If you’re craving comfort food, warm homemade chicken pot pie always hits the spot. This completely from-scratch recipe features a double buttery, flaky pie crust encasing tender chicken and vegetables in a rich and creamy sauce. Watch the video tutorial to see how it comes together!
One reader, Amy, commented: “This is the new celebration meal, favorite meal, go-to meal & just-because meal in my house. Everyone loves this!! I make it exactly as written. The crust is legendary and I’ve used it for all crust-requiring recipes. I’ve also passed this recipe to my friends, and equally glowing reviews from them. ★★★★★”
Originally published in 2014, this is my very favorite chicken pot pie recipe. If you haven’t tried it in the past several years, I bet it will be your new favorite, too!
The reader-loved recipe uses my homemade pie crust (it’s not just for Thanksgiving pies, after all!) for a sturdy base on the bottom and a golden, flaky cloak on top. In between the pie crust layers is a mixture of chicken and veggies in a creamy, rich white gravy that is full of flavor. It goes without saying that this double-crust chicken pot pie is the ultimate in comfort food.
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Chicken Pot Pie:
- Satisfying, comforting all-in-one meal
- 100% homemade
- Gravy-like sauce is rich, creamy, and so flavorful
- Double the buttery, flaky pie crust for double the deliciousness
- Customizable—use your favorite meats and vegetables
- A wonderful make-ahead recipe
One reader, Emily, commented: “This is SO incredibly good. I followed the recipe to the T (including the pie crust recipe, which was my first time making pie crust ever) and it came out absolutely perfect. As always, your instructions are so clear and your recipe is perfect!… ★★★★★“
Start by Making the Pie Dough
Before you start on the filling, have your pie crust prepared, chilled, and ready to go. I love using this homemade pie crust, a dough made from both butter AND shortening to yield the flakiest, most tender crust. It needs to chill for at least 2 hours (and up to 5 days) before rolling out, so I always make it in advance. You could also use this all butter pie crust if you’d prefer a shortening-free option.
Grab These Ingredients for the Pot Pie Filling:
- Chicken: The recipe calls for uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, but you can absolutely make this with chicken thighs instead. You can also use pre-cooked chicken—see recipe Notes.
- Carrots & Celery: You’ll start by cooking these together with the chicken in a pot of boiling water, then drain.
- Butter, Onion, & Garlic: The aromatic flavor base for many sauces and soups, including creamy chicken noodle soup.
- Flour: Flour thickens the sauce.
- Seasonings: We’re flavoring this pot pie filling with salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Chicken Stock/Broth: Feel free to use vegetable broth/stock instead.
- Half-and-half: This is the magic ingredient for a rich, creamy sauce that coats the meat and vegetables in the pot pie filling.
- Frozen Peas: Here’s where you can mix things up and add the vegetables you love most or simply have on hand. I usually use frozen peas. No need to thaw or cook them, just add them directly into the pot pie. Add them at the end—if you cook them with the other vegetables and chicken, they’ll lose their vibrant green color and taste a little mushy.
These Step-by-Step Photos Will Help
Cook the chicken, carrots, and celery in a pot of boiling water, then drain. (See recipe Notes if using pre-cooked chicken.)
In a skillet or separate pan, cook down the onion and garlic in butter. Whisk in the flour, salt, pepper, and thyme. (Major flavor building is happening here!)
After the flour soaks up the moisture from the cooked vegetables, add the broth and half-and-half. Let everything simmer and thicken on the stove, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is a thick, gravy-like consistency.
Roll out the first half of pie dough into a 12-inch circle, and fit it into your pie dish.
Add the cooked chicken and veggies, followed by the frozen peas, and pour/spread the gravy on top.
Roll out the second half of pie dough into a 12-inch circle, and lay it over the filling. Seal and crimp or flute the pie crust edges, then slice a few small slits in the top crust, to allow steam to escape.
Don’t forget the egg wash! The egg wash is what gives the crust its golden, glistening sheen. Without it, your pot pie will look a little dull. To make it, simply whisk 1 egg with 1 Tablespoon of milk (I just use a fork to whisk). You can use a pastry brush to brush the top crust and edges.
Bake in a hot oven (425°F (218°C)) until golden brown. The pot pie doesn’t take too long, because the filling is already cooked; you’re really just baking the pie crust and letting the filling ingredients and flavors mingle together.
The sauce in chicken pot pie is typically a gravy. I use a seasoned white gravy made from scratch with flavor-building ingredients, chicken broth, and half-and-half.
I have a trick for this! I add the filling ingredients including the chicken and vegetables first, and then pour the gravy on top. You’re not pouring the gravy directly on the bottom pie crust this way. The gravy seeps down slowly as the pot pie bakes, which gives the bottom crust some time to crisp up. Additionally, I recommend using a glass or metal pie dish for the best crust. Pies cooked at such a high temperature can bake unevenly in ceramic pie dishes.
Yes, absolutely. Skip adding the bottom pie dough to the pie dish and when the gravy is done and comes off heat, mix it with the chicken/carrot mixture, and then spoon into ungreased pie dish. I recommend lowering the oven temperature to 375°F (191°C) because there is just 1 crust to bake. Bake time is 35–40 minutes or until the top of the crust is golden brown. See my turkey pot pie recipe instructions—that recipe uses just 1 top crust.
Chicken Pot Pie Variations
- Pie Crust: I love using my homemade pie crust recipe for today’s chicken pot pie. Using a combination of butter and shortening yields the flakiest, most tender and buttery crust. For a pie crust made without shortening, try my all butter pie crust. Store-bought pie crust or even puff pastry also work!
- Meats: Turkey works wonderfully instead of chicken. If using pre-cooked meat, you can skip the boiling step, and cook the carrots and celery with the butter and onion. See recipe Note.
- Vegetables: Try adding corn when you add the peas. Feel free to add 1 diced Yukon gold potato; cook until soft with the onion. You can also throw in a cup of sliced mushrooms or chopped zucchini—add them when you cook the onion. I wouldn’t add ALL of these veggies, though, as there isn’t enough gravy for it all. Stick to 2 cups of veggies + 1 potato or less. (Onion doesn’t count.)
- Seasonings: Taste and season this pot pie however you like! Try adding fresh chopped parsley, rosemary, or sage. As long as there is thyme, salt, and pepper, the extra seasoning in the pot pie is up to you.
Craving a biscuit variation? This biscuit vegetable pot pie isn’t your typical classic pot pie recipe, but it’s quicker and easier.
PrintDouble Crust Chicken Pot Pie
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 25 minutes
- Yield: serves 8
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This double crust chicken pot pie is perfect when you’re looking for cold weather comfort food. Check out the step-by-step photos above, as well as my Notes at the end of this recipe.
Ingredients
- Homemade Pie Crust or All Butter Pie Crust (both recipes make 2 crusts, 1 for bottom and 1 for top)
- 1 pound (450g) skinless boneless chicken breast or thighs, cubed
- 1 cup (about 130g) sliced carrots (about 2 carrots)
- 1/2 cup (about 40g) sliced celery
- 1/3 cup (5 Tbsp; 71g) unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup (45g) chopped yellow onion (1/2 of a small onion)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/3 cup (41g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 and 3/4 cups (420ml) chicken broth/stock (I recommend reduced sodium)
- 2/3 cup (160ml) half-and-half*
- 1 cup (125g) frozen peas
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- optional: sprigs of fresh thyme for garnish
Instructions
- The crust: Prepare either pie crust recipe through step 5, including chilling for at least 2 hours. I usually make the crust the night before. The pie crust recipe makes 2 crusts and you’ll be using both crusts.
- In a large pot, combine chicken, carrots, and celery. Add enough water to cover the chicken and vegetables, then place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then allow to boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the butter, onions, and garlic. Stirring occasionally, cook until the onions are translucent and the butter is lightly browning. Whisk in the flour, salt, black pepper, thyme, chicken broth, and half-and-half. Cook and whisk until no flour lumps remain, then simmer over medium-low heat until thick. I simmer mine for 10 minutes. You want it to be a very thick gravy; simmer longer if necessary. Taste and add more seasonings if you prefer. Sometimes I add more thyme. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
- After the pie dough has chilled: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish that’s 1.5–2 inches deep. Tuck the dough in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. With a small sharp knife or kitchen shears, trim the extra overhang of dough and discard.
- Spoon the chicken and vegetable mixture into the crust. Scatter the frozen peas on top. Pour/spread the gravy evenly over top.
- Roll out second half of pie crust dough just as you did the first. Cover the pie with the second crust and trim the extra overhang off the sides. Crimp the pie crust with a fork to seal the edges. With a small sharp knife, slice a few small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Using a pastry brush, brush crust and edges with egg wash.
- Bake for 32–38 minutes or until the top of the crust is golden brown. After 20 minutes of baking, be sure to cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or use a pie crust shield to prevent the edges from getting too brown. (See this post on the best pie baking tools for instructions on how to make a pie crust shield out of foil.)
- Remove from the oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Makes amazing leftovers—the filling is so thick on the next day! Reheat as desired. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Filling and gravy can be prepared 1 day in advance, cover and chill in the refrigerator. Assemble, fill, and bake the next day as directed. The pie crust dough can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using. The unbaked OR baked pot pie freezes well for up to 2–3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed (if unbaked); or (if baked before frozen) bake, covered with foil, at 375°F (191°C), until warmed through.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Whisk | Rolling Pin | 9-inch Pie Dish | Pastry Brush | Pie Crust Shield
- Pie Crust: Two 9-inch refrigerated or frozen (and then thawed) store-bought pie crusts are just fine instead of homemade.
- Can I skip the bottom pie crust? Yes, absolutely. Skip adding the bottom pie dough to the pie dish and when the gravy is done and comes off heat, mix it with the chicken/carrot mixture, and then spoon into ungreased pie dish. I recommend lowering the oven temperature to 375°F (191°C) because there is just 1 crust to bake. Bake time is 35–40 minutes or until the top of the crust is golden brown. See my turkey pot pie recipe instructions if you’d like.
- Can I use a puff pastry topping instead? You can use thawed store-bought puff pastry instead of a top pie crust (keep the bottom pie crust or skip it). However, keep in mind that the underside of the dough (that touches the filling) usually ends up tasting soggy.
- Can I use a biscuit topping instead? Biscuits are a great alternative to pie crust for a pot pie. You can skip the bottom pie crust and use the biscuit topping from this biscuit vegetable pot pie.
- Half-and-half: You can use half heavy cream and half whole milk instead, or use all whole milk. I wouldn’t use lower-fat milks; the gravy will be too thin.
- Filling Variations: This is a wonderful recipe if you have extra meat or leftover veggies to use up. Turkey works wonderfully instead of chicken. You can use pre-cooked meat. Simply skip the boiling step and cook the carrots and celery with the onion and butter. Try adding some corn (frozen or fresh) when you add the peas. Feel free to add 1 diced Yukon gold potato. Cook the diced potato with the onion and butter, until fork-tender. Mushrooms or chopped zucchini are great too; you can add 1 cup sliced mushrooms when you cook the onion and butter. I wouldn’t add ALL of these veggies, though, as there isn’t enough gravy for it all. I don’t recommend using more than 2 cups of veggies + 1 potato. (Onion doesn’t count!)
- Herbs: Feel free to add fresh chopped parsley, rosemary, or sage; or try adding a pinch of celery seed. As long as there’s thyme, salt, and pepper, the extra seasoning in the pot pie is up to you. Taste and season how you like.
March 1, 2020
WOW!!! This recipe has caused a flavor explosion in my house! I had to expel everyone in the house from the kitchen stealing “tastes” or there wouldn’t be enough to put into the pie shell. This is one delicious recipe. So easy to make and takes me back to my grandmother’s pot pies. I am 68 years old and have made many pot pies but this is heavenly and you are an angel for sharing this. Thank you, Sally!
I made this tonight and it was a huge hit! I wanted to try to make individual size pies to freeze for meals. I wanted to know how long to cook them for if it is a 5 inch pan instead of a 9 inch pan? Also, if I want to take them straight from the freezer and cook them can I do that or do they need to be thawed first? What would I do to cook them straight from the freezer?
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Grace! So glad you enjoyed this pot pie recipe. I’m unsure of the exact time for smaller individual pies, so you’ll have to keep your eye on them. When they’re golden brown around the edges and when some of the filling bubbles up into the slits you made in the top crust, they’re done. You can bake straight from the freezer.
Okay so I am using a frozen deep dish pie crust. Do I need to blind bake the bottom crust first? I am using chicken stock instead of broth because I like the deeper flavor. Can I stir in thawed frozen mixed vegetables instead?
You can use frozen vegetables and a frozen pie crust. You can pre-bake the frozen crust if you’d like, but it’s not necessary.
Just finished making this with a handmade pie crust. The crust I made needed to be chilled for 4 hours or overnight so I let the filling chill overnight also. The filling was UNREAL (I added mushrooms) and the pie came out beautifully but we wont be ready to eat for another couple of hours. How would you reccomend reheating in the oven once its already cooked but not cut? I worry the 425 setting might be a bit high for a reheat.
Hi Matty, Once it’s fully cooked you can reheat on 350 degrees until heated through. Enjoy!
Yummm!!!! The absolute best Chicken pot pie recipe!!!!! I was craving one soo bad and so glad I stumbled on this. My fiancé who never really liked pot pie said he’s been converted to the other side. We just kept saying the whole time “wow with each bite it gets better and better!”. Lol it’s true. This was my first time making chicken pot pie from scratch and it did not disappoint!! We used an 8×8 square casserole dish and used up all the crust (the crust is my favorite part of a pot pie! Lol) and it turned out perfect (after following your homemade crust recipe to a T). The only thing was I like my gravy a bit more runny and I was wondering how I could achieve that next time and if you had any suggestions?! This is just my own preference but otherwise this is going to be my go to recipe forever and ever and will pass down to my daughter (17 months – who also enjoyed every last bite )!!
Is it okay to use salted butter instead? I accidentally purchased it by mistake and wanted to make sure there wasn’t a specific reason you say unsalted.
Hi Miranda, I use unsalted butter because every brand of butter contains a different amount of salt so we never really know how much is going into our recipe. You can use salted butter but you might want to reduce the amount of added salt in the recipe.
This looks delightful. We can’t have dairy in our house. I typically substitute full fat coconut milk. Do you think it would work here? Has anyone tried that? (I might experiment and report back!)
I have not tested this with non-dairy ingredients but let me know if you do!
So, we made this to the recipe, using full fat coconut milk and gluten free flour. It was amazing! If you need to go dairy or gluten free, do not shy away. It works!
Took me forever to make this — I made the crust yesterday and did the rest today, and I also prefer the flavor of sauteed veggies, so it took longer to cook the carrots and celery — but the results: awesome! I tweaked the salt and thyme quantities. Also used about half again as much of the chicken and all of the vegetables for a little extra volume. Thank you so much for posting this recipe! I followed your crust instructions scrupulously, and while it wasn’t a thing of superb beauty, it’s the first time I got a nice, flaky crust, and I’ve baked a lot of pies.
I made this tonight with rotisserie chicken and it was amazing! I used a lattice top so it wasn’t Quite so heavy and I used whole milk for the gravy. Everyone loved it and I adore your crust recipe. I always use it. Thanks Sally!
This was by far the most delicious pot pie I have ever had!! I will bookmark this recipe for sure! Big hit in my house! Thank you
This chicken pot pie is the best one ever! The pastry and gravy were delicious! We love this recipe!
Awesome! I have recently been working on pie crust skills and took a class at Sur la Table. I have been wanting to try a chicken pie for a long time. I used the gold potato as recommended and had some parsnip chunks left from the roast chicken to add to the other vegetables. My pie crust has 2 sticks of butter (I used Tillamook extra creamy) instead of the butter/shortening mix. The recipe seemed easy, especially since I had leftover roast chicken. The results were wonderful! I chose your recipe over others based on the success of the salted caramel apple pie. My husband loved it. I will definitely make it again, and use it as a base for other meat pie recipes.
Hi Sally! I’ve made this recipe several times with great success, thanks for sharing. If I wanted to use shredded rotisserie chicken instead, about how many cups do you think I would need?
Hi Rebecca, I’m so happy you enjoy this recipe! You will want about 1 pound of rotisserie chicken. Enjoy!
From now on this will be my go to chicken pot pie recipe! Followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect. Thanks Sally!
After trying hundreds of pot pie recipes and following this one to a T – THIS IS THE ONE!! Thank you so much! I make these now all the time for pot lucks, friends in need, etc. Today I am making two for a grieving friend — I am gonna bake them and then want to freeze one and have her refrigerate the other. Any directions on reheating a frozen and refrigerated baked pie??
I’m so happy that you found and tried this recipe, Jenna! For the frozen pie, allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed (unbaked) or bake to warm through (previously baked).
Made this tonight…it was a big hit. Will be making it again
This is definitely a winner! I have made this many times and each time I have rave reviews. I have a quick question – I always bake mine in a deep 9” Pyrex pie plate but just made one in a beautiful stoneware dish as a gift. Would the baking time be different in the stoneware than in the Pyrex dish? I bake it in Pyrex for 35 minutes. Thanks for your help and Happy New Year!
Rita
Hi Rita! So glad you enjoy this chicken pot pie recipe. The bake time may be slightly longer since the stoneware is likely thicker.
I’ve tried a few different chicken pot pie recipes and tried yours tonight – I don’t need to search anymore! We are in heaven over this! I used store bought pie crust and boiled the veggies and chicken in chicken stock instead of water but followed the recipe exactly otherwise. So so so good!!
Could you make this work using already made frozen pie crust shells?
Absolutely!
Absolutely amazing dish, family love it. Completely from scratch, end result was so worth the effort. I did use a cast iron pan, square in design and requires a little more effort to roll crust out properly to fit. Definitely a keeper in our house. Thank you for posting this recipe.
I have made this recipe maybe a dozen times already and love it every single time! It’s a huge hit for my entire family. I’m making/ freezing this for when our new arrival comes so that we can enjoy it then too. Super easy and it’s even better the next day when it’s had time to really marinate together. Great with leftover turkey meat too!
Hi Sally
If making mini pot pies, would you still bake for the same amount of time? I plan on making them and then freezing. I see in your instructions to thaw overnight but wasn’t sure if baking time would be the same for smaller pies. Also, if freezing, do you omit the egg wash and then add before baking?
Hi April, if making mini pies the bake time would be less (exact time depends on the size of the pie!). You can add the egg wash before or after freezing, I haven’t noticed a difference between doing it either way.
I’ve saved several chicken pot pie recipes over the years and they were good. However, none have been really over the top. Today I tried yours. I used my own tried and true crust and my husband has problems with onions so I subbed fresh chives and made it exactly as written other than that. It was so, so good! Easy to make and perfectly seasoned. Thanks for the recipe. It’s my go-to from now on.
Can this be made as a Vegetable Pot Pie? (No meat). Would it work? And, if yes, still stick to the 2 cups of veggies and one potato?
Thanks!
You can definitely make this vegetarian. I suggest keeping the total amount of filling the same, so just substitute your favorite vegetables for the same amount of chicken, and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Enjoy!
I’m not sure why I’ve never commented and commended you on this recipe but anytime someone comes down with something in our house, THIS is our go-to cure! I’ve done a mix of chicken breast and thighs, or only had whole milk instead of half and half, it doesn’t matter! It works EVERY time.
I don’t normally post about recipes, but this has to be said. My husband has been asking me to make him a chicken pot pie for a while now so for tonight’s dinner he got his chicken pot pie. I have made them before but they never turned out good or the crust was terrible so I stopped making them. First off I used your homemade pie crust and it is absolutely the best crust I have ever had. It was easy to make and it turned out flakey and yummy. Second I made the pot pie filling and it came together wonderfully. I didn’t have thyme so I used Italian seasoning and it turned out good. My husband said it was the best he has ever eaten and he loved the crust so much that he couldn’t stop talking about it. Thank you for such a wonderful and very delicious recipe.
Do you ever make extra gravy? Love making this recipe, especially for my parents and my mom loves gravy! I even removed the bottom layer of the pie and just do the top and make it more creamy and she wants more lol. Any suggestions?
The gravy is the best part. 🙂 I recommend keeping the written amounts of onion, carrots, and celery, but increasing the butter, garlic, flour, salt, pepper, thyme, broth and half-and-half. For a lot of extra gravy, double each except for the salt and pepper. That would probably be too much of both. Perhaps keep salt to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons and pepper to 3/4 teaspoon, but you can always prepare the gravy, taste, then add each to suit your tastes.
I made this recipe this past Sunday and it was delicious. The only issue I had was mine was on the dry side because I believe I added too many vegetables & I baked it too long because I was afraid the bottom crust would not be baked through. My question is there a maximum number of cups of vegetables & chicken that you should aim for when making this pot pie so to avoid having to add too much ? I used 1 cup of carrots, 1/2 cup celery, 1 cup frozen peas & 2 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes diced up. Also, I felt layering the ingredients instead of mixing the chicken with the vegetables & gravy contributed to it being on the dry side. If I wanted to mix the ingredients together & then pour into the crust, would that make the crust soggy? Thanks for such a yummy recipe.
Hi Debbie! These are great questions and I’m happy to answer. It sounds like there was simply too much “stuff” for this amount of gravy. It’s an easy fix for next time and I don’t recommend going over 2 cups of veggies + 1 potato. (In fact, I just added this to the notes so others can have the answer if they are wondering as well.) Mixing all of the ingredients together shouldn’t leave you with a soggy crust.
Thank you for this recipe. I eyeballed most of it quantity wise, but the ingredients and technique were so helpful. I’ve been wanting to make pot pie for a long time. Being as we’re living in a foreign country where cream is difficult to find, I appreciate that you can use whole milk for this as well. I did splurge and use some of my heavy cream from the big city though. There isn’t chicken stock here, so I cut up 2 small chickens and made stock with the backs, wings, necks, and crop and roasted the other pieces for use in the pot pie. The next day I made the gravy, putting the carrots and potatoes in with the onion and garlic. There isn’t any celery here that we’ve found. I used some of my favorite savory seasonings in moderation, sage, oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, and rosemary and salt and pepper of course. There was enough for a 9 inch pie plate and a small patty pan pie. We had guests over, and even though one was vegetarian and didn’t eat any, we only had one piece left. It was delicious. Even the littles asked for seconds. This will be my “go to” pot pie recipe from here on out. I have bookmarked it.
Do you think this could be made as a vegetable pot pie only by substituting vegetable broth and using mushrooms or another umami ingredient instead of the chicken? Would any other changes be needed?
I’m so happy that you were able to make this work for you, Merindy, and that it was such a hit! You can definitely make the filling vegetarian using your favorite vegetables!
This has been on my baking “to do” list for a while but never having made my own pie crust, I kept putting it off. Until tonight! The pie crust was fairly easy to make but it ripped on my first try to put it in the pie dish so I just rolled it in a ball and stuck it in the freezer and tried again. Much better! This recipe is absolutely delicious and the crust came out perfectly flaky and no soggy bottom! It’s my son’s favorite and he just had a second helping and you cannot get a better compliment than that! I will keep practicing that crust. Thanks Sally!