Classic Chicken Pot Pie
This easy recipe for Classic Chicken Pot Pie is filled with tender chicken and delicious vegetables. It’s topped with a flaky puff pastry and baked for a lovely family dinner that satisfies during any season of the year.
All cooks need good basic recipes for classic dishes. This is mine for the Classic Chicken Pot Pie. You can take away whatever you don’t like and add what you do. If your kids positively refuse to eat mushrooms, take those out! If you really like sliced, boiled eggs in your pot pie, add some in! Want more carrots and peas? Okay, toss in a few more.
The measurements I give are just guidelines. What you do with them is up to you. The beauty of this dish is that you can customize it to be whatever you and your family enjoy!
- It’s a one-dish meal. No sides are really needed unless you just want to.
- The store-bought puff pastry topper is a big time saver.
- It’s a great freezer meal for nights when you’re short on time.
- You can fully customize the vegetables in the filling.
- It’s a wonderful new neighbor gift or dinner for a new mom.
- You can make one big pie or mini-pies for each family member.
- Can be made up to 48 hours in advance.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the filling:
- Diced chicken breast (the main protein source for the recipe)
- Carrots (they add a hint of natural sweetness)
- Potatoes (add a hearty flavor that’s classic in a pot pie)
- Pearl onions (the perfect size and shape with no dicing needed)
- Cooked sliced mushrooms (great umami flavor and texture)
- Frozen peas (classic pot pie veggie)
- All-purpose flour (helps thicken the filling during cooking)
- Whole milk (adds creaminess to the filling)
- Butter and oil (for cooking the veggies; also gives a buttery flavor to the recipe)
- Salt and pepper (enhances and balances all the flavors in the recipe)
For the crust:
- Thawed puff pastry (easily found in the freezer section at your grocery store)
- Cooking spray (keeps the crust from sticking to the dish)
- Egg and water (egg wash makes the topping shiny and crusty)
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie
Let’s Go Step-by-Step
I always like to show you the photos and step-by-step instructions for my recipes to help you picture how to make them in your own kitchen. If you just want to print out a copy, you can skip to the bottom of the post where you’ll find the recipe card.
Prepare the Vegetables
To get started on this simple pot pie, put the diced carrots and potatoes along with the frozen pearl onions in a dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and microwave them for 8 minutes. Or until they’re tender. They’re going to cook some more in the pot pie, so don’t fret over whether they’re perfect.
Make the Chicken Filling
In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced (bite-sized pieces) chicken, salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is no longer pink.
Sprinkle the flour over the chicken in the pan. Stir for a minute or two until the chicken is well coated and the flour is just barely cooked.
Add the milk slowly, stirring all the time. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes or until the sauce is thickened.
Add Vegetables to Filling
Add the carrots, potatoes, onions, mushrooms, peas and remaining salt. Stir gently to combine all the ingredients.
Make the Puff Pastry Topping
Unfold the thawed puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll with a rolling pin just to even out the pastry and seal up any cracks from the folds.
Invert the cooking dish onto the pastry and cut out pastry one-inch larger than the dish.
Spray the inside of the cooking dish lightly with cooking spray. Fill with the chicken mixture. Top the dish with the puff pastry. Cut a vent in the top of the pastry.
I like to cut an “X” in the top and fold the points back. Just do whatever you like.
Brush with Egg Wash and Bake
Place the pot pie on a baking sheet. Beat the egg and water together in a small bowl. Brush over the pastry.
I had enough filling to do two pot pies using one large and one medium gratin dish. So I needed two sheets of puff pastry. You’ll just have to judge based on the size of your dish and the amount of filling you make.
Bake for 10 minutes. Cover the pastry loosely with aluminum foil to prevent burning and cook for an additional 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Success Tips
- Be sure to cut a vent in the puff pastry to allow steam to escape and to provide for even cooking.
- Allow the chicken pot pie to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. Cooling will help the filling to set and thicken a bit.
- Don’t skip the egg wash. This gives the pastry a lovely shine and crunch.
- You can take a shortcut by using frozen potatoes and carrots if you wish.
Variations
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast.
- Add in your favorites veggies such as corn, garlic, spinach, or chopped asparagus.
- For an extra rich filling, use heavy cream instead of whole milk.
- Add a teaspoon of curry powder to the filling for a curried chicken pot pie.
- Include fresh herbs in the filling; rosemary, tarragon, basil, or thyme are very good.
- Stir some shredded cheddar cheese into the filling for a cheesy chicken pot pie.
FAQs
Sure thing! Instead of puff pastry, you could top your pot pie with canned or frozen biscuits (I’d split them in half) or a refrigerated pie crust.
You can make your pot pie and store it unbaked for up to 48 hours (cover it well and don’t add the egg wash until you’re ready to bake). The baked pot pie can be stored, wrapped tightly, for up to three days.
You can freeze cooked pot pie for up to three months. Fair warning — the cooked puff pastry will not hold up well to freezing. If I planned to freeze this recipe, I’d either remove the puff pastry or replace it with a biscuit topping or traditional pie crust.
In southern culture, chicken pie, also known as “chicken and pastry” is the savory version of a cobbler. Chicken pot pie includes vegetables and has a top crust only.
Have you tried this recipe? I’d really appreciate you giving it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card or in the comments section.
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Recipe
Classic Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 cup frozen pearl onions
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 chicken breasts diced
- 2 teaspoons salt divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 4 ½ ounces jarred sliced mushrooms drained
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Frozen puff pastry thawed
- Cooking spray
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Place the carrots, potatoes and frozen pearl onions in a microwave safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.
- Microwave on high for 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced chicken breast. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.
- Cook, stirring often, until the chicken is no longer pink.
- Sprinkle the flour over the chicken in the pan. Stir until the chicken is well coated with flour.
- Slowly pour in the milk, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for five minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Add the carrots, potatoes, onions, mushrooms, peas and remaining salt. Stir gently to combine all the ingredients.
- Unfold the thawed puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Roll pastry to seal any cracks.
- Invert a cooking dish onto the pastry and cut out pastry one-inch larger than the dish.
- Spray the inside of the cooking dish lightly with cooking spray. Fill with the chicken mixture.
- Top the dish with the puff pastry. Cut a vent in the top of the pastry.
- Beat the egg and water together in a small bowl. Brush over the pastry.
- Place the prepared pot pie on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Cover the pastry loosely with aluminum foil to prevent burning and cook for an additional 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Cut a vent in the puff pastry to allow steam to escape and to provide for even cooking.
- Allow the chicken pot pie to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. Cooling will help the filling to set and thicken a bit.
- Don’t skip the egg wash. This gives the pastry a lovely shine and crunch.
- You can take a shortcut by using frozen potatoes and carrots if you wish.
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast.
- Add in your favorites veggies such as corn, garlic, spinach, or chopped asparagus.
- For an extra rich filling, use heavy cream instead of whole milk.
- Add a teaspoon of curry powder to the filling for a curried chicken pot pie.
- Include fresh herbs in the filling; rosemary, tarragon, basil, or thyme are very good.
- Stir some shredded cheddar cheese into the filling for a cheesy chicken pot pie.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
Seems like every time I come back to your website you have a new interesting thing for me to read. How do you stay so motivated? Do you research all of these posts before posting?
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Looks delicious! I just have to add though I’m Pennsylvania Dutch and we call this Chicken Pie. Chicken pot pie is soupy and in a pot. It contains chicken, potatoes, square pot pie noodles, seasoned with salt pepper and saffron. Thanks for sharing this Chicken Pie recipe.
I just made this recipe and added thyme. It was the best pot pie I have ever had. In stead of the puff pastry, I used regular pie crust…worked out great.
Hi Lana, I read most everyone’s comment but did not come across what I had in mind about this recipe. You did not indicate what size pan /container to use nor how many servings this would yield (at least I did not see any comments, perhaps I overlooked it). Really appreciate if you could clear this up. Thanks.
It’s difficult to give exact measurements, Maribel, since this is such a flexible recipe. I tried to convey that throughout the post. I simply choose a baking dish that will fit within the rolled out puff pastry. If I have filling left, I put it in a second smaller dish. Or sometimes, I cook the whole recipe in individual serving size dishes. You just do whatever works for you. The recipe as written makes about 8 servings.
Hi Lana: I never made chicken pot pie, but I’d sure like to give it a try, since yours looks & sounds delicious! After reading several other recipes for this dish, I gather that when you serve it, you just spoon it out into a bowl with a piece of the pastry on top…. (since it seems to have the consistency of a stew). In other words, you can’t slice it, right? Nevertheless, I like that your recipe calls for puff pastry instead of pie crust dough. I’m definitely going to try making this.
Yes, it is exactly that, Angelina. Basically a stew with the crust on top.
Lana, there is only just one of me, would it be possible to break this recipe down into perhaps two pot pies, the regular single serve size?
Sure, Pam. Just divide it however you like and place it in smaller containers.
Such a wonderful recipe. The puff pastry adds a whole new dimension to this old-time favorite. Served this to my family last night and they loved it. They even went back for seconds and thirds! Next time, I may make the pie as usual and try cutting some extra puff pastry into squares and bake them off to serve those with the pot pie. Don’t know if it will work, but I’ll give it a try. Thanks for a really nice recipe.
Thank you, Sherry! I’m so glad that your family enjoyed it. I like your idea of baking some of the puff pastry separately. I think I’ll try that myself.
Your finished dish is so worthy of a picture! Your recipe is very similar to mine but I cook everything in a cast iron skillet, a 10 inch. Then place the pastry over it and proceed. I let pastry droop over the edge of skillet.
Not as pretty but it saves some clean up. If there is too much in skillet, I transfer excess to an au gratin dish with additional pastry.
Made this last evening for a casual dinner party and it was one of the best pot pies we’ve ever had. The filling would be good over biscuits. Not always having puff pastry on hand, have you ever made this like a hunters pie with mashed potatoes on top instead of potatoes in the filling. If so, how long would you bake it? Thanks, Roger
Glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t made it with a potato topping. The baking time probably be similar. Just watch and don’t let the potatoes get too brown.
What’s the best type of dish to prepare this in?
I normally use a ceramic baking dish. Really any dish that is oven safe can be used.
Can you make this recipe with two crusts? I really like top and bottom and would like to know how to do it. It sounds so good.
Hi Nancy. Thanks for asking! This recipe uses puff pastry. If you put puff pastry on the bottom of the pie, you’d wind up with a wet, gooey mess. It just wouldn’t cook. To make a double crust chicken pot pie, you’d need to follow a recipe that uses a standard pie crust with a bit thicker filling as well.
I made this for my 1 & 3 yr old picky eaters with broccoli instead of mushrooms & two pinches of cumin & we had no food thrown on the floor :) Thank you for the recipe it turned out fantastic!
Can the baked pie be frozen & re-heated? If yes, I need reheating instructions please. Have heard that already-baked puff pastry does not re-heat successfully. Comments?
Carolyn – I’m sorry but I haven’t ever frozen this pot pie so I can’t give you exact directions. However…if I was going to do that, I’d freeze the pot pie filling then, when ready to cook, I’d thaw it and put the puff pastry topping on before cooking.
OMG Thank you so much, I just made this today, and I have to say it was simple enough for even me to follow AND it was deeeeeeeelicious. So comforting and flavourful and yummy.
I can’t thank you enough, this is definitely going to be a regular go-to dish.
This was AMAZING! I made it and everyone LOVED it! My problem is, my puff pastry didnt rise – perhaps I over-rolled it. Do you have any tips on making puff pastry puff?
That’s a great question, Bats. It can happen if you over handle the pastry, if it gets too warm before it goes in the oven, or if the oven isn’t quite hot enough. Puff pastry is layers and layers of butter and flour. It’s the butter between the layers that makes it puff when it hits the hot oven. The release of steam from the suddenly melting butter “puffs” the pastry giving you that beautiful separation and flakiness.
Next time try thawing the puff pastry in the fridge overnight and working with it quickly. Roll it out, top the pie, and pop it straight into the oven.
Made this tonight after seeing your recipe on Tastespotting! It was my boyfriend and I’s first attempt at ever making chicken pot pie and working with puff pastry. Thank you for such an easy to follow recipe and it was quite good although we added some celery that needed to be used up and didn’t have pearl onions so we substituted for chopped yellow onions instead. Came out great :)
So glad you enjoyed it, Tina.
YUM!!!