Savory hand pies in air fryer or baked in the oven turn out delicious. Chicken pot pie puff pastry can be stuffed with vegetables to keep vegetarian or leftover ham is great too. With this ready made light flaky dough you can make all sorts of snacks and meals this way.
We made this as an easy leftover chicken recipe, but after the holidays any meat will work well. Use your favorite fillings for a grab and go dinner you can take with you on the road. Cooked to a golden brown every bite is delicious. (affiliate links present)
Savory Hand Pies Recipe
Once you get the hang of how these are made and cooked you can fill the insides with all sorts of things. Desserts like Strudel pastry are easy with a bit of sugar and fresh fruit, or just use pie filling out of a can. This frozen dough is kind of amazing. Once defrosted it can hug any sort of filling you want!
in Air Fryer
Below we will share our favorite way of cooking air fryer savory hand pies, made as an easy air fryer recipe. You can bake on a sheet pan as well though if you wanted to bake a larger batch all at once. If store bought puff pastry dough is new to you you’re going to be obsessed with it. You can find it in a box in the freezer section of your local grocery store.
Pepperidge Farm is the most common brand sold but many stores now have their own brand that makes it. I will say that I haven’t used anything but the main one but assume they would be almost identical. we have used pie crust too with our Pumpkin Hand Pies which is an option.
How to prepare
To begin with you need tips on how to defrost puff pastry sheets; You should follow these steps to ensure it thaws properly without compromising its texture and quality: Place the box or remove and keep rolled in the refrigerator. Leave it there for several hours or overnight, depending on the thickness of the pastry. Generally, puff pastry takes around 4-6 hours to thaw in the fridge.
It’s important to keep sheets sealed during the thawing process to prevent moisture from getting in and affecting the layers. Avoid thawing at room temperature or using a microwave, as this can lead to uneven thawing, resulting in a loss of texture and rise. Avoid squeezing or pressing it as this can cause the delicate layers to stick together.
Remember that the quality of frozen puff pastry might not be exactly the same as fresh, but proper thawing and handling will help you achieve the best results. Always consult the packaging for any specific thawing instructions provided by the manufacturer.
Ingredient Tips
- Almost a cup of chicken precooked and diced but really any pre-cooked meat would work with this.
- 2 sheets puff pastry sheets cut in 4 rectangles, so 8 pieces for top and bottom. You could use refrigerated pie crust, or thaw frozen rolls, roll out, and use those instead.
- Frozen vegetables, defrosted are a nice add in. You don’t want to add right out of the freezer as they will release moisture and make the dough mushy.
- You want some cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup to make the filling creamy.
- Pinch of salt and pepper or seasonings of choice should be added to add a bit more flavor but optional.
- You will want to brush the top of the hand pies with egg wash to reach a golden brown the top
- Line the bottom with parchment paper or spray air fryer basket with non stick spray or brushed with olive oil works too.
Now as for why we use this crust, it cooks up flaky and light. Something like our pot pie crust or refrigerated pie crusts have a harder time getting done all the way thru into the middle and you don’t want it to stay raw at all. It stays more dense too wrapped all the way around top to bottom.
Our simple chicken pot pie recipe is a great one to use for the filling, similar to this one. With that said you could make something similar with beef and cream of mushroom instead if you cooked steaks the night before, just dice and use.
in the oven
Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Follow the same directions to create Hand Meat Pies. Lay on paper. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown on the top.
in Toaster Oven
You can make this as one of our Toaster Oven Recipes too!! Just use the same timing and temp as the air fryer but keep a close eye on them as the coils are sometimes a bit closer.
Savory Hand Pies
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
Ingredients
- 3/4 c chicken, precooked and diced
- 2 sheets puff pastry, cut in 4 rectangles each
- 1/2 c frozen vegetables, defrosted
- 1/2 c cream of chicken, or cream of mushroom soup
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- 1 egg, whisked to brown
Instructions
- Air fryer hand pies – Preheat air fryer to 340 degrees F for 5 minutes. Defrost or cook until no longer frozen your vegetable mix (or use canned and drained). Pour into a bowl. Add shredded cooked chicken and cream of chicken. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything thoroughly
- Add salt or pepper. Unroll the defrosted dough sheets and cut into 4 rectangles, so you have 8 pieces. On half of each piece of dough, put 2-3 tbsp fillings.
- Cover the filling with the second half of the dough, seal the edges with your fingers and also using a fork. Grease the air fryer grate with oil so they don't stick.
- Place the pies inside, brush with the beaten egg on top. Cut two slits on the surface of the dough so that hot air gets inside and the cake bakes faster from the inside. Bake at 340 F for 7-8 minutes until golden brown.
- Use a spatula to carefully flip each one over and air fry for about 2 more minutes.
- Hand pies in the oven – Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Follow the same directions to create them. Lay on paper. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown on the top.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to save leftovers
If you have a few left you can keep them. Keep in mind that the texture when reheated won’t be ideal but can be done if you air fry them for a few minutes at 400 degrees the next day. For best results, cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap separately and refrigerate what you want to keep. Up to 3 days is fine but honestly the texture will change a lot so reheating (crisping) next day is your best bet.
