The ultimate comfort.

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Sausage and bean pies with colcannon topping

Sausage and cider casserole is topped with cheesy colcannon in these individual delights. For those nights when you fancy sausage and mash, taken up a notch.

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Butternut squash, spinach and goats cheese pie

Cutting a slice of pie is a true thrill, and made even better when the cross section reveals this rainbow of a filling. Squash, spinach, onions and cheese encased in cheesy pastry makes an impressive centrepiece for any dinner.

Find the recipe here

Vegetarian shepherd’s pie

Oh, so it’s comfort food you’re after? This vegetarian alternative shepherd’s pie uses puy lentils and chickpeas, making it cheap, quick and easy, as well as delicious.

Find the recipe here

Chicken, artichoke and spinach filo pie

For a different take on your usual chicken and mushroom, consider this Mediterranean-inspired pie using artichoke and spinach, and topped off with crunchy filo pastry.

Find the recipe here

Haven’t spotted something that takes your eye? Fear not, we’ve got 73 more pie recipes that await you here…