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 tablespoon 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 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 6 tablespoon 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 tablespoon 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 tablespoon 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 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon 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.
Sharita Jackson says
Listen! As I’m typing this review, I am chowing down on this pie! Lol..Delicious! This is my first time making Chicken Pot Pie from scratch and your recipe is amazing! I made the crust from scratch (I made a double crust because I’m greedy like that), and I took the time to bake the chicken breasts just as you instructed. The labor was so worth it! And I have some filling left to make another pie this week! Thank you! Thank you! 🙂
The Fine Cuisine says
This looks very delicious!
krislongwell says
Thank you so much!!! Kris & Wesley
Elise says
This was soooooo deeeelish!!! I cheated and used a rotisserie chicken and I used puff pastry that I had in the freezer. Other than that I followed the recipe as written and it was sooo good! I tasted the filling before putting it in the pie plate, then I had to taste it again, and again….. You get the idea- i had to back away slowly from the filling!
Thanks for sharing this, it’s amazing!
krislongwell says
Thank you, Elise!!! That sounds absolutely wonderful and we couldn’t be happier you found success with this pot pie. It is, without doubt, one of our most favorite dishes of all time. Thank you for letting us know!! That means the world to us!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Kristen says
I don’t usually review or comment on anything, but I just had to review this recipe! It was absolutely FABULOUS!!! Thank you so much! I made a couple of changes. I substituted 3 cups mixed frozen vegetables for the peas and carrots (mostly out of laziness) and added dashes of cumin and curry powder, just because my husband really likes curry. It was amazing! My husband had to stop himself from going back for fourths and my children gave it two thumbs up! I made it in a deep round casserole with a double crust, and there was easily enough filling to make another, so I froze it for later. They asked me this morning when we can have it again and my husband said it was truly something special. It will be going on the regular rotation. Thank you!!!
krislongwell says
Kristen! Thank YOU so very, very much for letting us know! Nothing makes us happier than to read a comment such as this. We absolutely love this pot pie, too, and love serving it to family! The addition of cumin and curry sounds amazing! Thanks again for letting us know, and please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Kristen says
Hi Kris,
I made this again last night (I have made it several times, always to rave reviews), only this time I varied it and used the left over turkey from Thanksgiving (yes, we still have left overs!) and instead of making a crust, topped it with leftover stuffing. It turned out awesome as always and was a great way to get rid of those last leftovers! Thanks again for the recipe!!
– Kristen
Kris Longwell says
Hi Kristen! That is so awesome to hear! We have made these with leftover turkey, too, and aren’t they amazing? But we’ve never topped with leftover stuffing. Talk about a million-dollar idea!! GREAT thinking! And thank you so much for letting us know and the continued support!! As we’ve said before, we appreciate that so very much! Happy Holidays!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Robin says
My partner and I have my grandchildren for the summer and my oldest wanted me to make chicken pot pie. Well, I searched and searched for my grandmothers recipe to no avail. Searched on Pinterest and this reciepe popped up. Followed it to a T. Pie crust and all. My grandsons ate the entire pie less a small serving for me and my partner. Thanks guys, this will be the new hand me down secret recipe.
krislongwell says
Hi Robin! We just realized we never replied to your comment. Thank you SO MUCH for letting us know! We absolutely love hearing about family success with one of our recipes. So, so happy you and the grandkids enjoyed it! Please stay in touch!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Martha says
Alright you guys! *Que music* I’m in heaven, I’m in heaven…
Oh my goodness, this recipe is gonna be trouble! My husband loves my chicken pot pie, however he said that I outdid myself with this recipe and I completely agree! All of the flavors came together to create the most delicious pot pie ever! I did not use the piecrust. Instead I used puff pastry. I cut my path pastry into squares bake them and poured the pot pie over it. It was completely amazing! Thank you! *Martha does a twirl and exits left.*
krislongwell says
OMG…Martha! You just made our day, our week, heck…our month with this comment. Your version with the puff pastry sounds heavenly. You go girl!!! *Twirl, kick…exit! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Becca says
Could the filling and crust be frozen?
krislongwell says
Hi Becca! Absolutely! I do that all the time! They can be frozen separately, or you can assemble the pot pie and then freeze. Just thaw before baking, or add another 25 minutes to baking. Hope this helps!
Kathy says
Amazing is right! This is the BEST Chicken Pot Pie I have ever eaten. Followed the recipe to the letter, including the crust. My husband loved it as well.
I will use this crust recipe for pies too. It is flaky and easy to work with.
Thanks so much for sharing!
krislongwell says
Thank you, Kathy! That’s is so wonderful to hear! We LOVE this pot pie and we are thrilled to hear that you made the crust…we agree, it takes this pot pie over the top. Please stay in touch and thanks for reaching out to us. All the best, Kris & Wesley.
Trish says
Hey Kris and Wesley, just wanted to stop in real fast with a review on your AMAZING CHICKEN POT PIE… I, and about 20 others, give this homemade recipe 10 stars!!!!! I made it, as Kris had suggested, in a 13×9 baking dish for our first Pot-Luck dinner of the Fall season and it was THE DISH OF THE NIGHT! Thank You so much for the crowd pleasing recipe and for your very helpful “How To” video. Can not wait to try many of your other recipes.
Isabelle says
Delicious! I’m ready to start, but when do you use the olive oil?
krislongwell says
Great, Isabelle! You’re going to LOVE this!! It’s in Step 2, rub the oil (olive oil) all over the chicken, then salt and pepper the pieces, then bake for 60 to 65 minutes. Does that help? Any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!! Good luck and let us know how it turns out!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Danielle says
Chicken pot pie is such a wonderful dish. I wish I like cooked carrots, but I’ll have to leave them out of this recipe. Gets me motivated to start making my own pie crust!
krislongwell says
Hi Danielle! that’s the awesome thing about pot pie…just go with what you like. i use this recipe as a basis for so many different fillings, to mushrooms, broccoli, sausage, etc. All…just amazing. I have to say the pie crust makes a HUGE difference!! Enjoy, and let us know what you think!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Elizabeth says
Hello, this sounds wonderful! Have you ever tried this with one big pie and a bottom crust as well?
Thanks!
The Loon says
Hi Elizabeth! Yes to both! Using the bottom layer crust is nice, but we find that the top layer alone seems to be a nice match for the filling. Since this crust is a little thicker (yet still very flaky), it’s just the right ratio. And I just recently made this as one large pot pie in a 9×13 dish…and it turned out great. Great to hear from you and let us know if you make this pot pie!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
June Allan says
Delicious!
Paula @ Paula's Plate says
This looks so delicious. I love your how to video:)
krislongwell says
thanks, Paula! Love your blog. beautiful! if you’d like…feel free to subscribe to our YouTube channel…https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF4juqn-kPpzveBzlHeiSFQ?sub_confirmation=1 Thanks! Let’s stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
Hebergeur says
How is it that this morning I pick your waffle recipe off Pinterest and then this afternoon, the first pot pie recipe I click is yours as well? Looking forward to trying it, chicken boiling now. Thanks for your awesomeness!
krislongwell says
That is amazing!!!! How did the chicken pot pie turn out? That is hands down one of our favorite comfort food dishes. Thank YOU for you aweseomeness!!!
Lori says
When do you add frozen peas?
krislongwell says
Hi Lori! Thank you so much. Oops! Left the peas out of the instructions. Add them when add the cooked chicken, carrots and parsley. I’ve updated the recipe to reflect this. Thanks again! Let us know how it turns out! This is one of our all-time favorites!