Mary Berry Chicken Leek and Potato Bake
This dish, often called Chicken Breasts with Leek, Potatoes and Thyme, is a simple yet elegant one-pan bake from Mary Berry’s repertoire (featured in books like The Complete Aga Cookbook, adapted for conventional ovens). Unlike creamy casseroles or pies, it’s lighter—parboiled potatoes and leeks mingle with a quick thickened sauce, topped with honey-glazed chicken breasts that roast to juicy perfection. The result? Succulent chicken infused with thyme, sweet leeks soaking up juices, and fork-tender potatoes. It’s classic British home cooking at its best: wholesome, family-friendly, and reliably delicious.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
Scale
- 900g (about 6) baby new potatoes, halved or quartered if large
- 3 large leeks, trimmed, sliced thickly, and well rinsed
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 40g (about 3 tbsp) butter
- 40g plain flour
- 600ml chicken stock
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
Instructions
- Parboil the veg. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 12 minutes. Toss in the leeks and boil for another 3 minutes until potatoes are just tender but not falling apart. Drain well in a colander.
- Season and brown the chicken. Pat the chicken breasts dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, drizzle with honey, and brown quickly for 2–3 minutes per side until golden (it doesn’t need to cook through). Set aside.
- Make the light sauce. In the same pan (or a new one if needed), melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock until smooth. Add the thyme, bring to the boil, and stir until thickened slightly. Season to taste.
- Assemble the bake. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the drained leeks and potatoes, and stir gently to coat. Tip everything into the buttered ovenproof dish. Arrange the browned chicken breasts on top.
- Bake to perfection. Cover tightly with foil, sealing the edges. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6 for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through (juices run clear) and the top is lightly golden.