This unassuming little bowl of chicken pot pie is the ultimate comfort food. Under that layer of golden, flaky crust is warm and delicious chicken with vegetables in a creamy, rich gravy. Thanks to store-bought frozen puff pastry and rotisserie chicken, this dish comes together quickly.
What is pot pie? It is a savory pie with a hearty filling of meat, vegetables, and a thick gravy or sauce topped with a pastry crust. Chicken pot pie may be the most common, but you can turn anything into a pot pie. They are very versatile, making them a good option for repurposing leftovers like turkey, beef, or ham. The top crust (sometimes a double-crust with top and bottom) can be made using a classic pie crust, a phyllo crust, a puff pastry, or biscuits.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- A dish that seems to require lots of work and time but made possible using shortcuts — with store-bought frozen puff pastry and rotisserie chicken, the prep time and effort are much less.
- When you need delicious comfort food individually or for the family, a make-ahead recipe like this works all the time.
What you’ll need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Chicken: I used a whole rotisserie chicken and removed its skin. You can also use any leftover chicken or turkey that you may have, or make it from scratch by poaching 2 large chicken breasts in water and lots of salt.
- Chicken base: I added chicken base dissolved in water for a flavor boost. You can also use bouillon cubes (or powder) or (boxed or homemade) stock/broth. Choose one with low salt, if you can.
- Cream: I used heavy cream, but you can also use light cream, half-and-half, or even milk. Just remember that the higher the fat content is, the fewer chances of curdling, plus it makes the dish more delicious.
- Puff pastry: I used frozen puff pastry, a laminated dough that puffs into light, crispy, and flaky layers when baked. You can also use frozen or refrigerated pie crust, phyllo dough, or canned biscuits — they're all delicious!
- Vegetables: I used frozen peas and fresh carrots. You can also use celery, potatoes, corn, green beans, and mushrooms.
- Egg: The egg wash gives that golden brown top and acts as a glue to keep the crust in place.
How to make this recipe
Mise en place (prep and organize): (1)Thaw the frozen puff pastry in the fridge for a few hours or at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour until pliable but still cold. If you unfold it too soon, it may crack or break. Bring it back to the fridge to firm up if it gets too soft.
(2)Debone the chicken, remove the skin, and cut them into ¾-inch pieces.
(3)Peel and dice the carrots into ¾-inch pieces, large enough not to turn mushy after cooking and baking. (4)Chop the onions.
(5)Chop the parsley. (6)Mince the garlic.
(7)Dissolve the chicken base in 2 cups of hot water. (8)Make an egg wash by beating an egg with a tablespoon of water.
Make the filling: (9)Over medium heat, set a 4-quart Dutch oven (or a shallow pot or a sauté pan) and heat the butter. (10)Add the onions and cook them well until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
(11)Toss in the garlic and carrots. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. (12)Sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Mix them up.
(13)Pour in the chicken stock (chicken base + water). (14)Stir to dissolve all that flour and let simmer for about 3 minutes.
(15)When it starts to bubble, mix in the chicken.
(16)Add the cream. (17)Then the peas go in. Allow the mixture to simmer for 6-8 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. (18)Taste and adjust accordingly — season with salt and pepper.
TIP: If it needs more flavor, you can always add herbs like thyme and rosemary, spices like garlic and onion powder, or season with a dash of Worcestershire sauce.
(19)Add the fresh parsley and turn off the heat.
Assemble and Bake: Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. (20)On a lightly floured surface or a large cutting board, unfold the puff pastry sheets and place one on top of the other for a thicker crust. If you prefer a thinner one, save the other sheet for later use. (21)Using a rolling pin (or a drinking glass with smooth sides), roll out the puff pastry to a size large enough to make 6 cut-outs.
(22)Using your ramekin as a guide, cut out rounds with ½-inch extra on the sides. If you're using a large dish, make sure to roll out the dough large enough to cover it, plus an extra inch to fold on the sides.
TIP: If your puff pastry tears or cracks, rub with a bit of water and gently squeeze back together.
(23)Reroll any scraps or save for later.
(24)Divide the filling into 6 (10-ounce) ramekins or oven-safe bowls for individual portions or a shallow 2-quart baking dish.
TIP: Make sure the mixture isn't too hot, or you'll melt the butter in the puff pastry. When this happens, the puff pastry won't hold its shape during baking and won't puff as much as it should.
(25)Brush the outer edges of the ramekins or large dish with egg wash. By doing this, the pastry will stick and seal the edges.
(26)Place the puff pastry on top and fold down the edges. Seal by pressing with your fingers. (27)Cut three small slits on top to release the steam as it cooks. (28)Brush the tops with egg wash for shiny, golden-brown tops.
(29)Place them on a baking sheet to catch any drippings. (30)Bake them at 400° Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 350° Fahrenheit and bake for another 20 minutes until golden brown. You can take it out sooner if the tops have browned enough.
Serve and Store: Cool for 10 minutes before serving. The sauce gets thicker as it cools. Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container and refrigerated for about 3 days or frozen to extend their shelf life.
Make-Ahead: The filling can be made a day or two in advance. Store in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator. The unbaked chicken pot pie (with the crust) can be refrigerated for a day before baking or frozen for a longer period. If frozen, leave it out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. Brush with egg wash and bake as directed.
Frequently asked questions and tips
The butter in the dough melts when left at room temperature for so long, making the dough sticky and hard to work with. When this happens, just put it back in the fridge until firm enough and manageable.
When the temperature is too low, it won't puff as much as it should. You'll notice that this chicken pot pie recipe calls for baking initially at a high temperature of 400° Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, then lowered to 350° Fahrenheit for another 20 minutes.
When the top crust has puffed and is golden brown, the filling is likely bubbly and ready as well.
The key takeaway
When making chicken pot pie, use shortcuts. It saves you a lot of work and time by using precooked or leftover chicken and a refrigerated or frozen pastry crust, there are lots of options out there!
Watch how I make it here
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Pot Pie
Equipment
- A 4-quart dutch-oven (or a shallow pot) or a sauté pan (or a high-sided pan)
- 6 (10-ounce) ramekins (or oven-safe bowls) or a 2-quart oven-safe dish
- Rolling pin or glass with smooth sides
Ingredients
- 5-6 cups cooked chicken from 1 rotisserie chicken
- ¼ cup salted or unsalted butter
- 1 large onion (2 cups chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 large carrot (2 cups large-diced)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons chicken base (see note)
- 1 cup cream light or heavy
- 1 ½ cups peas fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup fresh parsley (optional)
- 1 (14-ounce or 17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Mise en place (prep and organize): Thaw the frozen puff pastry in the fridge for a few hours or at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour until pliable but still cold. If you unfold it too soon, it may crack or break. Bring it back to the fridge to firm up if it gets too soft.Debone the chicken, remove the skin, and cut them into ¾-inch pieces.Peel and dice the carrots into ¾-inch pieces, large enough not to turn mushy after cooking and baking. Chop the onions and parsley. Mince the garlic.Dissolve the chicken base in 2 cups of hot water. Make an egg wash by beating an egg with a tablespoon of water.
- Make the filling: Over medium heat, set a 3-quart Dutch oven (or a shallow pot or a sauté pan) and heat the butter. Add the onions and cook them well until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Toss in the garlic and carrots. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Mix them up.Pour in the chicken stock (chicken base + water). Stir to dissolve all that flour and let simmer for about 3 minutes.When it starts to bubble, mix in the chicken.Add the cream and peas. Allow the mixture to simmer for 6-8 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. Taste and adjust accordingly — season with salt and pepper.TIP: If it needs more flavor, you can always add herbs like thyme and rosemary, spices like garlic and onion powder, or season with a dash of Worcestershire sauce.Add the fresh parsley and turn off the heat.
- Assemble and Bake: Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit.On a lightly floured surface or a large cutting board, unfold the puff pastry sheets and place one on top of the other for a thicker crust. If you prefer a thinner one, save the other sheet for later use. Using a rolling pin (or a drinking glass with smooth sides), roll out the puff pastry to a size large enough to make 6 cut-outs.Using your ramekin as a guide, cut out rounds with ½-inch extra on the sides. If you're using a large dish, make sure to roll out the dough large enough to cover it, plus an extra inch to fold on the sides. Reroll any scraps or save for later.TIP: If your puff pastry tears or cracks, rub with a bit of water and gently squeeze back together. Divide the filling into 6 (10-ounce) ramekins or oven-safe bowls for individual portions or a shallow 2-quart baking dish.TIP: Make sure the mixture isn't too hot, or you'll melt the butter in the puff pastry. When this happens, the puff pastry won't hold its shape during baking and won't puff as much as it should.Brush the outer edges of the ramekins or large dish with egg wash. By doing this, the pastry will stick and seal the edges.Place the puff pastry on top and fold down the edges. Seal by pressing with your fingers. Cut three small slits on top to release the steam as it cooks. (28)Brush the tops with egg wash for shiny, golden-brown tops.Place them on a baking sheet to catch any drippings. Bake them at 400° Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 350° Fahrenheit and bake for another 20 minutes until golden brown. You can take it out sooner if the tops have browned enough.
- Serve and Store: Cool for 10 minutes before serving. The sauce gets thicker as it cools. Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container and refrigerated for about 3 days or frozen to extend their shelf life.
- Make-Ahead: The filling can be made a day or two in advance. Store in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator. The unbaked chicken pot pie (with the crust) can be refrigerated for a day before baking or frozen for a longer period. If frozen, leave it out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. Brush with egg wash and bake as directed.
Video
Notes
- Chicken: I used a whole rotisserie chicken and removed its skin. You can also use any leftover chicken or turkey that you may have, or make it from scratch by poaching 2 large chicken breasts in water and lots of salt.
- Chicken base: I added chicken base dissolved in water for a flavor boost. You can also use bouillon cubes (or powder) or (boxed or homemade) stock/broth. Choose one with low salt, if you can.
- Cream: I used heavy cream, but you can also use light cream, half-and-half, or even milk. Just remember that the higher the fat content is, the fewer chances of curdling, plus it makes the dish more delicious.
- Puff pastry: I used frozen puff pastry, a laminated dough that puffs into light, crispy, and flaky layers when baked. You can also use frozen or refrigerated pie crust, phyllo dough, or canned biscuits — they're all delicious!
- Vegetables: I used frozen peas and fresh carrots. You can also use celery, potatoes, corn, green beans, and mushrooms.
- Egg: The egg wash gives that golden brown top and acts as a glue to keep the crust in place.
Kendra
Hi
Your recipe is amazing! This is the first pot pie that I have made that my family loves.
Thanks again for sharing.
Nora
Wow! That makes me so happy. Thanks for trying it out.