Chicken and chorizo pie with Christmas veg

Golden, flaky pastry over a rich, slightly spicy filling of tender chicken and chorizo, with a deep tomato and sherry sauce. Alongside, sweet sticky red cabbage and sticky honey parsnips make this feel like a proper festive feast – comforting, colourful, and perfect for a winter weekend.

This chicken and chorizo pie with Christmas veg is a hearty, festive main with a rich pastry case, a saucy chicken and chorizo filling, and classic sides of red cabbage and honey parsnips. It’s high in fat from the pastry and chorizo, and in sugar from the honey and brown sugar, which gives it a Nutri‑Score of D. Best enjoyed as a special occasion meal rather than an everyday dinner.
Approx. per serving: 650 kcal | fat 35g | saturatedFat: 12g | carbohydrate: 55g | sugar: 20g | protein: 30g | sodium: 1.1g

Method

1. Make the pastry
   Put the lard, plain flour and a pinch of salt into a food processor. Add 6–8 tbsp cold water and blitz until the mixture just comes together into a rough dough. Tip it out, shape into a disc, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes while you make the filling.
2. Start the pie filling
   Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large casserole dish over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, celery and fennel, and cook gently for 4–5 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the sliced chorizo and cook for another minute so it starts to release its oil and colour.
3. Build the sauce
   Pour in the dry sherry and bring to the boil, letting it bubble for a minute to cook off the alcohol. Stir in the chopped piquillo peppers and beef tomato, then add the chicken thighs, smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, saffron and chopped dried chillies. Pour in the chicken stock so the chicken is just about covered.
4. Simmer the filling
   Bring everything to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened nicely. Taste and season with salt and pepper, and reduce the sauce a bit more if it’s too thin. Let the filling cool completely, then transfer it to a large pie dish and chill while you roll out the pastry.
5. Prep the oven and veg
   Heat the oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / Gas 7. Start the red cabbage and parsnips at the same time as the pie goes in, so everything finishes together.
6. Make the red cabbage
   Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large lidded pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and garlic and cook gently for about 20 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in the sliced red cabbage, Bramley apples, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, nutmeg and a little black pepper. Cover with the lid and cook gently for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is soft and jammy. Stir in the light brown sugar, red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Roast the parsnips
   Toss the parsnip chunks with 3 tbsp olive oil, whole grain mustard, Dijon mustard and thyme leaves in a roasting tray. Spread them out in a single layer and roast for 30 minutes. Take the tray out, stir in the runny honey, and roast for another 20 minutes until golden, sticky and tender. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
8. Roll and top the pie
   On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin. When the pie filling is cold, lay the pastry over the top of the pie dish, trim and crimp the edges, then cut a small steam hole in the centre. Brush the top with beaten egg.
9. Bake the pie
   Bake the pie in the hot oven for 30–40 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with foil.
10. Serve everything together
    Let the pie rest for 5–10 minutes so the filling settles, then slice it into portions. Serve each portion with a spoonful of sticky red cabbage and a pile of honey parsnips on the side. It’s a proper winter feast.

What can you serve with this

• Buttered new potatoes – Simple boiled or roasted potatoes with butter and parsley are a classic, comforting side.
• Apple sauce – A dollop of cool apple sauce goes really well with the chorizo and Christmas veg.

Notes from the kitchen

Of course — this is a big, festive recipe with lots of layers, but there are definitely a few ingredients you can simplify or leave out without losing the heart of the dish. Here’s how to streamline it while keeping that rich, comforting chicken and chorizo pie with Christmas veg feel.

Ingredients you can safely omit or reduce

In the pie filling:

• Saffron – It adds a lovely golden colour and a subtle floral note, but it’s expensive and optional. You can leave it out and the pie will still be delicious.
• Dried red chillies – These give a bit of heat; if you’re not keen on spice, you can skip them or just use a tiny pinch of chilli flakes instead.
• Fennel – It adds a gentle anise note that goes well with chorizo, but if you don’t have it, just use a bit more celery or onion instead.
• Piquillo peppers – They add sweetness and colour, but if you don’t have them, you can use a little extra chopped tomato or even a spoonful of tomato purée.

In the red cabbage:

• Cloves and nutmeg – These are there for warmth and depth, but if you don’t have them, the dish will still work fine with just cinnamon and black pepper.
• Balsamic vinegar – You can use all red wine vinegar instead (just 6 tbsp total) if balsamic isn’t handy; it’ll be a bit sharper but still nicely tangy.

In the parsnips:

• Whole grain mustard – If you only have Dijon, just use 2 tbsp Dijon instead. It’ll still give that lovely tang and help the honey stick.
• Fresh thyme – Dried thyme works here (use about 1 tsp), or you can leave it out and just rely on the honey and mustard.

A simpler version (roughly 30% fewer ingredients)

If you want a much leaner shopping list, here’s a pared‑down version that still tastes like a proper winter pie:

For the pie:

• Keep: onion, garlic, celery, chorizo, chicken thighs, smoked paprika, oregano, bay leaves, dry sherry (or white wine), chicken stock, tomato, olive oil, salt, pepper.
• Optional extras: saffron, dried chilli, fennel, piquillo peppers (nice but not essential).

For the red cabbage:

• Keep: onion, garlic, red cabbage, Bramley (or eating) apple, cinnamon, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper.
• Optional extras: cloves, nutmeg, balsamic vinegar.

For the parsnips:

• Keep: parsnips, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, pepper.
• Optional extras: whole grain mustard, fresh thyme.

Quick tip for a quicker weeknight version

If you’re short on time:

• Use a good ready‑rolled shortcrust or puff pastry instead of making your own.
• Swap the pie filling for a quicker stew: brown chorizo and chicken, add stock, tomato, paprika and herbs, simmer 25–30 minutes, then top with pastry and bake.
• Serve with just one veg side (e.g. honey parsnips or red cabbage) instead of both.

The dish will still feel special and festive, just with a bit less prep and fewer ingredients in the cupboard.