Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Chicken Pot Pie

Tender chicken and vegetables folded into a rich, herb-flecked gravy, tucked under a golden, flaky pie crust and baked until bubbling.

The kind of comfort food that earns the effort of making both filling and crust from scratch.

🕒 Prep Time 30 mins

🔥 Cook Time 40 mins

🍽️ Servings 6 people

Why You Love This Recipe

• A gravy with real depth. Building the sauce from a proper roux rather than a canned soup base gives this pot pie a noticeably richer, more savory flavor throughout.
• That flaky, golden crust. A well-made pie crust is what elevates pot pie from a simple stew into something genuinely special, and it's easier to achieve than people expect.
• Freezer-friendly comfort food. This pot pie freezes beautifully both before and after baking, making it an excellent make-ahead option for busy weeks.
• A complete meal in one dish. Protein, vegetables, and a starchy crust all come together in a single pie, so there's very little else needed to round out dinner.

Tools and Preparation

Essential Tools and Equipment

• 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or similar baking dish — holds the full volume of filling without overflowing during baking.
• Large saucepan — for building the roux and gravy before combining it with the chicken and vegetables.
• Rolling pin — for rolling out the pie crust to an even thickness that fits the dish properly.
• Pastry cutter or food processor (if making crust from scratch) — for cutting cold butter into the flour quickly, which is essential for a flaky texture.
• Whisk — for incorporating the broth and cream into the roux smoothly without lumps.
• Pastry brush — for applying an egg wash to the crust, which helps it turn deeply golden in the oven.

Importance of Each Tool

• A pastry cutter or food processor matters enormously if making the crust from scratch, since the goal is to keep the butter in small, cold pieces rather than fully blending it into the flour — those little pockets of butter are what create flaky layers as they melt in the oven.
• A whisk is just as essential for the gravy, since pouring liquid into a hot roux without constant whisking is the most common cause of lumps.
• The deep-dish pie plate matters more than it might seem, since a standard shallow dish can overflow once the filling and crust are both in place, especially as the filling bubbles during baking.

Ingredients

This serves six as a main course. The recipe makes one standard pot pie, though it doubles well for a second pie to freeze.

For the Filling:

• Unsalted butter — 5 tbsp
• Yellow onion, diced — 1 cup
• Carrots, diced — 1.5 cups
• Celery, diced — 1 cup
• Garlic cloves, minced — 2
• All-purpose flour — 1/3 cup
• Chicken broth — 2.5 cups
• Heavy cream — 1/2 cup
• Cooked, shredded or diced chicken (rotisserie or poached) — 3 cups
• Frozen peas — 1 cup
• Fresh thyme leaves — 1 tsp
• Kosher salt — 1 tsp, plus more to taste
• Black pepper — 1/2 tsp

For the Pie Crust:

• All-purpose flour — 2.5 cups
• Kosher salt — 1 tsp
• Unsalted butter, cold and cubed — 1 cup (2 sticks)
• Ice water — 6 to 8 tbsp

For Finishing:

• Large egg, beaten — 1
• Water — 1 tbsp

Steps To Create Recipe

1. Make the pie crust dough. In a large bowl or food processor, combine the flour and salt. Cut in the cold cubed butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the dough comes together. Divide in half, shape into two disks, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Sauté the vegetables. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant.
3. Build the roux. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, cooking out the raw flour taste while keeping everything moving.
4. Add the broth and cream. Slowly pour in the chicken broth, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the heavy cream and continue simmering for 2 more minutes.
5. Combine the filling. Stir in the shredded chicken, peas, thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until everything is heated through and well combined. Remove from heat and let cool slightly while you roll out the dough.
6. Roll out the bottom crust. Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to about a 12-inch circle. Fit it into the pie plate, trimming any excess overhang.
7. Add the filling. Pour the slightly cooled filling into the bottom crust, spreading it evenly.
8. Top with the second crust. Roll out the second disk of dough and lay it over the filling. Trim and crimp the edges to seal, and cut a few small slits in the top to vent steam.
9. Apply the egg wash and bake. Whisk the egg with the water and brush it evenly over the top crust. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden and the filling is bubbling through the vents.
10. Rest before serving. Let the pot pie rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing, which allows the filling to set slightly so it holds together when served.

How to Serve

• Chicken pot pie is hearty enough to be the entire meal, so simple, light sides work best alongside it.
• A crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette helps cut through the richness of the filling and crust.
• Steamed green beans or a side of roasted Brussels sprouts add a little extra color and freshness to the plate.
• For a cozy family dinner, bring the pot pie to the table whole and slice it there, letting the steam and aroma do a little of the presentation work.
• A glass of dry white wine or a light beer pairs nicely without competing with the richness of the dish.
• Good pairings: a crisp green salad, steamed green beans, roasted Brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce (for a holiday-style meal), a light white wine.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using warm butter for the crust. Butter that's softened rather than cold won't create the same flaky layers in the finished crust. Keep it cold right up until it's cut into the flour, and chill the dough again if it gets too warm while working with it.
• Adding the hot filling straight to the crust. Pouring very hot filling into the bottom crust can start melting the butter in the dough before it even reaches the oven. Let the filling cool slightly first.
• Skipping the vents in the top crust. Without a way for steam to escape, the crust can puff unevenly or even split open in unexpected places during baking. A few simple slits solve this.
• Overfilling the pie. Packing in more filling than the dish can comfortably hold leads to overflow and a messy oven. Stick close to the recipe's quantities, especially if your pie plate is on the smaller side.
• Not pre-cooking the vegetables enough. Since the filling only finishes cooking briefly in the oven, vegetables that are still quite firm going into the pie may not soften fully by the time the crust is done.
• Skipping the egg wash. Without it, the crust often bakes up paler and less glossy. The egg wash is what gives pot pie crust its signature deep golden color.

Storage & Reheating Instructions

• Refrigerator: Store leftover slices in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The crust will soften somewhat in storage, which the reheating method below helps address.
• Freezer (baked): Cool completely, then wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
• Freezer (unbaked): Assemble the full pie, wrap tightly without applying the egg wash, and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 375°F for about 70 to 80 minutes, covering the edges with foil if they brown too quickly, and apply the egg wash partway through baking.
• Reheating: Reheat individual slices in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until warmed through, which helps the crust re-crisp better than a microwave would.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use a store-bought pie crust?

• A: Yes, a good-quality store-bought crust works as a time-saving shortcut without significantly changing the result. Follow the package instructions for handling and baking temperature if they differ from this recipe.

Q: Can I use rotisserie chicken for this recipe?

• A: Yes, rotisserie chicken is a convenient and popular choice. About 3 cups of shredded or diced meat from one rotisserie chicken is roughly the right amount.

Q: Can I make this with just a top crust instead of a full double crust?

• A: Yes, a single top-crust version works well and saves some time, baked in a regular pie dish or even a casserole dish. Reduce the baking time slightly, since there's less pastry to cook through.

Q: Why did my filling turn out runny instead of thick?

• A: This usually means the roux wasn't cooked long enough before adding the broth, or the broth was added too quickly without enough whisking. Make sure the flour cooks briefly in the butter first, and whisk constantly as the liquid goes in.

Q: Can I add other vegetables?

• A: Yes. Diced potatoes, corn, or green beans all work well added alongside the carrots and celery, adjusting the cook time slightly to ensure everything softens properly.

Q: Can I make individual pot pies instead of one large pie?

• A: Yes, divide the filling and crust among individual ramekins or small baking dishes. Reduce the baking time to about 25 to 30 minutes, since smaller portions cook through faster.

Q: Is chicken pot pie freezer-friendly?

• A: Yes, it's an excellent make-ahead and freezer dish, whether baked or unbaked, making it a practical choice for stocking the freezer with a ready-made dinner.

Final Thoughts

• What makes this version worth the extra time over a quick weeknight dinner is the depth that a proper roux-based gravy and a homemade, flaky crust bring to a dish that's easy to take shortcuts with.
• Once you've got the rhythm of building the filling and handling the crust down, chicken pot pie becomes the kind of recipe worth making on a quiet weekend, with enough left over to tuck a second one away in the freezer.
• This is the kind of dinner that makes a cold evening feel a little warmer the moment it comes out of the oven.

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken and vegetables in a rich herb gravy, baked under a flaky homemade crust until golden.

Prep Time:
30 mins

Cook Time:
40 mins

Servings:
6 Servings

Ingredients Needed

• All-purpose flour — 2.5 cups (crust) + 1/3 cup (filling)
• Kosher salt — 1 tsp (crust) + 1 tsp (filling)
• Unsalted butter, cold and cubed — 1 cup (crust)
• Ice water — 6–8 tbsp
• Unsalted butter — 5 tbsp (filling)
• Yellow onion, diced — 1 cup
• Carrots, diced — 1.5 cups
• Celery, diced — 1 cup
• Garlic cloves, minced — 2
• Chicken broth — 2.5 cups
• Heavy cream — 1/2 cup
• Cooked, shredded chicken — 3 cups
• Frozen peas — 1 cup
• Fresh thyme leaves — 1 tsp
• Black pepper — 1/2 tsp
• Large egg, beaten — 1
• Water — 1 tbsp

Directions

1. Make the crust: combine flour and salt, cut in cold butter, add ice water until dough comes together. Divide, shape into disks, chill 30 min.
2. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery in butter, 6–7 min. Add garlic, cook 30 sec.
3. Stir in flour; cook 1–2 min.
4. Whisk in broth; simmer 3–4 min until thickened. Stir in cream; simmer 2 min more.
5. Add chicken, peas, thyme, salt, and pepper; simmer 2–3 min. Let cool slightly.
6. Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out bottom crust and fit into a pie plate.
7. Pour in the filling.
8. Roll out top crust, place over filling, crimp edges to seal, and cut vents.
9. Brush with egg wash. Bake 35–40 min until golden and bubbling.
10. Rest 10–15 min before slicing and serving.

Store refrigerated up to 3 days, or freeze baked or unbaked up to 3 months. Reheat individual slices in a 350°F oven, 15–20 min.