Can you make chicken pie the day before?
Yes, chicken pie is a good make ahead dish. The best approach is to cook the filling the day before, chill it, then assemble and bake on the day. You can also assemble a whole unbaked pie and refrigerate it overnight, or bake it fully and reheat it at 180C (350F).
By the chickenpie.net test kitchen · Published 23 July 2026
The best method: filling ahead, bake fresh
Cooking the filling a day early actually improves it, since the flavours settle and the sauce thickens as it chills. Cool the filling within 2 hours, refrigerate it covered, and it will keep for up to 3 days.
On the day, assemble the pie with the filling still fridge cold and bake straight away. Cold filling under raw pastry is an advantage, because it stops the base cooking too slowly from underneath and going soggy.
This route also sidesteps the reheating rules entirely. The filling goes in cold, the pie bakes once, and nothing has to be reheated, which keeps the food safety picture as simple as possible.
Assembling the whole pie ahead
A fully assembled, unbaked pie holds overnight in the fridge, but only if the filling was completely cold when it went in. Warm filling steams under the lid and guarantees a soggy bottom.
Cover the pie loosely and hold off on the egg wash until just before baking, since it goes streaky overnight. Bake from chilled, adding 5 to 10 minutes to the usual time, and check the centre reaches 74C (165F).
Baking fully, then reheating
If oven time on the day is the problem, bake the pie completely the day before, cool it within 2 hours, and refrigerate. Reheat at 180C (350F) for 25 to 35 minutes, loosely covered with foil for the first 15 so the pastry does not over-brown.
This is the least good option for texture, since twice baked pastry is never quite as crisp, but it is entirely safe. Reheat once only, to 74C (165F) at the centre. Individual pies reheat more gracefully than one large one, so consider portioning if reheating is the plan.