Low carb chicken and leek pie – with a delicious almond flour pie crust. Healthy comfort food that the entire family will love. Only 4g net carbs with a creamy cheese sauce.
And if you’re confused about what to serve alongside this chicken pot pie with freshly ground black pepper, there are 31+ keto chicken side dishes for you to enjoy.
This is classic British food at its best with the best pastry recipe for beginners.
Nutrition
Chicken is a versatile and filling source of complete protein.
The nutritional values of chicken depend on which part of the chicken you are cooking. Some areas of the meat will have higher fat content and contain chicken skin, dark parts will have higher iron and the chicken breast has the least fat.
| Per 100g (3.5oz) | Net Carbs | Protein | Fat | Calories |
| Chicken breast, skinless | 0 | 30.9g | 4.5g | 173 |
| Chicken drumstick, skin eaten | 0 | 27.3g | 10g | 206 |
| Chicken drumstick, skinless | 0 | 24.2g | 5.7g | 155 |
| Chicken skin | 0 | 20.4g | 40.7g | 454 |
| Chicken thigh, skin eaten | 0 | 28.2g | 13.2g | 239 |
| Chicken thigh, skinless | 0 | 27.7g | 6g | 173 |
| Chicken wing, skin eaten | 0 | 23.8g | 16.9g | 354 |
Ingredients
Don’t be intimidated by making a keto leek pie from scratch – it’s way less difficult than you might imagine! Here’s the simple ingredient list:
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- Butter – you can use salted butter or unsalted butter with a pinch of added salt.
- Leek – cut half lengthwise then finely sliced.
- Chicken – diced/cubed chicken breast, chicken thigh, or chicken tenderloins.
- Cream cheese – always choose full-fat cream cheese.*
- Grated/shredded cheese – mild such as mozzarella, cheddar, or Edam.
- Eggs – medium.
- Salt and pepper – add seasoning to taste
*You must use full-fat original cream cheese. All the varieties which are low fat or spreadable won’t set. This goes for pies, cheesecakes, and all my recipes. The cream cheese needs to be solid, firm, and full fat.
Check the chicken and leek pie recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Since this chicken and leek recipe is completely homemade, there are a few steps to follow.
But don’t worry – you’ll have dinner prepped and done in under an hour!
Make the keto pie crust
The first thing you need to do is make pie crust. Since store-bought puff pastry is too high in carbs, you’ll need to make your own from scratch. Thankfully, it’s easy!
First, mix the pie crust ingredients together. Then, roll out the crust in between two pieces of baking parchment paper. You can use a rolling pin, a wine bottle, or the sides of a coffee mug to roll out the pastry. When it is nice and thin, place it inside a pie dish.
Any remaining pastry can be used to line a small ramekin to make an individual chicken pot pie.
Use a sharp knife or a fork to make small holes all over the pie crust before baking.
You do not need a pastry lid, this pie only has a lower pie crust.
Then, pre-bake the delicious pie crust until it is golden brown. Let it cool while you continue with the rest of the steps.
Make leek and chicken filling mixture
While the pie crust is baking, you can start making the chicken pie filling.
First, saute the sliced leeks in a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat.
Remove from the heat and place the leeks in a heatproof small bowl. Try to keep as much of the butter in the saucepan as you can.
Using the same saucepan with the butter, add the diced/cubed chicken and heat and stir until you cook the chicken breasts completely through to the center of each piece. The cooking time for the chicken mixture will depend on the size of each piece.
Next, combine the cooked chicken pieces with sauteed leeks.
If you don’t have time to cook your own chicken, you can cut up a rotisserie chicken instead.
Next, lower the heat and add cream cheese to the chicken meat. Add the rest of the ingredients and keep stirring until it is all melted and completely combined.
Cook for a further 3-5 minutes very gently so the cream cheese thickens and creates its own sauce. Turn the heat off.
Gently pour in the beaten egg and gradually stir.
Pour the low-carb chicken and leek pie filling onto the cooked pie crust.
Bake leek pie
Finally, add the chicken and leek mixture to the baked pie crust and place it in a preheated oven on the middle oven rack. This will give you a proper pie that everyone loves!
Bake at 180C/ 160C fan/ 350F for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Tip: If you are worried about the easy chicken pie bubbling over, place your pie dish on top of a rimmed baking sheet.
How to make keto pie crusts
I used to make chicken and leek pie before we discovered the low-carb diet, and I was determined to remake my old recipe. Just by changing the crust to a grain-free crust and substituting a few ingredients in the pie filling, means this is even tastier than the original.
You can make an almond flour pie crust or a coconut flour pie crust. Both are naturally gluten-free and keto. I personally prefer this recipe with the almond crust!
Storage
Any leftover chicken pie can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
To defrost, leave the pie on the countertop, covered, for a few hours. It can be reheated in the oven, air fryer, or microwave. However, if you use the microwave to reheat the chicken pie it may become soft and not crispy.
Serving
To make a balanced delicious meal that the whole family will love, you’ll need some easy keto side dishes that work with any chicken dish.
Quick and easy sides such as baked broccoli and cauliflower, Mexican coleslaw, mashed cauliflower, or keto cheesy garlic bread also work wonderfully!
You can even just keep it simple by adding a simple bagged Cesar salad to the table – just toss the croutons out!
Variations
Want to change it up? Here are a few ways to try:
- Top it with some fresh thyme. You might also want to add an egg wash on top of the crust to give it a nicer crumb and better color.
- Swap chicken for turkey. This low-carb pastry pie would taste delicious with turkey breast instead of chicken breast.
- Add chicken stock for a real punch of chicken flavor to the creamy cheese sauce.
- Add sliced mushrooms instead of leeks for classic British food of a chicken and mushroom pie recipe.
Recipe FAQs
No, puff pastry is not low-carb. Since most chicken pot pie recipes use a puff pastry or other pie crust, I made a low-carb version. It tastes very similar to an all-butter puff pastry but has a lot fewer carbs.
This version is, but most are not. If you use puff pastry, it definitely won’t be low-carb. To make it a low-carb dish, the main thing you need to do is make your own pie crust!
There are a few different ways to add more flavor without adding carbs. A little salt and fresh ground black pepper will do wonders. You might also want to add a bit of dijon mustard or chicken stock to the cream cheese mixture for an extra bit of zest.
Low-Carb Chicken And Leek Pie Recipe
Equipment
- Frying Pan
- Pie dish
Ingredients
Almond flour pie crust
- 55 g butter melted
- 100 g almond meal/flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 eggs – medium
- 1 tbsp psyllium husk
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
Low carb chicken and leek pie filling
- 55 g butter
- 1 medium/large leek cut half lengthwise then finely sliced
- 800 g chicken breasts diced/cubed
- 200 g cream cheese full fat
- 200 g shredded/grated cheese mild
- 4 eggs – medium whisked with a fork
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Almond flour pie crust
- Stir together the melted butter, almond flour/meal, and salt.
- Now add the egg, psyllium husk, and coconut flour, and mix again until it forms a dough.
- Either roll between two sheets of baking parchment, or simply press into a greased and lined pie dish with deep sides or casserole dish.
- Bake at 180C/160C fan or 350F oven for 10 minutes or until just cooked and starting to brown. Remove from the oven.
Low carb chicken and leek pie filling
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the sliced leeks and gently cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted and cooked.
- Remove from the heat and place the leeks in a heatproof small bowl. Try to keep as much of the butter in the saucepan as you can.
- Using the same saucepan with the butter, now add the diced/cubed chicken and place it back on the stovetop. Heat and stir until the chicken is completely cooked through to the center of each piece.
- Lower the heat and add the full-fat cream cheese to the saucepan with the chicken. Stir until the cream cheese melts. Cook for a further 3-5 minutes very gently so the cream cheese thickens and creates its own sauce. Turn the heat off.
- Stir through the cooked leeks, grated/shredded cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix.
- Add the eggs. Mix again.
- Pour the low carb chicken and leek pie filling onto the cooked pie crust.
- Bake at 180C/ 160C fan/ 350F for 20 minutes or until golden on top.
Nutrition
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I think i’m gonna turnthis into a quiche lorainne!
Instead of chicken with ham, leek and lots of grated cheese!
Thanx for the inspiration!?
Greetings from Holland!???
What a wonderful idea. I love and encourage readers to adapt and change my recipes, thank you form New Zealand.
Is this suitable for feezing??
YesI think it would freeze well in an airtight container.
I made this last night for dinner but used left over BBQ chicken. Fabulous! Miss 13 didn’t like the base though. Thanks for the recipe.
This looks delicious! Great idea for a healthy dinner!
Absolutely delicious!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Absolutely amazing! So easy and so yumoooo! Thank you for sharing ?
Hi Libby
Love this recipe…I have just made it for the second time (this time with leftover BBQ chicken) and it’s currently cooking in the oven…I’m already salivating!
Just one quick question, the recipe states psyllium husk but your pictured product is psyllium husk powder so just wondering what you used? I used the husk, not the powder and the pastry was great but maybe it would be better with the powder?
Many thanks
Liz
I’m never quite sure of the difference, we can only get psyllium husk in a powder form but you can see the flakes also. I’m sure anything will do. The psyllium swells up and absorbs the liquid to give a nice sturdy texture so I’m guessing both would work.
Is there something I could substitute the psyllium with?
You could possibly even omit the psyllium. I use it to make a sturdy pie crust so if it is not included it may not hold as well, but it would taste just fine.
This was really tasty, easy and fairly forgiving. I didn’t quite have the right amounts of some ingredients, even after halving the filling, I fudged some measurements etc but it still turned out yummy. Plan to make again. I also think it tastes slightly better after a night in the fridge but maybe that’s just me.
I agree, often meals a day old in the fridge are simply amazing. I’m sure the flavours blend in fully. I’m so glad it turned out brilliantly (with a little fudging, sounds like my kind of cooking).
Hey Libby, I’ve problems with dairy. Any suggestions for ingredient replacements for the cream cheese & cheese?
Gosh that would be difficult in this recipe. Can you tolerate hard cheeses that have very little carbs and hence less lactose which is what most people have a problem with who can’t tolerate dairy? I have also heard there is a dairy free cream cheese, although I have never seen it here in NZ.
This pie is very impressive! I used to make chicken and leek pie all the time and this one tastes just as good, if not better than the high carb version I made. I didn’t miss the lack of pastry at all (mine used to be encased in puff pastry) and what I really love about this recipe is it doesn’t rely too heavily on the eggs. A lot of low carb pie recipes I’ve tried taste more like an egg pie than anything else but this one the eggs just help bind everything together and don’t overpower the pie filling. Brilliant recipe!
Made this today. (Yes, I may make all of your recipes. Lol.) And it was delicious! A few changes, I used only 1 egg in the mixture with the chicken (low carb recipes have toooo many eggs, Im kind of tired of eggs now), and used less cream cheese. The chicken /leek filling didnt rise as much (as expected with less eggs) But it was sooo yummy and not eggy at all. Just what I wanted. thank youu
What is the carb count (as is) per serving.. I envision using this recipe to clean out the fridge of leftover bits of meats and veggies.
There was a glitch last night and they all disappeared! As if by magic, they are back today (puts technical hat away). Enjoy 🙂
Made this today. Adjusted by using rotisserie chicken and estimated the amount. Excited to eat this as I love both chicken and leeks.
Hi. What Canberra I use instead of coconut flour. I can’t tolerate it. Thanks. Recipe looks amazing. ?
In this recipe you could probably omit it, it just makes it hold together really well. Add a few more tablespoons of almond meal/flour until it is pastry texture.
I have already made this twice and we love it! Great for lunches – one of my husband’s favourites. Thanks!
Just made and ate this for dinner tonight. Gets a big thumbs up from us! I only had half the amount of cream cheese so put in some thickened cream. Only used two eggs as, like others, didn’t want any egg taste. Worked perfectly. Found it was easier to just press the pasty into the pie dish. I tried rolling it out but it fell apart on trying to line the dish. No big deal to just press it in. Next time I’ll make it as per the recipe and do a comparison. Thanks for the recipe Libby.
You mentioned full fat cream cheese, my daughter has to have lactofree cream cheese, is this still suitable for the recipe?
Gosh, I have never seen or tried lactofree cream cheese. If it behaves and performs like regular cream cheese, then sure, that would work. Let me know how you get on 🙂
I made this with no changes to your recipe and it was soooo soooo good. Thanks Libby.
Made this tonight. Everyone loved it. My fussy 9 year old thought the “pastry” was good, but not by itself. I call that glowing praise from him. I ended up with enough filling for a second pie (so I just made more pastry!) great recipe thank you!
Brilliant! I serve the leftovers in my kids lunch boxes. It’s sturdy enough to survive the trip to school in their school bag!
fantastic – made this last night for my partner and I. He demolished a huge chunk of it, and we both took for lunch today. sensational reciepe. thanks x
Hello again from across the ditch to your West where Winter has finally descended on Tasmania with a vengeance! Another awesome yum recipe! I used a large bunch of spring onions instead of leeks and added some leftover cooked cauliflower as well. Might try adding a smidge of paprika next time too.
And… this recipe does freeze well! I grated some extra cheese on top of the reheated pie and put under the grill for a couple of minutes and it was delicious. I love reading all the comments from your recipe ‘testers’ and how they tweak the recipes to suit their situations and supplies. Low carb eating is such fun ?
Hi, can the almond flour be replaced with coconut flour? And if yes what quality?
No sorry. Coconut flour and almond flour have completely different qualities. You may wish to read this post that explains how to use them.
Do you think oat fibre would sub for the coconut flour? I just find it has an overpowering flavour in pastry.
Loved the pie otherwise, I made it yesterday had it for dinner last night and lunch today, and still half of it left!
Delicious and very easy! Thank you for this!
Wow, I made this today and it was absolutely delicious! The whole family loved it. Thanks!
I added 300g bacon (as I only had 500g chicken), sweetcorn and fresh chopped dill to the recipe. I also ground up some flax and sunflower seeds in place of the ground almonds, so that the kids can take it for their school lunch (nuts are not allowed at their school).
SOOOOOO GOOOOD!!!!!
I made this with Trader Joe’s vegan cream cheese. Of the many vegan cream brands we have tried Trader Joe’s is the best. unfortunately Trader Joe’s is not located in many places. I did add bacon as someone else mentioned. It was really good. I think this recipe would be very good served as shepherds pie.
Hi
Confused newbie here. Does the pie have a top crust? That’s not mentioned in the instructions.
No, this pie only has a bottom pie crust. It makes it easier to cook and makes it much lower in carbs too.
This pie sounded wonderful when I read the recipe and it did not disappoint. We both are enjoying it. I had to change dinner plans when I was making it , because I used chicken thighs which had ridiculous amounts of fat on them, to the construction process took a long time. I loved the way the cream cheese melted and became the sauce, just as it was supposed to. Dividing the pie into 10 portions took two of us with a measuring tape and knife to accomplish… One thing I would do differently next time is to roll out the crust because when I pressed it in, I could not get it to go all the way up the side of the pie dish (in 60 years of cooking, this was my first ever try at pressing a crust into a pie pan). This recipe is a definite keeper. Thank you!
I forgot to mention that I was also very impressed with how perfectly the slices came out of the pie dish – even the first one was easy, and they all came out cleanly.