The Mini Chicken Pot Pie Recipe Our Readers Absolutely Love (2024)

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updated Dec 11, 2019

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Chicken Champions: All month long, Kitchn is battling off the four classic chicken recipes everyone needs this time of year: pot pie, soup, roast chicken, and showstopper chicken. (It’s our version of March Madness: Chicken Edition!) Here’s Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen’s take on our battle: chicken pot pie.

We recently asked Kitchn readers to share their all-time favorite chicken recipes, and you answered in droves. When it came to recommending pot pie recipes, it was clear that the recipe a lot of you make on repeat comes from Smitten Kitchen.

Deb Perelman is the woman behind the wildly successful Smitten Kitchen blog and books. I’ve been reading (and cooking!) Deb’s recipes for years, and even had a chance to meet her when she stopped in Atlanta on tour for her first book. Her meatloaf and confetti cookie recipes are two of my favorites, so I wondered if her adaptation of Ina Garten’s chicken pot pie (dubbed “Better Chicken Pot Pies”) would become a classic in my home too.

Deb first blogged about this chicken pot pie back in 2008, then six years later she updated her version to fix some nagging issues. So, while this version may very well result in “better chicken pot pies,” is it the best? Here’s what I found out.

How to Make Smitten Kitchen’s Better Chicken Pot Pies

The first thing you should know? These pies are a bit of a project. Of all the pot pies I tested, this is the only one where every element starts from scratch. You’ll begin by making the crust lids for the pot pies, combining flour and salt and then working in cubes of unsalted butter. Next, whisk sour cream, vinegar, and water together and pour into the flour mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, pat into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least an hour.

While the dough chills, start on the filling. Season and brown the chicken parts until golden-brown on each side, but not cooked through. I did this in two batches to avoid overcrowding my Dutch oven. Move the chicken to a plate to cool.

In that same Dutch oven, brown sliced leeks and an onion, then deglaze with dry sherry to pick up the flavorful fond from the bottom of the pot. Stir in chicken broth, milk, and herbs (a bay leaf and fresh thyme). Add the browned chicken back to the pot and cover until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and bay leaves from the braising liquid. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred or chop it into bite-sized pieces.

Then mash butter (or skimmed chicken fat from the cooking liquid) and flour to make a paste. Spoon some of the hot cooking liquid over the paste and whisk until smooth, then repeat with another spoonful of liquid. Whisk that mixture back into the pot and simmer until it thickens. Stir in the peas, carrots, and chicken, then divide into oven-safe ramekins.

Back to the dough: Divide the chilled pie dough into quarters, then roll rounds large enough to cover the ramekins and cut vents into the crust. (Deb cut 4 slits into her crusts, but I did a combination of slits and round cut-outs.) Brush some egg wash around the rim of the bowl to act as glue for the crust (the same technique Ree Drummond‘s version uses). Then set the crust on top, brush with more egg wash, and bake until the filling bubbles and the crust browns.

What I Thought of Smitten Kitchen’s Better Chicken Pot Pie

In short? I loved it. I had high expectations for this pie since it was the only one I made completely from scratch. It was also the only recipe made to serve as individual pot pies. It should come as no surprise that this meal takes most of an afternoon to prepare, assemble, and bake, but it’s worth it! Everything about this pie is classic, from the buttery homemade crust to the gravy-laden chicken and vegetables. That crust especially — flaky, tender, and buttery — is one that I’ll definitely be making again.

I’d recommend buying a whole, cut-up chicken for the most budget-friendly way to make the filling. I stashed the extra bits (the wings and neck) in a zip-top bag in my freezer for a future batch of chicken stock. Deb makes a point to thicken the gravy with a mixture of softened butter and flour (or beurre maine) rather than a roux. This is a smart use of an underused technique, especially since the thickening power of a roux can weaken with extended cook times. But while the pot pie’s liquid was creamy, it was thinner than I would have liked hot out of the oven. The bubbling filling softened the center of the crust — especially on the pies with only small slits for venting.

If You Make Smitten Kitchen’s Better Chicken Pot Pies …

1. Don’t change a thing about the pie crust. Seriously, just don’t. It’s perfect.

2. Cut large vent holes. Slits may be standard, but cutting larger holes for venting allows excess moisture to evaporate and keeps the crust from getting too soggy. Make quick work of this task with a small biscuit or cookie cutter.

3. Cool the pie for at least 15 minutes. Cool to give the gravy time to thicken as it cools, while also avoiding singing your mouth on screaming-hot pie.

4. Consider baking a full-size pot pie. This recipe would be even more versatile with instructions for baking a full-size pot pie as well as the individual servings. Served in one large pie, you could stretch the pie to serve up to 6 people, something you can’t do with individual pot pies. To do this, bake the pie in a 2-quart baking dish for 30 to 45 minutes, until the filling bubbles and the crust is brown and crisp.

Overall Rating: 8/10

This is a solid chicken pot pie, and the one you probably imagine when thinking of the classic dish. This is an all-day affair, and certainly suitable for a cozy, Sunday night dinner. The highlight of the pot pie is the crust. I’ll be using that portion of the recipe to top all of the pot pies that come out of my kitchen.

Read More About This Chicken Pot Pie Showdown

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