All the British Pie Recipes You Will Ever Need (2024)

By

Elaine Lemm

All the British Pie Recipes You Will Ever Need (1)

Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.

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Updated on 08/30/19

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Savory, sweet, shortcrust or puff pastry – even no pastry at all – pies have been the subject of British and Irish gourmet love affairs since the 12th century, when the pie crust was called a “coffyn” and the dish consisted of more crust than filling, unlike the pies we eat today. Like Magpie birds, collectors of things, "pies" are named after these creatures because in their flaky cases you can "collect" anything you want.

In Britain and Ireland, normally a pie has both abase and a covering of pastry. When it's a base only, the pie is usually called a tart. Sweet and fruity fillings, creamy and sugary custards, vegetables and potatoes, mince and all sorts of meats, Irish and British pies have it all.

  • 01 of 03

    Savory Pastry Pies

    All the British Pie Recipes You Will Ever Need (2)

    All of these pies are great lunch or supper dishes. Most are also great cold and so are perfect for a lunch box, a party or a picnic. All of them benefit from the filling being made the day before, if possible, which gives time for the flavors to develop. Use a pre-made pie crust or frozen pie dough if you're pressed for time:

    • Beef and Guinness Pie: The hearty filling of this pie is made out of beef, onions, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, and Guinness. Such an unusual combination of ingredients makes a savory pie with tender and flaky meat. If you have time to make the pastry from scratch, don't miss the chance: the amazingly flavorful crust uses lard and the result is beautifully buttery and golden brown.
    • Game Pie: Use any game meat that you can find or a mixture of some like venison, rabbit, pheasant, and pigeon as recommended by the recipe. Once the meats are cooked in olive oil, make a filling with mushrooms, onions, redcurrant jelly, herbs, and spices. Serve with mashed potatoes and savoy cabbage, the traditional way.
    • Chicken Leek and Prune Pie: This traditional pie from Wales uses little-known, salty Caerphillycheese in a pie of chicken, prunes, onions, and cream. Although the ingredient combination sounds odd at first, give this pie a try. It's not only incredibly easy to make but it's really delicious. Make the filling with chicken stock and wine as cooking liquids, and add tarragon and mustard for an unexpected kick. The pie cooks in just 25 minutes after it has been assembled, giving you plenty of time to make some side vegetables.
    • Steak and Kidney Pie: Although kidney consumption is not very common in the average American household, generations that lived through recession due to war are well-versed in making and enjoying pies filled with offal. The British love kidney pie and this recipe, although time-consuming, is a good start to get used to the texture and flavor of kidneys. Combined with beef and cooked in vegetables and beef stock, the kidneys soften and give the filling a beautiful texture. Serve with mashed potatoes.
    • Mini Pork Pies: Raised pies with hot water pastry require skills and a sort of artistry that's hard to find. But making your own raised pies (no tin or shape to hold them) it's a fun way of putting your cooking skills to the test. These small hand-raised pork pies are great as appetizers or for late afternoon tea. Pork shoulder and pork belly, combined with nutmeg, give the filling a unique and satisfying flavor, and the prepared gelatin that is placed inside with a funnel to make the filling set gives the pie a traditional presentation. If it seems too daunting to hand raise them, you can always use muffin tins to keep the shape.
    • Venison Pie: Venison and lard make a fatty dark filling alongside onions, mustard, dark ale, carrots, brown sugar, malt vinegar, and spices. Cook the meat for 1 hour and a half before filling your pre-made pastry crust. Even if you're not used to consuming game meats, this is a good way to try venison for the first time, thanks to an aromatic and flavorful stew that resembles beef stews you've had before, except the meat is firmer and drier but equally succulent.
  • 02 of 03

    No-Pastry Pies

    All the British Pie Recipes You Will Ever Need (3)

    Pies are usually thought of as being enclosed in pastry, but that's not always the case when it comes to British and Irish pies. It is believed shepherd's pie was invented in the 18th century by frugal peasant housewives looking for creative ways to serve leftover meat to their families. This makes sense today; with rising food prices it is no wonder shepherd's and cottage pie are enjoying something of a renaissance:

    • Cottage Pie: This traditional recipe uses beef or lamb, or a combination of beef and sausage as the base of the dish. Carrots and onions and the meat sit below a thick layer of buttery mashed potato and the whole dish is generously covered with shredded cheese and baked until the cheese bubbles and the potatoes are golden. This is a delicious lunch that requires just a side salad to be a complete meal. If you'd like a sweet addition, try the sweet potato cottage pie.
    • Shepherd's Pie: This well-known dish uses lamb and vegetables as the bottom layer of a delicious dish that is covered with mashed potatoes and cheese. The addition of lard gives the filling a lot of character and makes it really scrumptious. Replace the milk and butter for soy milk and margarine for a dairy-free option. For a lamb-free pie to serve to people with special dietary needs, use our vegetarian shepherd's pie recipe.
    • Fish Pie: This fish pie is as easy and it gets. Milk-poached assorted pieces of fish are flavored with bay leaf and spices and then combined with leeks in a thick and creamy sauce. The fish is covered with creamy mashed potatoes and cheese and baked until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are golden brown.
    • Sausage Cottage Pie: Back bacon and Cumberland sausages make the filling of a pie that uses a souffle mixture and not mashed potatoes on top. Sweet Madeira wine and beef stock are the cooking liquids of the meats and mushrooms. A silky souffle-like egg preparation with milk and flour sits atop of the pie and bakes until raised and fluffy.
  • 03 of 03

    Sweet Pies and Tarts

    All the British Pie Recipes You Will Ever Need (4)

    The British love all things sweet and sweet British pies are renowned around the world. This selection is just a sample of all the things sweet the Islands have to offer:

    • British Apple Pie: This all-time favorite pie is really straight-forward and easy to make. A quick buttery pastry dough filled with apples, cinnamon lime, and sugar. There's nothing much else to it but the classic sweet and tart flavor of a homemade pie that's always a winner no matter the time of the year or occasion. Serve it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. For a tart take on this pie, check out our apple-blackberry pie filled with apples and tangy berries.
    • Mince Pie: Mincemeat has many variations but the sugary concoction usually has raisins, currants, candied peels, sugar, nutmeg, mixed spice, citrus zest, apples, and brandy in larger or lesser quantities depending on the cook. Our mince pie uses either store-bought or homemade mince pie to fill homemade pastry cases. Traditional and delicious, this pie is one to have with your favorite cup of tea.
    • Bilberry Pie: Bilberries look like smaller blueberries and are wild fruits that grow in the northern and western areas of the British Isles. Very acidic but very sweet when cooked, these little fruits make a perfect filling for a buttery pastry. Serve with heavy whipped cream or ice cream.
    • Lemon Meringue Pie: A lemon custard sits atop of a pastry case and then a fluffy and thick meringue covers the pie. The meringue browns in the oven for 20 minutes during which the custard sets. The pie needs some time to cool off before cutting, but mainly a lot of patience on your end because the lemony aroma is irresistible.
    • Eccles Cakes: Named cakes, these traditional pastries are technically pies and are conveniently individually-sized, although eating just one is really hard. Discs of buttery pastry are filled with dried fruits and spices and then closed and baked to perfection.
    • Treacle Tart: Treacle, similar to molasses, is a byproduct of the sugar-making process, with a bitter but sugary taste. The recipe is very simple because you can use pre-made pastry dough. Mix treacle, eggs, lemon, and syrup and fill the pastry. Bake and let rest after it's cooked before slicing it. Serve with ice cream or creme fraiche.
    • Bakewell Tart: This tart has a carefully layered filling of raspberry jam and a creamy almond, egg, sugar and butter mixture that sits on top. The tart bakes and the almond mixture dries up and fluffs out to make a delicious dense filling. Decorate with sliced almonds and sprinkle powdered sugar on top before serving.
    • Yorkshire Curd Tart: If you can get ahold of milk curds or want to make your own, this classic tart puts them to good use. A flaky pastry makes the base of the tart, and eggs, curds, sugar, butter, raisins, and currants make a sweet and tart filling. The tart is best when still warm with a generous dollop of cream.
All the British Pie Recipes You Will Ever Need (2024)

FAQs

What are the top 10 pies in the UK? ›

If you try baking one, don't forget to share the results with us on Instagram!
  • Steak and Ale Pie. ...
  • Beef and onion pasty. ...
  • Mince pie. ...
  • Fish Pie. ...
  • Traditional Apple Pie. ...
  • Game Pie. ...
  • Cheese and Onion Pasty. Pies aren't just for meat-eaters! ...
  • Stargazey Pie. Stargazey Pie is a beloved British classic hailing from the West Country.
Mar 4, 2024

What is a traditional pie in the UK? ›

The main dish sold is pie and mash, a minced-beef and cold-water-pastry pie served with mashed potato. There should be two types of pastry used; the bottom or base should be suet pastry and the top can be rough puff or short.

What is Britain's favourite pie? ›

Steak and ale is the UK's favourite pie, according to a poll. The beef and beer-filled variety saw off competition from chicken and mushroom, plain steak, and steak and kidney. Other favourites include minced beef and onion, Cornish pasty, and perhaps controversially given its lack of pastry, Shepherd's pie.

What are the 10 most popular pies? ›

The Best Pie Flavors & Where to Try Them
  • Key Lime Pie.
  • Apple Pie.
  • Pecan Pie.
  • Pumpkin Pie.
  • Cherry Pie.
  • Coconut Cream Pie.
  • Boston Cream Pie.
  • Berry Pies.
Jul 6, 2023

What is the most famous pie in the world? ›

Apple pie, various locations

Famous for its flaky crust, American-style apple pie became popular when settlers brought the dish over from Europe; in 1796, two recipes appeared in America's first cookbook, American Cookery by Amelia Simmons, and the dish has been a Thanksgiving favourite ever since.

What is a meat pie called in England? ›

A steak pie is a traditional meat pie served in Britain. It is made from stewing steak and beef gravy, enclosed in a pastry shell. Sometimes mixed vegetables are included in the filling.

What is a London pie? ›

This is a baked minced beef pie with mashed potato. Liquor is unique to pie and mash shops who all claim to have their very own secret recipe for the green parsley gravy. Due to the simplicity of the dish, pie and mash is freshly made, prepared and cooked on the premises each day.

What are pies called in Scotland? ›

A Scotch pie is a small, double-crust meat pie, traditionally filled with minced mutton (whereby also called a mutton pie) but now generally beef, sometimes lamb.

What are pies in Scotland? ›

Scotch Pie: The Scotch pie is a small, round meat pie made with minced mutton or beef, spices, and sometimes onions. It's typically served hot and eaten as a snack or a quick meal. Bridie: The bridie is a savory pastry filled with minced beef, onions, and seasonings.

What is black peoples favorite pie? ›

What is the favorite pie of Black people? African-Americans today have continued the tradition of sweet potato pie with holiday dinners. So yes, sweet potato pie is a Black thing – easy enough for anyone to make, and everyone to love!

What English town is famous for pies? ›

Melton Mowbray - Town of Pies.

What is the unhealthiest pie? ›

Marie Callender's Chocolate Satin Pie

This pie is the winner for the highest calorie, sugar, and fat content of all the pies we reviewed.

What is the #1 pie in the US? ›

The clear winner for the United States as a whole was (not surprisingly) apple pie with more than 27% of sales going to the traditional flavor.

What's the healthiest pie to eat? ›

Pumpkin Pie: This one is our winner! When in doubt, choose pumpkin pie. In competition with those mentioned above, it offers the fewest calories, and least fat and added sugar. It's also loaded with vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, phosphorous, calcium, and iron.

What are the top 5 most popular pies? ›

The Top 5 Most Popular Pies in America, Just-In-Time for Pi Day
  1. Cherry Pie.
  2. Pumpkin Pie. ...
  3. Apple Pie. ...
  4. Pecan Pie. Is it pi-ˈkän or pē-ˌkan? ...
  5. Blueberry Pie. With wild blueberries hailing from Maine, it's only fair that the New England states would claim blueberry pie as their top flavor. ...
Mar 8, 2022

What is the difference between American pie and pie in the UK? ›

American pie is a sweet tradition — apple, pumpkin, chocolate. But in Britain, pie is baked up savory — pork, duck, chicken, pigeon, sausage, pork.

What are special Christmas pies in Britain called pies? ›

Mince pies, at Christmas time, were traditionally shaped in an oblong shape, to resemble a manger and were often topped with a depiction of the Christ Child. The early mince pie was known by several names, including "mutton pie", "shrid pie" and "Christmas pie".

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