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Chicken pie is one of the best all-rounder dinners you can knock together during the cold months. It’s easy to make a little more than you’ll eat in one setting. So, what do you do with it?
Can You Freeze Chicken Pie?
Yes, you can freeze chicken pot pie for up to 3 months. The best way to do this is to make the pie in the pan that youāll be cooking it in, and then cover it with foil tightly. Transfer the pie to the freezer, where it will keep for 3 months. (Full Instructions Below)
Do Does Chicken Pie freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Chicken Pie? No
How to Freeze Chicken Pie
Freezing chicken pie can be a little tricky since youāll want to maintain the pastry just as much as the filling of the pie. To ensure success, follow our steps.
- Assemble the Pie, Baked or Unbaked: You can freeze chicken pot pie either baked or unbaked. Personally, we recommend freezing chicken pie unbaked. But, if youāre baking the pie before freezing it, then allow it to cool before you begin handling, wrapping, and freezing the pie.
- Cover with Foil: Cover the entire surface of the pie with foil. Generally, this should only be the top of the pie, where the pastry is most exposed, while the sides and base are covered with the pie tin.
- Optionally Bag Up: Although not essential, once the tin has been sealed with foil, you can add further protection by popping the package into a freezer bag.
- Freeze: Finally, label the bag with the contents and then pop the whole thing carefully into the freezer.
3 Tips for Freezing Chicken Pie
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing chicken pie to have the best results:
Avoid Egg Washing
If you egg wash the pie, then the surface of the pie is liable to get the freezer burned. The reason for this is that an egg wash typically contains a fair amount of water, which will, of course, freeze in your freezer. Protect the pie crust by holding off on an egg wash until you bake the pie.
Don’t Slice a Hole in the Crust
A small hole in the centre of the pie lid is customary when making a pie. Donāt cut that hole in the crust if you know youāll be freezing it before baking! Instead, keep the pie crust whole so that frost canāt get to the filling.
Consider Dairy-Free Ingredients
Dairy ingredients can denature in the freezer, going a little grainy. This can be a problem for a creamy chicken pie with a dairy content in the filling. Consider using vegan, plant-based ingredients to avoid this grainy pie filling.
How Long Can You Freeze Chicken Pie?
You can freeze chicken pie for around 3 months before you notice any level of damage done to it by the freezer.
This damage will typically take place on the crust, with the flour in the pastry starting to absorb moisture from the freezer. This will evaporate during baking, but the texture is likely to be a little damaged by this freezing process.
How Do You Defrost Chicken Pie?
You can defrost chicken pie by baking it straight from the freezer. Make sure only to do this if your pie tin is rated for that kind of temperature change – borosilicate glass will work, while other, cheaper options wonāt.
Generally, you can place the pie into the oven at the temperature that the original recipe states for the time the original recipe states, plus around 5 to 10 minutes. This should be plenty of time for the pie to thaw and cook.
Can You Refreeze Chicken Pie?
No, you cannot refreeze chicken pie.
Chicken, along with all meat, cannot be thawed and refrozen. The reason for this is that it naturally attracts a number of contaminating bacteria, so itās unsafe to refreeze it after cooking to eat later.
Does Chicken Pie Freeze Well?
Yes, chicken pie does freeze well! The reason for this is that the whole dish has a fairly low water content, so thereās relatively little chance of freezer burn.
The only thing that may change during freezing is the lid of the pie: the pastry may absorb moisture from the humid atmosphere of the freezer, which would then lead to the pie crust getting a little damaged.
FAQs
If youāve still got questions about freezing chicken pot pie, then these may help:
A cooked and then cooled chicken pie will keep in the fridge for around 4 days when wrapped in foil.
Yes, a chicken pie with a puff pastry topping can be frozen for 2 to 3 months. It will never crisp up quite as well as it once would have but it can be frozen.
Yes, you can freeze chicken pot pie that has been topped off with potato. You will find the potato becomes a little dry and grainy once thawed and reheated but it’s perfectly safe to consume.
