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!
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos and a video tutorial.
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 comfort food and one of my favorite fall dinner recipes.
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. ★★★★★”
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.
Print
Double 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This was absolutely fantastic! I made it tonight for dinner, and used the all butter crust recipe listed in the recipe because I can’t find shortening where I live. Amazing taste, perfectly baked, and felt fairly easy to do. Longest part was just waiting for the pie dough to chill. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to grease the pie pan or not. I ended up lightly spraying with oil.
Will definitely make again!
Couldn’t you par bake bottom crust and let stand a little before finishing assembly? So dough would cook no matter if you mixed all together before top dough goes on?
Hi Gavin, while you could give that a try, it is tricky to adhere a top crust to par baked bottom crust.
Looks great, but is it saucy enough? I don’t like it too dry or too thick sauce.
Chicken pot pies are a true comfort food. Excellent recipe. It worked great. Went back for seconds.
Love the half and half roux but yearn for a grown up version of that Swanson Chicken Pot Pie. We had it every Saturday night with the babysitter. I bet Swanson’s used corn starch. Is that an option for this recipe? And that yellow color, perhaps I could add a little saffron for color?
Hi Laurie, we prefer to use flour as a thickener and have not tested cornstarch. We aren’t sure how much you would need – it may be best to make a slurry to incorporate with the other ingredients, but we haven’t tested it. You could certainly try adding some saffron for color, too. Let us know what you try!
Can I substitute leeks for the standard onion? I made chicken broth with leeks and have it frozen for fall soups.
Absolutely!
This turned out delicious and the crust was phenomenal! The only issue I had was that the gray never did drop into the pie, it stayed at the top in a layer. So next time I will probably mix the chichen and veggies in the gravy and then add to the pie.
Hi Sally! My family is not a fan of celery—do you have any suggestions for substitutes? My husband suggested potatoes but i’m not sure those would cook correctly. Thanks!
Hi Meghan! 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.
If using precooked meat, how many cups does this equal?
Hi Nancy, should be about 2 or 3 cups of cubed chicken.
Thank you!
Hi- thanks so much for these recipes! I made the most perfect crust and pot pie ever! Delicious! I’ll be passing this recipe along to friends and family.
Can I use biscuits?
Hi Stephanie, yes! We would follow the baking instructions from this biscuit pot pie recipe. Enjoy!
We have allergies in my family so I had to make a few substitutions, coconut milk instead of half and half, gluten free blend for the flour, olive oil in place of butter and instead of a pie crust I made a savory crumble to put on top. It was so amazing!! The filling was super thick and flavorful! This will be going into our family meal rotation. Thanks again Sally!
Sally can this be prepared and be frozen for a meal prep? If so fully cooked then frozen? Thank you!
Hi Diane, see recipe Notes for recommended freezing options. Enjoy!
Help please. I am making chicken pot pie with biscuit topping as in your vegetable pot pie .
I am confused about when I am using half and half versus whole milk
So does the filling use half and half it whole milk for filling fir chicken pot pie?
Do zi use whole milk for the biscuit topping ?
Hoping you can reply soon as I am taking to a sick friend soon.
Thank you
Brenda Fitch (@ stevefitch1@gmail.com
Hi Brenda, For the chicken filling you have some flexibility: use half and half if you like it very creamy. To lighten up the chicken filling a bit you can use all whole milk instead. The biscuit topping uses whole milk in the biscuit dough. Hope that helps!
This meal is a fan favorite. I get requests to make this all the time.
If I make the filling ahead of time— can I mix the filling and gravy together, store in the fridge overnight, and then put into the pie crust to bake the next day??
Hi Gina, we don’t recommend combining them and then refrigerating. See recipe Notes for make ahead instructions.
I’ve made this recipe twice now and WOW!! It’s absolutely delicious. I must admit to using Pillsbury refrigerated pie dough to save a little time…and still fantastic! The second time I made it, I completely forgot to add the cream to my gravy and I didn’t notice much of a difference other than there being slightly less gravy. It is even better leftover the next day!!
I did the same with the pie crust. It was so good
1000/10. It’s perfect
This is an excellent recipe, it came out so good. The only change I made was to par-bake the bottom crust for about 15 minutes. Chilled the baked crust in the fridge while prepping everything else then baked all together. Will be making again!
making this again for the 5th time and its a huge hit every time.
I could cry with happiness ! I was so scared to attempt pie dough from scratch but your recipes never have let me down so I thought I’d try. It worked ! My pie looked beautiful and the dough was so easy to work with ! I am so using this dough to make my Christmas pies ! Also the filling for the pot pie was so delish and what an amazing trick pouring it on after you add the chicken and veg ! Thank you !!!
I l ow you’ve mentioned adding the filling, then gravy. I wonder if I could blind bake the crust to avoid it being soggy?
Hi Sophia, we don’t usually blind bake the bottom pie crust but you can certainly try it. We fear the top pie crust won’t adhere very nicely to the partially baked bottom crust. Hope you enjoy it!
Not to worry. The bottom will pull away from the edge enough for you to tuck the top crust in over the edge. Works every time. And BTW – there is always enough left over dough to make the name of someone who will be eating it. A nice little surprise (and then nobody notices that the fluting isn’t perfect).
Forever a fan of your foolproof recipes. Would you recommend turning these into mini pot pies?Would I need to adjust anything. Love all your recipes
Hi Aditi, you can make mini pot pies with this recipe. Baking time will depend on the exact size of your mini pot pies. Baking temperature will be the same.
Thanks for confirming. Can I just use a mini/standard muffin pan or do I need mini tart tins? Thank you again!
Hi Aditi, That should work. Let us know if you give it a try!
I love this recipe! For anyone wanting to meal prep, I made the filling, cooked it fully, then cooled it down. I put the filling in silicone trays (souper cubes) and froze them. I usually take out the frozen filling a few hours before to thaw in the fridge and cover with puff pastry before baking in the oven. A must for cold weather!
Great recipe. One suggestion though. I always put aluminum foil on the crust while everything is cold which is safer and easier. Then pull it off about half way thru. Much easier. Foil pops right off.
Was so good made my own tweaks to it but great base recipe
Really tasty pot pie! Made as directed and used Sally’s pie crust. I used the method taught to me by my big sister 56 years ago to roll out the crust. Use waxed paper to roll out. 2 sheets down overlapping, then crust, then 2 sheets on top. Easy to roll out, no excess flour needed, easy to form, no cracking. Comes out perfectly, every single time.
Can you bake Chicken Pot Pie from frozen? I’ve received conflicting advice. Thanx!
Hi Twanna, We’ve baked this from frozen with success. 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.
I want to make this, top with puff pastry, and freeze. Is it best to make the entire pie? Or would it be better to make it without a top crust? we’re happy I can just make the filling and freeze it separately then make both crust right before baking. What do you recommend, with an eye toward having an amazing puff pastry top crust?
Hi Twanna, the unbaked OR baked pot pie freezes well for up to 2–3 months, so it’s really up to you whether you want to freeze the assembled (baked or unbaked pie) or the pie crust, puff pastry, and filling separately. See recipe notes for full freezing details. Enjoy!
There is no link to how to make a pie shield out of tinfoil
Hi Linda! Here’s our post with 10 Best Pie Baking Tools – see #6 for details on making a shield out of foil.
Good. Just a tad bit dry. But I did bake it from frozen. So that might have had something to do with it. But overall, it was really good.
This recipe is perfection! i have trusted Sally’s recipes for years and yet another hit! it is exact too which is the best when cooking (vs baking hehe where extra is a bonus). will forever recommend this site!!