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This is such an easy Fish Pie recipe to have up your sleeve. It has a delicious cheesy mash topping, a really simple creamy sauce and involves no pre-cooking of the fish at all. Just assemble all together for the ultimate comfort food.
I think it’s easy to believe that Fish Pie can be one of those dishes that’s tricky to master and a bit of a faff, so I wanted to make an easy recipe that was super simple. I’m very happy to report that THIS is it!
It’s satisfying, nourishing and doesn’t involve using 5 pans or 20 techniques. This is the modified, simplified Fish Pie recipe with a no-fail sauce, which doesn’t compromise on flavour.
It’s one of my go-to recipes for cosy winter evenings at home with my family, but I sometimes serve it if I have friends over too – it’s so convenient for this as I just prep it in advance.
It’s also perfect for batch cooking to get those freezer meals in for the future.
Why you’ll love this Easy Fish Pie recipe
⭐️ Hearty and comforting
⭐️ Simple and delicious
⭐️ Perfect for batch cooking
Why is this the BEST Fish Pie recipe?
The beauty of this recipe is that you don’t need to pre-cook the fish beforehand, which often overcooks the ingredients anyway.
As is always the case with these kinds of freezable dishes, this dish is perfect for making one for now and one for the freezer at the same time. Or you can prep it in advance and pop it in the oven when you’re ready, which makes it great for busy days or when entertaining.
It then does its thing in the oven for about 20 minutes, making this as quick and easy as it gets.
Easy Fish Pie Ingredients
- Butter
- Plain flour – AKA all purpose flour.
- Milk – Full fat or semi-skimmed.
- Dijon mustard – This really makes a lovely addition to the flavour.
- Parsley – Fresh and finely chopped.
- Fresh fish – I use a mixture of cod, salmon and smoked haddock. You could also use the equivalent weight in a fish pie mix from the supermarket if you prefer.
- Frozen peas – These are delicious in the mixture.
- Potatoes – Go for something floury and fluffy in texture like King Edward, Maris Piper or Desiree.
- Cheese – Grated mature cheddar is good here.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – Season generously.
How to make Fish Pie
1. Peel and chop your potatoes and bring to the boil in a pan of cold water (as per the full recipe below). When ready, drain and mash with butter.
2. Make the sauce with butter, flour, milk, Dijon mustard, parsley and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Place the cubed fish and peas into a baking dish then pour over the sauce.
4. Add the potato on top, use a fork to spread, then scatter over the cheese. Bake until golden.
Substitutions
- Types of fish – Obviously go for the fish you like. A fish pie mix in most supermarkets contains the fish I’ve used here, but you can use the same weight of anything similar in cubes. Do try to include some smoked fish for flavour.
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it fully in the microwave or oven until piping hot before serving.
In the freezer This recipe freezes well. I tend to make it all up to the point where you put it in the oven and then freeze. Allow to defrost fully and then bake in the oven on the day you want to eat it.
Top tips
Make it ahead to save time later
I prepare it all up to the stage where you would put it into the oven. Then it will keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When you come to cook it, it will take about 10-15 minutes longer than if you were using a sauce/potatoes that’s already warm.
Check it’s cooked
Be sure to check that the pie is hot all the way through before serving (push a metal knife into the middle and when you pull it out it should be burning hot OR better still use a food thermometer like this one).
More great make-ahead pies…
Family Dinner Ideas
Best Chicken and Leek Pie {Easy Recipe}
Comfort Food
Easy Chicken Pie {with Bacon & Puff Pastry}
Family Dinner Ideas
Shepherd’s Pie
FAQs
Serve this with some simple greens, like green beans or broccoli.
This can often happen when your mashed potatoes are too soft to start with. They need to be left a little thicker than normal. It’s best to make your own rather than using ready made for this reason.
It can also happen if your fish is fresh and gives off water as it cooks. But honestly? I think a tiny bit of water in the sauce is worth it rather than having overcooked fish or having the extra step of pre-cooking the fish.
If you use gluten-free flour, this recipe is gluten free.
For this recipe, YES! No need to pre-cook. Everything cooks together nicely.
Yes, you can use a ready bag of fish pie mix in the supermarket, which is often better value and saves time. However, I would still defrost the fish before adding it to the dish so it doesn’t go too watery (usually fish doesn’t take long to defrost).
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Easy Fish Pie
Ingredients
- 30 g (1 oz) Butter
- 30 g (1 oz) Plain flour
- 600 ml (2.5 cups) Milk, Whole or semi-skimmed
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 15 g (0.5 oz) Fresh parsley, Finely chopped
- 200 g (7 oz) Cod, Cubed
- 200 g (7 oz) Smoked haddock, Cubed
- 200 g (7 oz) Skinless salmon, Cubed
- 150 g (5 oz) Frozen peas
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the topping:
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) Potatoes, See notes
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 100 g (3.5 oz) Cheddar cheese, Grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ fan/200℃/Gas Mark 6/350F.
- Peel and chop your potatoes, place in a large pan in cold water, and bring to the boil for 15-20 minutes, until soft.
- When the potatoes are ready, drain and mash together with the butter and plenty of salt and pepper and set to one side.
- Melt the butter in a large pan and whisk the flour into it to make a paste.
- Add the milk, bit by bit, whisking the whole time, then cook for 4-5 minutes until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of your spoon.
- Stir in the Dijon mustard, parsley and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Place the cubed fish and peas into a baking dish then pour over the sauce.
- Add the potato on top and use a fork to spread it out, then scatter over the grated cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the mash potato and cheese is golden.
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutritional values are per portion unless otherwise stated.
This recipe was first published here on March 4th, 2021 and was fully updated with a new and improved recipe on December 15th, 2025, with additional step-by-step videos.
This post was originally published on December 15, 2025 and updated later to make improvements.
Made tonight and was enjoyed by everyone. Very simple and great to enjoy any time of the year.
Thanks for the lovely review Caroline!
Husband said it was the best fish pie yet! Split the pie between four small dishes and put small broccoli florets in one for my pea hating MIL – she said it was scrumptious! Thanks v much for this winner winner