Chicken Ragù Hand Pies Recipe (2024)

By Kim Severson

Total Time: 45 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling
Rating: 4(257)
Notes: Read community notes

Leftover chicken ragù — or really any savory filling that is not too liquid — can be tucked inside this tender dough to make baked hand pies. They can be frozen before or after baking, then tucked into lunches and eaten at room temperature. A couple of rounds of prepared pie dough from the grocery store would make a quick and easy substitution.

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Ingredients

Yield:10 hand pies

2½cups/320 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1½teaspoons kosher salt
½cup/115 grams very cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small cubes
⅓cup/80 milliliters ice water, plus more if needed
1tablespoon white wine vinegar
2eggs
1cup chicken ragù or other savory filling
¼cup grated Parmesan

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

244 calories; 12 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 29 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 168 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Preparation

Step
1
Whisk together flour and salt in a large bowl and work the butter into the flour with your fingers until it resembles coarse sand. It’s O.K. if some of the butter pieces aren’t fully incorporated.
Step
2
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Whisk together the ice water, vinegar and 1 egg, then slowly add to the flour a bit at a time, stirring gently with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.
Step
3
Flour your hands lightly, gather the dough into a ball and knead it gently a few times.
Step
4
Form the dough into a thick, flat square, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for an hour. (The dough can stay overnight in the refrigerator or be frozen at this point.)
Step
5
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough until ⅛-inch thick. Cut out 4½-inch rounds (a small bowl works well for this if you don’t have a cookie cutter). Collect dough scraps if needed to re-roll dough to obtain 10 rounds.
Step
6
Whisk the remaining egg. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step
7
Add one heaping tablespoon of the chicken ragù to each pie, being careful to not scoop up too much liquid. Sprinkle with a little of the cheese, then brush the outer rim of each round with egg and fold over to seal tightly.
Step
8
Set the hand pies on the prepared baking sheet. Use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges, being careful not to puncture the dough that covers the filling. Brush the top of each hand pie with egg.
Step
9
Bake until the pastry tops are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ratings

out of 5

257

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Cooking Notes

Lucia4 years ago

How long can the pies remain at room temperature?

faye494 years ago

Generally the rule of thumb is room temp for 2 hours or less, but if they are starting out frozen that adds a some time. If you put it in the lunch box with a frozen juice box or ice pack there's extra food safety insurance. I took them with me on a long drive with a small 'lunch box' ice pack in an insulated lunch bag and they were still chilled when I ate them 5 hours later.

M A4 years ago

A rule of thumb for perishable foods at room temperature is no more than about 4 hours. Foods should be kept below 40F or above 140F for times over 4 hours, to prevent pathogens from multiplying to unsafe levels that can cause illness.

(Tango) Mike4 years ago

Hand pies? American? Done by this recipe, probably yes. Try empanadas.

Rob Cuevas4 years ago

Wow. Only 45 minutes. I make empanadas somewhat often and it takes me much more than 45 minutes. I would say closer to 90 minutes not including the time for chilling. Also, if your filling is runny, your prep is gonna be messy. I def recommend a drier filling. Cream cheese in the dough is also key to a tasty empanada.

Katherine4 years ago

Made these with Nigella Lawson's tarragon chicken, turning a cup and a half of leftovers into lunch for four. They must have been delicious because the lunchboxes came back empty! Dough was surprisingly easy to make and roll out. I made the dough at night and assembled and baked the pies in the morning and put them in the lunchboxes hot (in paper bags).

Sb4 years ago

Food last longer than Americans realize. Bake them in the am and eat them for lunch and you will be fine.

Lynnea4 years ago

I bet you could use most anything left over. I’m making Cuban pulled pork and with a bit of draining, I’m pretty sure the leftovers would make a great filling! Thanks for the idea!!!

teachertalk4 years ago

USDA says cooked chicken in safe for two hours at room temperature.

Cris P.4 years ago

If frozen after baking, how do you recommend reheating? I would love to maintain that yummy flakiness.

Tova2 years ago

Sounds like "Pasties" to me. Straight from Mineral point, Wisconsin!!!

Anya3 years ago

Which kosher salt to use? I used the Diamond (red box) and I wonder if it made my dough too salty?

danny4 years ago

Should warm up the leftover ragu first, or should I heap cold ragu in and let it bake? I just don’t want to dry it out. Thoughts?

Dana4 years ago

If I freeze these before baking them, do I need to bring them up to room temperature before putting them in the oven?

Corinne A4 years ago

The dough is perfect. I had other filling so used that (Ragu is on my to do list). Perfect to bake and freeze for school lunches.

Sofi4 years ago

Really great dough, but with the leftover chicken ragu as filling it turned out good but not great. For us, this somehow made 20 rounds, using a 4 ¼ inch cup. The ones with thinner dough turned out flakier/more delicious. Filling was possibly too wet after all and for some pies the inside wasn’t perfectly cooked after 18 minutes. Same concept would probably work really well with a lighter/more dry filling.

Katrina4 years ago

This dough was fantastic to work with! I didn't even chill it. I filled it with some pulled pork and some others with grilled chicken tossed with wing sauce. They were all gone by the next day.

Rebecca // SLC4 years ago

The recipe for the dough is outstanding, follow the recipe precisely. I was rewarded with a deliciously golden and flaky vehicle for the leftover taco meat that I used (I'll try the chicken ragu next though!). I froze them in twos for a lunch alongside a salad.

SharonATX4 years ago

We liked these hand pies better than the ragu on its own. The dough is easy to work with, but I'd recommend cutting it in half, following steps 5-9 (rolling, trimming, filling, crimping, brushing), and then repeat. I did this and my first batch was coming out as the second one was about to go in. I'd also recommend a tiny pinch of salt on top of each ragu scoop. We had 12 rounds total. A bit of work, but nice to finally see more of a project recipe up on NYT Cooking. Love KS's stuff--thanks!

Melinda4 years ago

OMG...this is good. I cook with whole wheat flour and used a tortilla press to make the rounds. I Just cut the dough into ten balls and pressed away. With the fennel/chicken stuffing, so tasty.

Rob Cuevas4 years ago

Katherine4 years ago

Sb4 years ago

Food last longer than Americans realize. Bake them in the am and eat them for lunch and you will be fine.

(Tango) Mike4 years ago

Hand pies? American? Done by this recipe, probably yes. Try empanadas.

Cris P.4 years ago

If frozen after baking, how do you recommend reheating? I would love to maintain that yummy flakiness.

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FAQs

Why does my pie crust not brown on the bottom? ›

Prebaking — baking the pie crust before adding the filling — is your answer.

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What is the number 2 most important thing when making pie crust? ›

#2—Add cold water

Like the fat, the water should be ice cold. Before you start making the dough, fill a glass with ice and water. Add the ice water gradually to the dough, about one tablespoon or so at a time, and stop when the dough is just moist enough to hold together when a handful is squeezed.

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An apple pie is done when the top and bottom crusts are uniformly golden (remember that glass pie plate—it's more important now than ever) and the juices bubble up slowly and thickly through the vent holes.

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Should I bake the bottom pie crust first? ›

You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.

How do you keep chicken pie from getting soggy on the bottom? ›

Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White

During that time, the egg cooks into a glossy layer that will later prevent the filling from seeping into the crust and making it soggy.

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How do you keep the bottom of a pie crust from getting mushy? ›

Crust dust is a 1:1 mixture of flour and granulated sugar. When baking a pie, especially a fruit pie, a couple of teaspoons of crust dust sprinkled into the bottom of the crust will help prevent the crust from becoming saturated with juicy filling as it bakes.

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Should I egg wash the bottom pie crust? ›

One of my very favorite kitchen tricks is to brush a bottom pie crust with an egg white wash before filling. This keeps the filling from seeping into the crust and creating a soggy bottom. I like to avoid soggy bottoms at all costs. Egg white and water is also perfect for sealing edges, like when making a pie.

How to make pie crust brown on bottom? ›

In general, protein (such as eggs) and sugar (found naturally in milk) encourage browning, while fat (like oil) adds shine. Some of the best purported washes are mixtures, such as egg and milk or cream.

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What not to do when making pie crust? ›

Whether you use a food processor, a stand mixer, or your hands to incorporate the ingredients together, overmixing is a common mistake that leads to a chewy crust. It's tempting when baking to combine the ingredients completely, but the texture should resemble a coarse meal before adding your liquid.

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What is the secret to a great pie crust? ›

Start with chilled ingredients

Butter creates a sturdy, crisp pie crust. For this, it is important to keep all ingredients cold which will inhibit the development of gluten in the flour. Use butter right out of the refrigerator and add ice-cold water to make the dough.

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Is pie crust better with butter or crisco? ›

“My preferred fat for pie crusts will always be butter. To me, it is all about flavor, and no other fat gives flavor to a crust like butter does. Other fats, even though they have great pros, lack flavor,” De Sa Martins said. “The more flavorful the butter, the more flavor your pie crust will have,” Huntsberger added.

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How to make a pie without a soggy bottom? ›

A metal pie pan placed on a preheated surface will set the bottom crust quickest; once cooked, the liquids from the filling above won't soak in, and as a result: no soggy bottom. (Using metal is crucial: Glass or ceramic pans don't transfer heat as efficiently, so they can be accomplices to a sad, soggy bottom.)