These hand pies are crisp and golden with a creamy sour cream filling studded with shredded cooked chicken, sautéed mushrooms, wilted spinach and a sprinkle of Parmesan — the outside is flaky and browned while the inside stays rich and slightly tangy.
They come together in about 38 minutes and are ideal for weeknight dinners, packed lunches or make-ahead freezer meals; serve with a simple salad or a bowl of Tomato Soup — The Best Classic Creamy Recipe for an easy complete meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Quick to assemble, freezer-friendly and built for leftovers — these pies use shredded cooked chicken so you can turn rotisserie or last night’s roast into a new meal in under an hour.
Make a double batch and stash extras in the freezer for instant lunches or busy dinners.
Ingredients You’ll Need
How to Make the Pies
- Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until it’s bubbling, then add the finely diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for a few minutes, stirring, until they start to brown around the edges and release most of their moisture.
- Add the baby spinach and sauté just until wilted; season lightly with salt and pepper so the filling isn’t bland.
- Stir in the sour cream and cook for 1 minute to warm and combine the sauce with the vegetables.
- Add the shredded cooked chicken and stir until evenly distributed through the creamy mixture.
- Stir in the grated Parmesan and cook for about 30 seconds to marry the flavors; taste and adjust seasoning, then remove the pan from the heat and allow the filling to cool a little (this helps prevent soggy tortillas).
- Whisk the egg until loose. Brush about 1.5cm of egg wash around the edge of each tortilla — this creates a reliable seal when you fold the tortillas.
- Divide the filling into 4 portions and spread each portion in the centre of a tortilla. Fold each tortilla over to form a half-moon and press the edges firmly to seal.
- Brush the tops of each sealed pie with the remaining egg wash so they brown evenly in the air fryer.
- Preheat the air fryer (Instant Vortex Versazone) to 180C for 19 minutes. Once heated, place the pies in the basket and air-fry for 12 minutes, until the bottoms and one side are golden brown.
- Open the air fryer, flip each pie carefully, brush the other side with egg wash if needed, then air-fry for a further 7 minutes until the pies are uniformly golden and crisp.
Seal Tortillas Properly
A strong seal keeps the filling inside and prevents leaking in the air fryer. Use the egg wash and press the edges firmly.
- Brush roughly 1.5cm of egg wash around the edge of each tortilla before folding.
- Press the folded seam with your fingers, then crimp with the tines of a fork for extra security.
- If seams are small or the tortilla cracks, use a small patch of egg-washed tortilla to reinforce the seam.
Avoid Soggy Filling
Soggy pies come from excess moisture in the filling; manage liquid at the sauté stage and cool the mixture before assembling.
- Brown mushrooms well so they release and then evaporate their moisture.
- Wilt spinach briefly and squeeze out any pooled liquid before stirring into the filling.
- Let the finished filling cool a few minutes so steam won’t make the tortillas limp.
Air Fryer Timing Tips
Air fryer models differ; use the stated times as a guide and watch the first run so you can adjust for your machine.
- If your air fryer runs hot, reduce the final cook time by a couple of minutes and check for deep golden colour.
- Flip halfway through as directed to get even browning on both sides.
- Do not overcrowd the basket — cook in batches if needed so each pie laps heat and crisps evenly.
Tips for Success
Cool the filling slightly: Allow the filling to cool a little after removing from the pan so excess steam doesn’t make the tortillas soggy during assembly.
Remove excess moisture: If your mushrooms release a lot of liquid, let them brown longer or drain briefly on paper towel; squeeze excess water from spinach before adding if needed.
Egg wash width: Brush about 1.5cm of egg wash around the tortilla edge to ensure a good seal without making the seam overly wet or sloppy.
Photographer note: Please supply three hero images: finished pies (golden, cross-section), the filling in the pan, and a close-up step shot showing the sealed edge and egg wash. Alt text should describe each image (finished pies — golden hand pies, filling in pan — creamy chicken and mushrooms, sealing step — egg wash on tortilla edge).
Air fryer reheating: To reheat from frozen, air-fry at 180°C for about 8 minutes; from refrigerated, warm at 160°C for a few minutes until heated through.
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Ready to make them?
These hand pies are a great way to stretch leftover chicken into several meals — double the filling to freeze extras for instant weeknight dinners.
Pair with a simple salad for lunch or a bowl of tomato soup for a cozy dinner.
Easy Air Fryer Chicken, Mushroom & Spinach Tortilla Pies
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 30 grams butter
- 3/4 cup onion finely diced
- 200 grams Portobello mushrooms or button mushrooms sliced
- 80 grams baby spinach roughly chopped
- 180 grams cooked chicken shredded, approx. 1 1/3 cup
- 250 ml sour cream
- 20-30 grams Parmesan cheese finely grated
- 4 20cm white or wholewheat flour tortillas
- 1 large free-range egg for brushing
Instructions
- Add the finely diced onion to the bubbling butter and sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until they start to brown around the edges.
- Add the baby spinach and sauté until wilted, then season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the sour cream and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the shredded cooked chicken and stir to combine.
- Stir in the grated Parmesan and cook for about 30 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning, then remove from the heat and let the filling cool slightly.
- Whisk the egg until loose and brush about 1.5cm of egg wash around the edge of each tortilla.
- Divide the filling into 4 portions and spread each onto the centre of a tortilla. Fold each tortilla over and press the edges to seal.
- Brush the tops of each sealed pie with egg wash.
- Preheat the air fryer (Instant Vortex Versazone) to 180C for 19 minutes. Once heated, place the pies in the basket and air-fry for 12 minutes, until golden brown.
- Open the air fryer, flip the pies, brush the other side with egg wash, and air-fry for a further 7 minutes until golden brown.
