If we were forced to pick our favorite comfort dish of all time, this would certainly be in the running.
We grew up on frozen pot pies. There was something special about mixing the creamy filling loaded with chicken and veggies with the buttery crust. Making your own easy pie crust puts this iconic dish in a league of its own. Of course, perfectly roasted chicken and homemade chicken stock don't hurt either. Let's do this!
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How To Make Chicken Pot Pie
The Ingredients You Will Need
The components for this classic dish are humble and best when made from scratch. None of them are difficult and can be made in advance. Here's what you'll need to have on hand:
The Tools
Ramekins - We use 10-ounce ramekins, but really almost any size will work. If you go any larger, you'll have a hefty pot pie that will typically feed more than 1 person.
Pie weights - You can also use dried beans, uncooked rice, or even coins (don't forget to place parchment paper on the dough first, though!).
Pastry brush - For applying the egg wash.
The Ingredients
Cooked Chicken - We roast two chicken breasts and then remove the meat and cube it. You could also go with a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket. Or, poach chicken breasts and cube. We don't recommend canned chicken.
Chicken stock - Homemade chicken broth or stock takes this pot pie to the next level. However, store-bought will still be delicious.
Chicken bouillon cube - This bumps up the flavor even more. If using store-bought broth, you'll need to check the sodium levels. There will be some salt in the bouillon cube.
Butter - Unsalted.
Onions - Chopped.
Mushrooms - Go with your favorite variety. We use sliced button mushrooms, but portobello, shiitake, or cremini are all excellent choices, too. If you don't like mushrooms, then omit them.
Flour - All-purpose.
Seasonings - Salt and black pepper.
Cream - Heavy, whipping, or double cream. Half and half is a fine substitution.
Carrots - Fresh is best, peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices. Blanch them in boiling water for two to three minutes to soften them somewhat before baking them.
Peas - Frozen is perfect. You can substitute fresh snap peas if desired.
Parsley - Fresh, chopped.
Pie dough - Homemade is by far the best. However, store-bought will work just fine, too. See NOTES for quantities needed.
Egg - Beaten together with 1 tbsp of water.
EXPERT TIP: Add enough filling to reach just nearly the top of the dough on the inside of the ramekin. If you fill it too high, you will get spillage (overflow) as the filling bubbles during the baking time.
Tips for Making the Perfect Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Make the Dough from Scratch - This really does make a huge difference. Use our food-processor dough recipe. It's easy and the dough can be made a day or two in advance, or, frozen for weeks for future use. It takes the dish to the next level.
Roast the Chicken - Rotisserie chicken is just fine. Even poached chicken breasts, too. But, roasting bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts that have been brushed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper delivers superior taste and texture.
Use Homemade Chicken Broth - This can be done in advance. Use our homemade chicken broth or roasted chicken stock recipe. It enhances the flavor of the filling big time.
Go With a Double Crust - The magic of a pot pie is when the creamy filling mixes with the flakey crust. Having a crust on the bottom of the pie as well as the top is not only classic, it's the perfect ratio of crust to filling.
EXPERT TIP: Be sure to apply an egg wash along the top of the par-baked crust when adhering to the top layer of crust. Lightly pinch the two crusts together. Don't press the bottom crust too firmly over the edge of the ramekin. This will help the pot pie to easily come out of the ramekin.
How To Serve
This recipe makes enough filling for 4 to 6 pot pies. If making less, you can half the filling recipe, or make it all and save extra for future use. It freezes wonderfully.
You can serve the pot pies still in the ramekins, or, for a stunning presentation, wait until the sides are cool enough to handle (or use heat-proof gloves), and gently turn the pot pie in the ramekin so it's loose, and then pull it out and place on a plate, fully intact. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley for a bit of color.
You can also gently place a dinner plate on top of the pot pie and then quickly (but carefully) invert and allow the pot pie to slide out of the ramekin. It will be upside down, but still beautiful. It will remind you of how most of us removed the frozen pot pies when we were younger (or not so young!).
EXPERT TIP: When the pot pies come out of the oven, they will be extremely hot. We recommend allowing them to cool for at least 15 minutes on a rack. They will stay hot for nearly an hour after removing them from the oven. This also makes it easier to remove them from the hot ramekin.
Other Classic Homemade Comfort Food Recipes To Try
There is nothing much better than making an iconic comfort food dish from scratch. We believe that's what makes them so comforting. Made with love with simple ingredients. From the heart. Here is a collection of some of our favorites:
- Pub-Style Beef Pie
- Guinness Beef Pot Pie
- Classic Shepherd's Pie
- Best-Ever Meat Pies
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Southern Fried Chicken
- Grandma's Swiss Steak
- Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
- All-American Pot Roast
- Classic Fish and Chips
These are all classic and wonderful in their own way. But, in the meantime, isn't this classic dish calling your name?
If pot pie brings back wonderful delicious childhood memories as it does for us, you will fall in love with this homemade version.
You can easily cut corners and go with store-bought pie dough and chicken broth, but, if you have a little extra time, it's worth the small amount of effort to make it all from scratch.
When you serve these to loved ones, they will without a doubt fill the joy of homemade comfort with every single bite.
Ready to make one of the most comforting dishes of all time? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Chicken Pot Pie (Double Crust)
Video
Equipment
- 4 10-ounce ramekins or similar-sized vessels
Ingredients
Do Ahead
- 4 pie doughs four a 9-inch pie dish, see NOTES
- 5 cups chicken stock or homemade turkey stock
- 1 cup carrots peeled and sliced, blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes, and then drained.
For the Pot Pie
- 2 chicken breasts bone-in, skin-on
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter plus extra for greasing the ramekins
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 8 oz. mushrooms sliced
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup Italian parsley chopped, plus extra for garnish
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water (for egg wash)
Instructions
Do Ahead
- Make the pie dough (4 times) and form each into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (for up to 3 days), or freeze (up to a month, then thaw).4 pie doughs
- Prepare the chicken broth (or stock). Store in the refrigerator (up to 1 week) until ready to use. This can be done up to 5 days in advance. Or freeze for up to several months. (Thaw before using).5 cups chicken stock
- Blanch the carrots in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain, and set aside.1 cup carrots
Make the Pot Pies
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Divide two of the dough discs in half, so you have four balls of dough. Roll each one out on a floured surface to approximately 10 inches. Grease the ramekins with softened butter (or cooking spray). Form each rolled-out dough into the prepared ramekins and press the edges to smooth them out. Trim away excess dough around the top of the ramekin. There should be just enough dough at the top to seal the top layer (after the par-baking). Place parchment paper over the dough in each ramekin and then fill with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment paper and set the prepared ramekins aside. (see video for visual guidance).
- Lower the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet and brush with oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.2 chicken breasts, 2 tbsp olive oil, Kosher salt, Ground black pepper
- Roast for 50 minutes (or internal temp reaches 165°F) - set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bones and discard the skin - cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Heat the stock in a medium pan. Dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock.2 chicken bouillon cubes
- Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until soft and the mushrooms are tender and starting to release some liquid.6 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 medium onion, 8 oz. mushrooms
- Add the flour and cook over low heat, for about 1 minute, stirring often.¾ cup all-purpose flour
- Gradually whisk in the hot stock into the skillet, and continue whisking and stirring until most of the flour lumps have dissolved. Continue stirring until starting to thicken, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in the 1½ tsp Kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper, and the heavy cream.½ cup heavy cream
- Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, and parsley. Mix well. Taste and add more salt, if needed.½ cup frozen peas, ¼ cup Italian parsley
- Pour filling into the 4 ramekins with the par-baked crust.
- Roll out the remaining two discs of dough about 12 inches in diameter. Use a skillet lid, or eyeball with a knife, and cut out two circular pieces of dough just large enough to cover the tops of the ramekin from each piece of dough. If desired, use the dough scraps to cut decorative leaf-like shapes to add to the tops of the pot pies.
- Brush the egg wash along the tops of the par-baked dough. Place the remaining cut dough on top of each bowl. Press the sides against the edges of the par-baked dough on the ramekins.1 egg
- Brush the dough with egg wash, and then sprinkle with coarse salt (sea salt, or Kosher) and freshly ground black pepper.
- Make 3 or 4 slits in center of each dough topping.
- Place on baking sheets and bake for 50 minutes, or until the dough is browned.
- Let rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove the pot pie from the ramekin, or invert the pot pie onto a dinner plate, or serve in the ramekin.
- Sprinkle finely chopped parsley over the pot pies for garnish, if desired.
Jennifer says
Omg, this was sooooo good! I wanted to make my husband a warm comforting meal on this rainy weekend. I followed the recipe exactly, also making the pie crust. We just kept saying, “Omg, this is SO good! This is SO good!” all throughout dinner! Thanks for a great recipe and video. I watched it twice because y’all crack me up. Golden Girls lol We will definitely be making this again and again. Comfort food at its finest!
Kris Longwell says
Jennifer!!! Woo hoo!!!! We LOVE that you made our chicken pot pie with homemade crust and had such great success!!! Isn't it just the most yummy comfort food of all time!! We are so so so happy you and your hubby enjoyed it! He's one lucky man! Thanks so much for sharing and for the wonderful review! That means the world to us! Please stay in touch and keep on cookin'!!!! xo Kris & Wesley
Marsha says
Another delicious recipe. I'm making them "again" (today) as they are a favorite of ours! Of course the crust just can't be outdone...would never make them without your perfect crust recipe. Thank you for another great recipe! You two are the best!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Marsha!! Yay!!! We are so so glad y'all are enjoying our chicken pot pie recipe! And we agree...the homemade crust puts it over the top! Thanks so much for sharing and for the wonderful review! That means the world to us!! Please stay in touch!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Diane says
Wow! Just saw that I didn’t send a review on this one! I made it again today. Just divine. Easy to make the filling. I made the first time with the roasted bone in chicken breasts. Today I had to substitute 2 thighs and 2 breasts since I didn’t have 4 breasts. Worked fine. I used homemade chicken stock this time and is really worth the effort to use rather than the “boxed” stuff. I made a lot of it and froze it so it was easy to use for this recipe. I used bottom and top refrigerated pie dough this time. Easy and was still good. A little less doughy than making your own but was still fine in a pinch. Just couldn’t bring myself to make pie dough. Who doesn’t just adore doughy pot pie!!! Very well done. No substitutions needed and comfort food at its finest. Thanks for another fabulous recipe and making me look like a much better cook than I am. Don’t ruin my secret.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Diane! You are fearless in the kitchen...and we LOVE it! This chicken pot pie is one of our favorite dishes and we so so happy you made it and loved it! Homemade chicken stock puts it over the top! You are the BEST!!! Thank you so much as always for sharing and the wonderful review!!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Dee says
Have not tried the recipe yet. What size bowls do you use to bake the pot pies in? I like to have everything perfect before I start a recipe.
Thank you,
Dee
Kris Longwell says
Hi Dee! So sorry for the delayed response. Honestly, we've made these pot pies in all sizes. We find that an ideal size is a large ramekin (32 oz). You could also go with mini cast-iron skillets. Anything that's oven proof will work. Smaller, you can adjust the bake time down, but, it's all very close to same amount of time in the oven...just want to get inside nice and bubbly and the crust a golden brown. I've included a link to the 32 oz. ramekins that we use:
Hope this helps and let us know if you make them and how they turn out. They are one of our most favorite things to make! Pure comfort food!
Joanne says
Absolutely fantastic. I have made several of your recipes and they are over the top good on so many levels. Looking forward to your cookbook!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Joanne! We can't even begin to express how happy this makes us! We are thrilled you are enjoying our recipes and thank you so much for sharing! Please stay in touch! A cookbook will happen, we promise! All the best, Kris & Wesley
DeeDee Rosene says
Great, thank you for the info. I did not see a link to the 32 oz. remekins tho?
Dee
Kris Longwell says
Sorry about that...let's try again:
Melinda says
This recipe is a hit every time I make it. Comfort food extreme! Cannot wait to try other recipes of yours! I even make your perfect pie crust! I can’t love my family any more by making this for them except to make them a thanksgiving dinner! Thank you!
Kris Longwell says
Melinda!! You have no idea how happy this makes us!! We love making chicken pot pie so much! And you are so right! It's the perfect way to show your family how much you love them! We have a tradition of making one for the entire extended family the night before Thanksgiving every year! We are thrilled you are loving the recipe and thank you so so much for sharing and providing such a wonderful review. That honestly means so very much to us! All the very best, Kris & Wesley
Monica Wells says
You’ve become my go to for weekend cooking if I truly want to pamper and wow the family. I knew where to look when the pot pie mood hit. AMAZING is not an exaggeration. Comfort at its well, most comforting. :.)
Please make a cookbook!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Monica!! You have no idea how big of a smile you just gave us!! That is so wonderful!! We are thrilled you are having fun and great success with the recipes! And thank you SO MUCH for letting us know! We plan on a cookbook in the coming year or so. We'll shout it out from the rooftops once it's finally in the works!! Thanks for your support!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Ellie says
So pleased with this recipe! Will definitely be saving to be made again and again!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Ellie! We are so thrilled to hear you enjoyed our chicken pot pie recipe! That means so much to us, especially coming from such an accomplished baker and cook as you!!! Thanks so much for letting us know and for the awesome review. That honestly means the world to us!! All the very best, Kris & Wesley
D. Morgan says
Terrefic recipe! The suggestion re shitake mushrooms caused me to add some stock from some dried porcinis that I had hydrated for another recipe. And I used a little fresh basil. Thank-you for this.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Donna! Wow, oh wow! Porcini stock would put these pot pies over the top!! And the basil sounds wonderful, too! We are so happy you had such great success with the recipe! And thank you SO MUCH for letting us know and for the great reivew. That means the world to us!! All the very best, Kris & Wesley
Carol says
Oh my goodness this pot pie was delicious. I have made them in the past and no one liked them. I followed the recipe exactly as it was written and it came out perfect. Your video was extremely helpful. Thank you so much for this keeper.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Carol! That is so awesome to hear! We are thrilled you had success with the recipe! We love these pot pies so much! In fact, we're baking a big batch for a night-before-Thanksgiving gathering with the family! Thank you so much for letting us know and the great review. We appreciate that very, very much! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Karen says
I made it for the third time tonight and felt I finally needed to leave a review so others can trust this is perfection. My husband loves pot pie and he devours this one every time. He said it's the best he's ever had and now the bar has been set. My four year old son also gave it two thumbs up! Lol. I used a leftover chicken that I cooked whole in my Instant Pot. If you've never done this, I highly recommend it for flavorful tender chicken that can be eaten as is or in other recipes such as this one. I also used a bag of frozen peas and carrots just for ease of it. To make the 5 cups of broth, I used one box of chicken bone broth (4 cups) and added a cup of water with an additional chicken boullion. Thanks for this phenomenal recipe that I'll be using for years to come!
krislongwell says
Hi Karen!! You have no idea how happy you just made us!! Thank you so very much for letting us know about your success with the chicken pot pie recipe! We absolutely love it, too. And your modifications sound 100% perfect. Thank you again for taking the time to write this comment. It truly means the world to us. Please stay in touch!! All the best, Kris & Wesley