Absolutely Perfect Chicken Pot Pie - The Recipe Critic (2024)

Jump to RecipeJump to Video

This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.

There is nothing more comforting than this absolutely perfect chicken pot pie! A flaky pie crust filled with chicken, veggies, and tons of flavor is just what you need on a cold winter day, or any day. This is a classic recipe you will definitely want in your recipe book!

I am a huge fan of chicken pot pie. We ate it growing up and it always just hits the spot! It’s a wholesome meal in just one dish and it’s something that everyone loves. It’s kind of like the perfect casserole! If you want some other fun casserole recipes, you need to try this Overnight Breakfast Casserole, this yummy Taco Casserole, and this incredible Hashbrown Casserole.

Absolutely Perfect Chicken Pot Pie - The Recipe Critic (1)

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

When I think of comfort food, I think of a homemade chicken pot pie! It’s everything I want in a meal. Lots of flavor, delicious veggies, and covered in a buttery flaky crust. What’s not to absolutely love?! I have a great pie crust recipe that I share in the recipe card, but this butter pie crust recipe is also one of my favorites. I think some people shy away from making chicken pot pie at home because they think it will take forever. Think again! This recipe takes 20 minutes to make and an hour to bake.

The inside of this chicken pot pie is so flavorful, and while it’s baking it becomes this perfectly creamy and gravy like mixture. You are seriously going to love it! The best part is, it’s the perfect meal all on it’s own. I definitely love it with some mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables like this chilled cucumber tomato salad. There is no right or wrong way to serve this chicken pot pie, it’s a classic that everyone will love.

Absolutely Perfect Chicken Pot Pie - The Recipe Critic (2)

Ingredients

This absolutely perfect chicken pot pie recipe is a total classic. These ingredients are simple, straight forward, and so tasty when they all come together. Fresh and quality ingredients will always taste best. I didn’t include this but you can make a simple egg wash or brush the top of the crust with heavy cream to help it brown nicely. You can find exact measurements below in the recipe card.

Chicken Pot Pie

  • Pie Crust: I absolutely love this homemade pie crust recipe, I think you will too! I like making extra and freezing some so that I can always pull some out of the freeer. A store bought pie crust will work too.
  • Chicken Breast: You will want to either boil some chicken breast or roast it ahead of time. The chicken should be cooked and skinless for this recipe. You could use other parts of the chicken as well, the dark meat has lots of flavor.
  • Butter: Butter makes everything better!
  • Onion: Onions add a lot of flavor to the filling.
  • Carrots: They get so soft and delicious!
  • Celery: They have a nice light flavor and a great texture.
  • Peas: This is optional. My picky eaters don’t like them but I love them!
  • Flour: This will help the gravy get thick.
  • Chicken Broth: This is what makes the filling so perfectly flavorful.
  • Half and Half: This helps the sauce get nice and creamy.
  • Lemon Juice: A little acid really brightens up the sauce and brings out all of the delicious flavors.

Seasonings

  • Dried Parsley Flakes: This has a milk sweet flavor. You could also use dried basil instead.
  • Pepper: This adds extra flavor and a little heat.
  • Nutmeg: This might be a surprising ingredient, but nutmeg has a warm earthy flavor that goes a long way in this dish!
  • Dried Thyme: I absolutely love thyme, and it is the perfect herb for this dish.
  • Chicken Boullion: This is where a lot of the flavor comes from, and you will add it to taste. I would start with one teaspoon and give it a taste to see if you want more or not.
  • Salt: Salt helps to bring out all the flavors in this dish.
Absolutely Perfect Chicken Pot Pie - The Recipe Critic (3)

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Homemade chicken pot pie is actually really easy to make! You don’t have to do anything special, just cook the filling in a pan before baking it. You will cook the vegetables until they are aldente, because you are still cooking them in the oven for an hour afterward. Other than that, there is nothing to worry about with this recipe!

  1. Prep Crust: Prepare the pie crust by rolling out one crust to place in the bottom of a deep dish 9″ pie dish. Make sure the crust is bigger than the pan dish so there is extra to create a pretty edge when you seal it.
  2. Cook Veggies: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until soft and tender for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
  3. Make Roux: In a large stock pot, melt 1/4 cup butter. Stir in the flour and whisk to make a roux. The mixture will look like a paste. This helps to thicken the filling
  4. Whisk Liquids In: Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk.
  5. Add Seasonings: Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, nutmeg, and chicken bouillon. Stir frequently until the mixture becomes thick.
  6. Stir in Veggies: Remove from the heat. Then stir in the cooked chicken pieces and veggie mixture.
  7. Taste: Taste and adjust the seasonings or add salt or chicken flavoring if needed.
  8. Add to Crust: Pour the mixture into the crust of the pie dish.
  9. Top with Crust: Roll the remaining pie crust over the top and then pinch the edges shut. Then cut slits in the top of the pie.
  10. Bake: Bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, or until golden brown.
  11. Cool and Enjoy: Allow to cool slightly and serve!
Absolutely Perfect Chicken Pot Pie - The Recipe Critic (4)

Tips for Making Chicken Pot Pie

This absolutely perfect chicken pot pie is one for the recipe book! It is a totally classic recipe, which means there is lots of room to play with the ingredients and the techniques. Try some of these alternative ingredients and substitutions to get the most out of this recipe!

  • Add to the Filling: This is a pretty classic chicken pot pie recipe, but that doesn’t mean you have to keep it that way! You can absolutely add whatever you think would go great in this dish. I think other veggies like mushrooms and potatoes would be incredible. You can also change how you cook the vegetables, like caramelizing the onions first. Yum!
  • Use A Different Protein: You can literally use whatever cooked protein you want in a chicken pot pie. Beef, turkey, ham, and even short ribs are all great options. You can also choose to keep this dish vegetarian by leaving out the protein, or using mushrooms instead.
  • Keep the Edges From Burning: When you are topping your chicken pot pie, make sure the edges of your crust are even or slightly below the center of the pie. You can pat the edges down if they get too tall. This will help to keep them from burning before the chicken pot pie is done. If they start to get too dark, you can cover the edges with aluminum foil.
Absolutely Perfect Chicken Pot Pie - The Recipe Critic (5)

Storing Leftovers

Chicken pot pie makes great leftovers! You can also freeze it to have a ready to go meal to pull out at any time. It is a great meal to make to feed your whole family.

  • In the Refrigerator: You can store your leftover chicken pot pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • To Reheat: You can totally reheat the whole thing in the microwave! The sauce doesn’t break and it tastes just as good as when you first made it! You can also reheat it in the oven at 300 until warm in the center.

Other Chicken Meals to Try

Chicken is a great choice of protein because it is inexpensive and filling. I love making it for my family! It can get a little boring to make it the same way all the time. Here are some of my favorite chicken recipes to keep dinner flavorful and fun!

Dinner

Honey Butter Baked Chicken

1 hr 10 mins

Dinner

Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken

20 mins

Dinner

Amazing Hoisin Chicken With Broccoli

30 mins

Pin this now to find it later

Pin It

Absolutely Perfect Chicken Pot Pie - The Recipe Critic (10)

Save

PinPrint

Chicken Pot Pie

4.80 from 5 votes

By: Alyssa Rivers

There is nothing more comforting than this absolutely perfect chicken pot pie! A flaky pie crust filled with chicken, veggies, and tons of flavor is just what you need on a cold winter day, or any day. This is a classic recipe you will definitely want in your recipe book!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Prepare the pie crust by rolling out one crust to place in the bottom of a deep dish 9" pie dish. Make sure the crust is bigger than the pan dish so there is extra to create a pretty edge when you seal it.

  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until soft and tender for about 5 minutes. Set aside.

  • In a large stock pot, melt 1/4 cup butter. Stir in the flour and whisk to make a roux. The mixture will look like a paste. This helps to thicken the filling

  • Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk.

  • Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, nutmeg, and chicken bouillon. Stir frequently until the mixture becomes thick.

  • Remove from the heat. Stir in the cooked chicken pieces and veggie mixture.

  • Taste and adjust the seasonings or add salt or chicken flavoring if needed.

  • Pour the mixture into the crust of the pie dish.

  • Roll the remaining pie crust over the top and pinch the edges shut. Cut slits in the top of the pie.

  • Bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, or until golden brown.

  • Allow to cool slightly and serve!

Video

Notes

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 337kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 17gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 683mgPotassium: 434mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 5052IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Alyssa Rivers and the food blogger behind The Recipe Critic. The blog launched in 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family. Each recipe is tried and true, family-tested and approved.

Read More About Me

More Ideas

Casseroles

Cabbage Roll Casserole

40 mins

Dinner

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

1 hr 5 mins

What to Buy

The 5 Best Stir Fry Pans of 2024

Absolutely Perfect Chicken Pot Pie - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What is the sauce made of in chicken pot pie? ›

The sauce in chicken pot pie is typically a gravy. I use a seasoned white gravy made from scratch with flavor-building ingredients, chicken broth, and half-and-half.

Why is my chicken pot pie so runny? ›

A watery potpie may be the result of not cooking the filling for long enough or adding too much liquid to the filling. Another possible reason for the pie being watery is if you add watery vegetables like spinach or green beans to the filling rather than potatoes or carrots, which soak up liquid.

Why does chicken pot pie have so much saturated fat? ›

High Saturated Fat: The pastry crust in chicken pot pie is often made with butter or lard, which is high in saturated fat.

Why do you not use a bottom crust on chicken pot pie? ›

I only gave my pot pie a top crust, because I feel like the bottom crust always gets soggy. If you do want to add a bottom crust, I suggest blind baking it. What does blind baking mean? It's when you bake your pie crust without a filling in order to crisp it up.

How do you keep the bottom crust of chicken pot pie from getting soggy? ›

How to Prevent a Soggy Bottom Pie Crust
  1. Blind Bake the Crust.
  2. Choose the Right Rack in the Oven.
  3. Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White.
  4. Put the Pie on a Hot Cookie Sheet.
  5. Make a Thicker Crust.
  6. Add a Layer.
  7. Consider a Metal Pie Pan.
Mar 18, 2024

Why is my chicken pot pie bland? ›

Add a little more salt and black pepper. Taste to see if it's less bland. Sauteed garlic and onions in oil also add a good flavor. Try adding a squeeze of lemon juice over the chicken before mixing.

What can I use to thicken chicken pot pie? ›

Unfortunately, the filling relies on flour for thickening. However, you can substitute it to make it truly gluten free a few ways. You can dissolve cornstarch in the COLD milk before pouring it into the skillet. You can use a one-for-one gluten free flour substitution, or you can use arrowroot!

Should I cover chicken pot pie with foil when baking? ›

Bake the pot pie until the center of the crust is evenly golden brown—and don't forget that the crust edge loves to bake at a faster rate than the filling—so covered it with strips of foil or make a foil collar of foil as pictured, to protect the crust edge from getting overly baked while you wait for the center to ...

Why are chicken pot pies so unhealthy? ›

Most of the fat and calories in pot pie comes from that crust. And don't worry, we wouldn't ask you to give up it -- just make some changes. Crusts made with shortening, lard or puff pastry are overloaded with artery-clogging saturated and trans fats.

Why is chicken pot pie unhealthy? ›

For a typical American adult, each pot pie provides about a third of the maximum amount of fat, a third to half of the cholesterol-raising saturated fat, and a quarter to a third of the sodium recommended for our daily intake. In general, these frozen pot pies are poor choices if you're trying to keep your weight down.

Does Marie Callender's use real chicken? ›

Marie Callender's Chicken Pot Pie Meal to Share combines tender white-meat chicken and fresh garden vegetables in a golden, flaky, made-from-scratch crust.

What ethnicity is chicken pot pie? ›

Chicken pot pie is an all-American comfort food. The most iconic version of it originated in Lancaster, in Pennsylvania Dutch country, but was brought to the United States by European settlers and had its roots in English dishes made from leftovers.

What is the difference between chicken pie and chicken pot pie? ›

In the South, some folks make a distinction between chicken pie and chicken pot pie. Chicken pies, also known as “chicken and pastry,” are the savory versions of fruit pies or cobblers, made with homemade crust and no, or very few, vegetables. Chicken pot pies typically include vegetables and have a top crust only.

Why do you wrap a pot pie in foil? ›

The foil has protected crust from burning, allowing the center crust to brown and the inside of the pie to reach the recommended internal cooking temperature.

What is the sauce made of in chicken pot pie without? ›

Here's how I make this comfort food classic. Yum! What is the sauce made of in chicken pot pie? Butter, flour, broth, a little heavy cream, and a splash of white wine, if that's your kind of thing.

What is pan pan sauce? ›

Pan sauces, as the name suggests, are made in the exact same pan you've used to sauté shrimp, sear a steak, or brown some onions. After cooking your meat, fish, or vegetables, those little leftover particles stuck to your pan's bottom—called the fond—transform into a silk smooth sauce in a process called deglazing.

How do you thicken chicken pie sauce? ›

You can also use a cornstarch slurry to thicken this filling instead of a flour roux. Simply mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and whisk. Add this in-place of the flour.

What makes a pot pie a pot pie? ›

Today's Classics. Today's classic pot pies have a pie crust bottom and a flaky pastry top. They can be filled with just about anything, but classic fillings are made from things like chicken and beef, though some may also be made from seafood and poultry.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Saturnina Altenwerth DVM

Last Updated:

Views: 6112

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (44 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Saturnina Altenwerth DVM

Birthday: 1992-08-21

Address: Apt. 237 662 Haag Mills, East Verenaport, MO 57071-5493

Phone: +331850833384

Job: District Real-Estate Architect

Hobby: Skateboarding, Taxidermy, Air sports, Painting, Knife making, Letterboxing, Inline skating

Introduction: My name is Saturnina Altenwerth DVM, I am a witty, perfect, combative, beautiful, determined, fancy, determined person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.