If you’re craving comfort food, homemade chicken pot pie is your answer! This completely from scratch recipe is simple to prepare, features a double crust, and nourishes the soul. For step-by-step photos, scroll to the bottom of this page.
When I’m craving a meal that’s truly comforting, this double crust chicken pot pie recipe hits the spot. It satisfies the soul—and, is surprisingly simple to throw together. We’ll use my favorite homemade pie crust recipe (it’s not just for Thanksgiving pies after all!) for a sturdy crust on the bottom and a golden brown, flaky cloak on top. In between the pie crust layers is a mixture of chicken and veggies topped with a creamy, rich white gravy that is flavored with a little cooked onion, salt, pepper, and thyme. Let’s get started!
This Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Is:
- Satisfying + comforting
- 100% homemade
- Simple to prepare
- Perfect for when you have veggies and meat to use up
- A delicious make-ahead recipe
- Customizable—use your favorite meats and vegetables
Overview: How to Make Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie
For the full recipe and lots of step-by-step photos to walk you through the process, scroll to the bottom of this page.
- Prepare the pie crust and let it chill for at least 2 hours.
- Boil the chicken, carrots, and celery.
- Make the gravy. Cook down the onion with butter and garlic. Whisk in the flour, salt, black pepper, thyme, chicken broth, and half-and-half.
- Divide the pie dough in half. Roll out one half into a 12 inch circle. Carefully place into your pie dish.
- Fill the crust-lined pie dish with the chicken and vegetable mixture. Add the peas, then pour the gravy over the top.
- Roll out the second half of pie dough into a 12 inch circle. Use this pie dough to cover the pie. Seal and crimp the edges, then slice a few small slits in the top crust.
- Brush the top and edges with a beaten egg.
- Bake until golden brown.
Craving a different variation? This biscuit vegetable pot pie isn’t your typical classic pot pie recipe, but it’s quicker and easier. Or for a single crust variation try this turkey pot pie recipe.
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 precooked meat, simply skip the boiling and cook the carrots and celery with the onion and butter.
- Vegetables: Try adding corn (frozen or fresh) when you add the peas. Feel free to add 1 diced Yukon gold potato; cook until soft with the onion and butter. You can also throw in a cup of sliced mushrooms—add them 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. Stick to 2 cups of veggies + 1 potato or less. (Onion doesn’t count!)
- Spices: Taste and season this pot pie how you like! Try adding fresh chopped parsley, a pinch of celery seed, or even a little rosemary (my favorite). As long as there is salt and pepper (definitely thyme too), the extra seasoning in the pot pie is up to you.
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 comfort food and don’t have all the time and energy in the world to whip it up! Make sure you check out the step-by-step photos at the bottom of the page, as well as my notes at the end of this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 recipe homemade pie crust*
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, cubed
- 1 cup (about 130g) sliced carrots (about 2 carrots)
- 1/2 cup (about 40g) sliced celery (about 1 stalk)
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 and 3/4 cups chicken broth (I recommend reduced sodium)
- 2/3 cup half-and-half*
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 large egg, beaten
- optional: sprigs of fresh thyme for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the pie crust as directed in my pie crust recipe, 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 saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 12 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook the butter, onions, and garlic over medium heat, 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 1 half of the chilled pie dough. Turn the pie crust dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. With a small and sharp knife, trim the extra overhang of dough and discard. Place the chicken mixture on top. Top with frozen peas. Pour gravy over top. Roll out 2nd half of pie crust dough just as you did the first. Cover the pie with the 2nd crust and trim the extra overhang off the sides. Seal the edges by crimping with a fork or your fingers. With a small and sharp knife, slice a few small slits in the top crust for steam to escape. Using a pastry brush, brush crust and edges with beaten egg.
- Bake for 32 – 38 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. I use a pie crust shield to protect the edges from browning too much too soon. Cool for 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 or bake to warm through.
- Pie Crust: Two 9-inch frozen (and then thawed) store-bought pie crusts are just fine instead of homemade. Puff pastry works too.
- Cream: Heavy cream or whole milk works instead of half-and-half to make an extra rich filling. 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 precooked meat. Simply skip the boiling and cook the carrots and celery with the onion and butter. Add some corn (frozen or fresh) when you add the peas. Feel free to add 1 Yukon gold potato, diced. You can cook them until soft with the onion and butter. Mushrooms 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 going over 2 cups of veggies + 1 potato. (Onion doesn’t count!)
- Spices: Feel free to add fresh chopped parsley, a pinch of celery seed, or even a little rosemary. As long as there is salt and pepper (definitely thyme too), the extra seasoning in the pot pie is up to you. Taste and season how you like!
Keywords: chicken pot pie
As directed in the recipe above, place chicken, celery, and carrots into your pot. Fill with water to cover. Boil for 12 minutes.
As directed above, in a skillet or separate pan, cook down the onion with some butter and minced garlic. Whisk in spices, flour, chicken broth, and half-and-half to make a thick white gravy.
As directed above, roll out homemade pie crust to fit into your 9-inch pie dish (a 9-inch square baking pan works too). Fill with the chicken and vegetable mixture, then top with frozen peas. I add the frozen peas at this point because they lose their vibrant green color when cooked with the chicken in the first step.
Top with creamy gravy, then the other rolled out pie crust. Cut holes in the top to release some steam, crimp down the edges, add the egg wash, and bake!
To cheat and save some time.. could i use a bag or half a bag of mixed frozen vegetables?
Absolutely.
Made this with the leftover Christmas turkey that I had in the freezer that I just didn’t want to make into yet another soup.
It. Was. Amazing.
My husband hates onions so I substituted onion soup mix and I used tart shells so they’d be more packed-lunch friendly. Turned out fantastic!
Thank you for this recipe – I’ll be making this again and again!
Just made this recipe – it is SUPERB – fabulous taste to the gravy – added mushrooms – can’t wait to have leftovers tomorrow, cold, with cold new potatoes and Heinz Salad Cream (a British salad dressing) – this will become a family favorite for sure – thanks for sharing 🙂 🙂 Best pot pie I’ve made 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight and it turned out fantastic! The pie crust was flaky and delicious. Love the details and pictures that you include with recipes. Thank you for sharing!
Homemade pie crust can be intimidating for some and yes you can buy a pie crust. But please do yourself and family a great delicious favor and make this crust. I am 66 and have never rated a recipe before. Invest in a pastry cutter, maybe 5 dollars, and have patience. If you end up with chunks of butter, even better. If your crust breaks just pice it back together and if you just need a shortcut use a can of cream of chicken soup. I am just waiting for another reason to make this crust. My mother was an excellent baker and this beats hers by a million. Try it you will not be sorry
Do you think it is possible to put in smaller pie tins and freeze?
I can’t see why not!
Hi Sally
I made this pie last night. First time ever making pastry from scratch and well a pie and omg I cant believe how good it came out. It was loved by the entire family. Im so proud of myself for making this entirely from scratch 😀 Thank you so much!!!!
This was INCREDIBLE! I can’t wait to try out the other pie recipes
Made it and my family loved it so much they want to know when I’m making it again. Best pot pie ever. Thanks for the gift.
I love this recipe! I’ve made it multiple times and tonight I made it for a party of 12. It was a huge hit! Thank you again for a wonderful recipe! FYI I always double the filling.
I just made this for my brother’s birthday! The crust was definitely worrisome in our hot midwest kitchen because it kept sticking to the counter and melting the fat; however, even with my setbacks, it turned out perfectly flaky and delicious! Even my dad, who’s sworn off chicken pot pie for over 10 years, went back for seconds and couldn’t stop praising it – our family and guests loved it, too. Absolutely a keeper (and now I’ve proven to myself that I can actually make homemade pie without totally disastrous results, which is always a plus). Thanks for the awesome recipe!!
I LOVE Chicken Pot Pie and this recipe is a winner! Thank you!
DELICIOUS perfect Chicken Pot Pie along with your mouth watering crust Sally! First time I have made home-made pie crust. Lucky me to find the best recipe that turned out so tender. The pie was a beautiful sight coming out of the oven. Happy hubby!:)
Hi,
If i wanted to only use the pie crust for the top and none on the bottom of the pie plate, does that affect the temp and the time it takes to cook in the oven? Thinking of making 2 pot pies and freezing one…thanks! Can’t wait to try the recipe.
Cheers,
Denise
I’d say a little less time in the oven, but not much. Same oven temperature.
Hi Sally! My family is not a big fan of celery. Do you think I could do potatoes instead? I was just wondering if any of the cooking times would be different.
Peeled and cubed potatoes work! Just add them when you’d add the celery.
This might be a silly question, but when you put the carrots, celery and chicken in the water do you count 12 minutes from when the water boils or from when you put the items in the water?
12 minutes from when the water begins boiling 🙂
Super easy week night recipe, not to mention extremely tasty! Perfect comfort food for this cold weather! I have leftover turkey and plan to make this for dinner tonight! Thank you, Sally! Your recipes never let me down! 🙂
Sally, this pot pie is to die for. My mother and I ate this straight out of the pie dish without guilt. Question, if I’m making this for a picky eater (no green-meaning no celery) would I use a teaspoon or so of celery seed in place of it?
Hi Gloria! You can just leave out the celery. No celery seed needed.
I made this last night – first time ever making a pot pie – and the entire family LOVED it! I used leftover roasted chicken and refrigerated pie crusts, but followed the recipe as is otherwise. It was soooo delicious! Thank you for the recipe. Very easy to follow, and I had all the ingredients on hand! This one’s a keeper.
This is the best chicken pot pie recipe that I have made! The homemade crust is delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe. I love how you include pictures of each step and are very detailed. I signed up for your emails and can’t wait to try your other recipes! I posted a picture on my facebook page and got rave reviews and of course I shared your link 🙂
This pot pie was easy and good. The crust was very buttery which I loved. I hope I didn’t make too many changes… just added mushrooms to the onion garlic mix, and used frozen peas and carrots. I was out of celeey, so I diced one red potato and boiled with the chicken. The spices I added were celery seed and fresh parsley.
I also replaced half the chicken broth with white wine for depth of flavor. Thanks for a great recipe. Even better, I had it all on hand and didn’t need to go to the store!
Hi! I just wanted to say thanks for sharing! Absolutely delicious. This was a HUGE hit with my family and has already been requested to be made again soon. My six-year-old told me again at bed time how yummy dinner was. I’m just an average cook and thought this was pretty easy to make. Your instructions were great. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
I just made this for a couple that I cook for and they could not stop raving about how delicious it was! I made it into 3 – 5″ pies and the amount of filling that you have in your recipe perfectly fit into all three crusts. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I have made a few pot pies but not one as DELICIOUS as this one!! Do not pass on this recipe and make it your go to! Rich and creamy and love the thyme. I added diced turnip to mine and cooked them with the chicken, carrots and celery in my instant pot while I started the gravy. I had thighs so that is what I used. I will use chicken breast next time for a meatier chicken. This is my favorite chicken pot pie EVER!!!
I just wanted to let you know I made this recipe for our Sunday Dinner today and it was absolutely amazing! I have saved and placed this recipe in my recipe book for many future meals. The pie crust recipe will also be my new favorite go to pie crust recipe. Thank you for sharing!!!