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.
best ever husband’s favorite!
My husband keeps asking for this again, fabulous!
Hi Sally. I Made this yesterday for dinner. I had two problems with this recipe which it was me I’m sure I did something wrong somewhere anyways I use the piecrust in the food processor and it came out very very very wet I only used like 3 to 4 tablespoons of ice cold water but I don’t understand why it turned out like this I’ve always made my pie crust in the food processor in the past and never had this kind of problem the only thing I could think of is there really wasn’t any instructions if using a food processor I have used another recipe in the food processor that I’ve never had a problem with the only thing I could think of that I did wrong is I ran it too long to get it together and I should’ve known better than that I only use like 4-5 tablespoons of ice cold water. Knowing it was very wet I still divided it I weighed it make sure I had it even and put it in the refrigerator for about 2 1/2 hours when I rolled it out it was sticking everywhere it was so wet. AnyWho I had a piecrust dough in the refrigerator that was made a week ago luckily I had it in there and I used that recipe and it turned out great the second problem was I needed more thinner gravy when I took it out of the oven it was very very good but it needed more gravy it was a bit dry one thing I did do is I baked it in my black cast-iron 9 inch size pan it was So good we’re having leftovers tonight which I’m going to make some more chicken gravy that’s how good this recipe is just being honest it’s my fault I know I did something wrong thank you Sally. One more thing I Will make this recipe again I highly recommend it
I made this last night. The family loved it!
I used two frozen pre-made pie crust. Baked the bottom one first, as instructed on the package. The other difference I did was added diced potatoes. I will definitely be making this more often.
My boys are crazy in love with your chicken pot pie recipe. Since lockdown, we’ve been trying many recipes on this site. All been winners! Thank you Sally. 🙂
I made this for dinner yesterday, exactly as written and it was INCREDIBLE. This was also my first time making homemade pie crust and your instructions were so helpful. Thank you so much for the recipe. I can’t wait to make it again!
Most definitely a 5-star recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!! This is the very best chicken pot pie I’ve ever made! I have to add, the first time I made this, my husband covered it with tin foil, and left it on top of our stove….overnight. Our darling cat, Grumplet, (she is a Grumpy cat look alike, just a smaller version at only 6 pounds), found the pot pie too tempting….it was nice and warm, and smelled great too! So, she curled up on top of it, and slept “in the chicken pot pie all night!” (Thank heavens it was covered with foil!) This recipe not only got rave reviews from my husband, it also got rave reviews from Grumplet too! But, it really is a VERY DELICIOUS chicken pot pie!,
WowWowWow
First time and no problem
No changes necessary
Amazing
Perfect texture
Fantastic taste
Nice color
Flaky
Made this today with leftover roast chicken. I skipped the boiling part and just sauteed the carrots and celery first before adding the other veggies. I turned it into a one skillet dish and only put one dough layer on top of the cast iron skillet and stuck it straight in the oven versus putting it into a pie pan. My husband said it was fantastic. I would add some potato the next time. But other than that the basics of the recipe were great.
Even though this is a baking blog, I mainly cook Sally’s soups and entrees. Always fantastic. Thank you 🙂
This recipe was amazing! My daughter requested chicken pot pie and I decided to give this recipe a try. I am not the greatest baker, so I was a little nervous to try this. I followed the recipe exactly and my whole family loved it.
I have now used this recipe twice. The first time turned out really well. It rolled out nice and round, easy to handle. Second time I’m not sure what I did differently, but it clumped together and crumbled. Not sure what happened but it still tasted great!
This is an amazing recipe and is definitely going into our rotation! Thanks to the Great British Baking Show, my husband asked me to make a chicken pot pie. Well, I have never made one of these before, but I knew Sally would have a great recipe! I had made the pie crust last year for my father-in-law’s 60th birthday (and the blueberry pie was a HIT) but it was even better this time around. I’ve made this pot pie twice in the past two weeks based on husband’s request. He would eat the entire thing in one sitting if I didn’t ask him to please save some for leftovers! We did cut back on the thyme a bit the second time and I pan seared the chicken instead of boiling with the vegetables. But that is the beauty of this recipe!
I have never cooked successfully from scratch. Especially pie crust. My niece introduced me to your blog and I looked here first to try something new. The pie turned out delicious and beautiful! Thank you!
Double crusted Chicken Pot Pie- so awesome. I made the pie crusts and Pot pie recipe twice now and have recipe to my favs!
This with the pie crust was so exciting, I’ve been wanting to make Pot Pie for about 2 years now. Finally on this quarantine just did it. The only thing I would do differently is more spices in the roux. A little bit bland, but that is very much personal taste. It was beautiful and we ate the whole thing very quickly.
My daughter has asked if i would make this recipe one evening, but instead of doing one pie, to make them in a muffin sized pan. Would this be possible and if so how long should I give it in the oven?
Thanks
Hi Tessa, It is possible but I’m unsure of the exact bake time.
I haven’t made the muffin sized pies, but the only direction in the recipe is to wait until the crust is golden brown – makes sense, since all the ingredients are already cooked! So I assume one should judge whether the little pies are ready only by the look of the crust.
I made this and it was easy and delicious. It turns out perfect every time!
I decided to freeze it this last time I made it. I hadn’t seen the directions for how to bake it after freezing, but my advice is to definitely follow those instructions. I wouldn’t recommend sticking it directly in the oven to bake from frozen.
Great recipe from, as usual! 🙂
Vegetarians: this is great with any/all hearty veggies. I usually use carrot, potatoes, celery, peas, mushroom, have added parsnip, fennel, green beans, chickpeas in various variations. The roux portion can be accomplished many ways…I was out of AP flour after the crust but once I had veggies lightly sautéed in evoo I added 2 tbsp butter, dusted the whole thing in spelt flour, combined, then slowly added water and the gravy was created around the veggies (I cooked the potatoes longer than the other veg so they could contribute thickening starch. I had no cream around and it is fine without thanks to plenty of butter. I like to add a pinch of turmeric or saffron to the roux/gravy for the color and earthiness they contribute. My goal is to put it in the oven without the veggies full cooked so they don’t end up too mushy. I’m sure It could be made vegan with minor substitutions. Bon Appetít
My husband and I both agreed that this was the MOST WONDERFULl pot pie we have ever tasted!! I did make a change which I think gave it added flavor- instead of cubing and boiling the raw chicken with the veggies, I pre seasoned 2 large raw chicken breasts with olive oil, salt , pepper and herbs in a glass dish for about 1.5 hours. Then I sautéed the chicken in butter and olive oil, 4 min each side. I set them aside to cool ( and later cubed in with celery/ carrots), and then without altering the sauté pan, I added the onions, garlic and several diced mushrooms in that nice chickeny butter/oil, and then made the roux from there and did everything else the same. Thank you for this fantastic recipe ( and inspiring my cooking creativity)!!!!!
This pot pie was absolutely delicious!
I think it will definitely be on my husband’s favorite list!
Awesome recipe. One of the most delicious things I’ve ever baked! I was a little intimidated at first making everything from scratch, but it turned out so amazing I’m not sure I will ever be able to eat a Costco pot pie ever again! It is a little labor intensive, so next time I will probably try to plan ahead and make the dough in advance. Also, I did not have shortening on hand so I made an all butter crust from the Joy of Cooking Cook book, still turned out fantastic.
I made this exactly as written tonight with one minor addition. I added a little cumin as well to the sauce. . It was my first attempt at Chicken Pot Pie with home made pie crust. It turned out AMAZING. The pie crust was buttery flaky perfection and the sauce was so decadent and delicious. I’ll be making lots of versions with this recipe in the future. I’m thinking Beef stew version, chorizo Mexican pie version. Can’t wait to explore other recipes on this site. Thank you for a great recipe!!
Pure comfort! I used leeks and green garlic instead of onions and only one crust – so satisfying! Thank you!
This recipe has been a go-to for years. My husband told all of his friends about this magical pot pie recipe the first time I made it! Well done!
My husband and I made your chicken pot pie recipe this evening, using tinned chicken from the pantry supplies we stocked in prep for self. It was wonderful! We also made your pie crust, and it turned out beautifully. As a newcomer to your website, I am really looking forward to exploring more of your recipes, and I think an apple pie will be a project in the very near future! Thank you so much for providing a delicious diversion from the stress and worry about friends, neighbors and family during this difficult time. Best wishes to you and yours, and all your readers. Stay safe and well, everyone.
I don’t have half and half. I know you said a lower fat milk will make the gravy thin but couldn’t I just thicken it with more flour and add more seasonings as needed?
Hi Abby! You could thicken the thinner milk with a little more flour, yes.
I just used this recipe to make a turkey pot pie using turkey dinner leftovers. I also threw the stuffing in lol. I also used your recipe for pie crust. The meal was a complete success. Thanks so much!
I made this yesterday, it was great! I used leftover chicken I had roasted the other day. It wasn’t clear to me how to use it though. The recipe notes say to skip boiling the chicken with the carrots and celery and just cook those in the gravy. So do you add the cooked, cold chicken to the first pie crust, top with peas, and pour the gravy with carrots and celery on top? Or add the chicken to the gravy, add most of that to the first pie crust, top with peas, then the rest of the gravy/veggie mix? My son voted for the latter, so that’s what I did. Next time, I will use fresh, raw chicken and the recipe as is. But if I ever use leftover chicken, I will boil the carrots and celery, add the chicken, and then follow the recipe. Quite delicious either way, my son and I loved it. The pie crust was buttery and flaky.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Michael! If using pre-cooked/leftover chicken you can still use about a pound. Your method sounds like it worked perfectly and honestly there isn’t a wrong way to layer them in 🙂
Everything tasted good but I don’t believe the ratio for the dough is good. Mine cracked everytime I tried to roll it! Unless I did something wrong.
Hi Heather, That is a result of not enough liquid in the pie crust. It’s cracking because it is too dry. Add a little more ice water next time– 1 Tbsp at a time.
Wow! Thank you. This recipe is nearly perfect. The flavors are outstanding. My personal preference is a thinner sauce. Next time I’ll just adjust the roux to make it a bit thinner. Your pie crust recipe is amazing. I was wary of the high fat content compared to my typical crusts…but I was totally wrong. I will only be using your pie crust recipe from now on! Thanks again!