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This Easy Chicken Pot Pie comes together with just 20 minutes of work, and is perfect for lazy cooks or people short on time. It is a fuss free, simplified recipe which cuts down the time and effort while still delivering in the flavor and texture departments: a rich, creamy and comforting pie with a crispy golden crust. It is one of my go-to recipes when I want a comfort meal or am hosting friends, and I hope you give it a shot too.
Read the full blog post below for detailed notes, tips, tricks, photos and videos.
WHAT IS CHICKEN POT PIE?
Chicken pot pie is a savory pie with a creamy filling made with chicken, vegetables, and a roux made of flour and butter. It often also contains chicken stock. The pie is made and served in a pot or deep pan, hence the name, with layers of crispy butter pastry on the bottom and top. It is a popular comfort meal typically served in winters.
HOW TO MAKE EASY CHICKEN POT PIE
This recipe is incredibly easy and fuss free. There are 3 main steps:
- Prepare the filling. To keep things quick, this filling uses chicken stock cubes instead of actual stock, pre-shredded chicken (boiled or rotisserie), and frozen veggies which do not need to be defrosted. You have to sautee onion in butter and oil until golden, then add garlic and chicken cubes and lightly toast. Follow this with flour and milk to make a roux. Add the seasonings, then turn off the heat and add the chicken and veggies. Optionally, you can also add a little shredded mozzarella cheese. It takes only about 10 minutes!
- Assemble. All we need is the filling and pre-made pie crust. If you want, you can lay down a layer of crust on the bottom of your pan, but you can also skip that to save time. Simply add the filling to the pan and top off with the pie crust. It can be in one sheet (but make sure to create an opening for steam to escape), or you can cut the pastry in small squares and arrange them on top for a more beautiful look.
- Bake. Brush egg wash on top of the crust so it develops a golden crust, and bake!
And with that, you’re ready to dive in and enjoy.
BEST CRUST FOR CHICKEN POT PIE
There are two main types of crust / pastry used for chicken pot pie:
- Short-crust pastry (also called butter crust, pie crust, and butter pastry). This is the classic pie crust made with flour, salt, cold butter and water. It is crispy and flakey while also being quite sturdy. This is the pastry I recommend using for chicken pot pie. You can easily find it in the frozen section of grocery stores and it usually comes in circular sheets. You can also make it at home easily
- Puff pastry. This is a laminated pastry made with layers of dough and butter, and it puffs up when baked. Although puff pastry looks great, I find it to be less suitable for chicken pot pie, because it gets moist and loses its crispiness more easily than short-crust pastry. It is also much harder to make if you’re unable to find it in a store!
VARIATIONS FOR POT PIE FILLING
Once you understand the basics of pot pie, it is very easy to customize the filling to your liking. Here are a few ways you can make the filling your own:
- Replace milk with chicken stock, and add a little cream, for more protein and a less heavy filling
- Replace the shredded chicken with sautéed mushroom for a vegetarian version
- Use freshly chopped vegetables instead of frozen – the most common combination is onion, celery and carrots. You just need to sauté all the veggies along with the onions first before adding the remaining ingredients
- Use a different mix of frozen veggies. Some people also like to add potato to pot pie, although for some reason I am not a fan!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
As long as the chicken is not strongly flavored, you can use leftover chicken (e.g., roast, rotisserie) and shred it for pot pie. Otherwise, you can simply boil and shred some chicken breast / tenders.
You can replace the shredded chicken with sautéed mushrooms, or other combinations of vegetables of your liking, to make this recipe vegetarian. You can also replace the egg wash with a milk wash, although it won’t have as golden of a color.
You can use a rectangular, oval, or round pan. It can be made of any material which is oven friendly, for example, ceramic, glass, or cast iron. Just make sure the filling has enough depth to it once spread.
Yes, you can replace the crust with homemade short-crust pastry. You can easily find hundreds of simple recipes on the internet!
Yes. You can add a layer of pastry crust on the bottom, add the filling, and top off with more crust on top. In this case, you may need to bake a bit longer. If the top starts to brown, cover with aluminum foil and bake until the bottom pastry also becomes cooked and crispy.
Pastry becomes soggy due to moisture. You need to make sure there is a way for the steam to escape the filling so that it does not make the pastry soggy. You can simply make two 1″ cuts in the middle of the pastry to allow this, or leave some gaps on top.
Yes, you can make mini chicken pot pies using a muffin tray! Just make sure to add pastry both on top and bottom.
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 1–2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2–3 chicken stock cubes (I use Knorr)
- 4 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 tsp each salt, pepper, chilli flakes and oregano (or to taste)
- 2 1/4 cups boiled, shredded chicken (250g)
- 1 1/2 cup chopped frozen veggies of choice (I like corn, carrots and peas)
- 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
- 1 to 2 sheets of pre-made pie crust, depending on whether you want crust on both top and bottom or just on top
- 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp milk for egg wash
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F and brush a 7×11” baking dish with butter (you can also use a 9″ round pie dish for a taller pie)
- Heat oil and butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, then add garlic and chicken stock cubes, and sauté for another min
- Add the flour and milk, and cook while stirring for a few seconds. Add all the seasoning and cook until the mixture starts to bubble
- Turn off heat and add the shredded chicken, veggies and cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. You can also adjust the consistency: if you want it to be more runny, add more milk (remember, it will become thicker when baked)
- If adding a bottom layer of crust, add that to your pie dish first. If not, skip that and add the filling to the prepared pish dish
- Cut the pie crust into 2″ squares and arrange them on top of the filling. Make sure to poke some holes or leave a few small gaps so steam can escape
- Make the egg wash by mixing the egg yolk and milk, and generously brush the pie crust on top with the egg wash
- Bake for 30-40 min until the pie looks nicely golden and crispy. If it starts to brown too much, cover with aluminum foil
- Serve while it’s hot and enjoy!
Video Tutorial
Notes
- I recommend using butter pastry / short-crust pastry for this pie instead of puff pastry
Here are some more easy comfort recipes you will enjoy:
Comments
Hanifa
So easy to make and so so tasty! Thank you zoha ❤️
Zoha
Thank you :’)
Grace
so so delicious and easy – made this tonight and my family loved it! thank you for sharing Zoha <3
Maham
It was amazing! Delicious! I used puff pastry at the bottom and the top and it was nice and crispy. Thank you!
Zoha
YUM glad to hear that!
A struggling baker
Hi Zoha, I want to make this for my husband’s birthday dinner. Is it possible to make the filling a day in advance and keep it in the refrigerator and bake it the next day?
Zoha
Yes! Absolutely ok.
Zoha Shahid
Tried this and it was the best chicken pie!!♥️
Zoha
YAY!
Mudassira Fareed-Sayad
I tried this on a whim and previously I wouldn’t have made a “new recipe” unless I am mentally prepared but your recipes are so fool proof that I’m confident trying them anytime. This was such a winner for my family that my only regret is not making more than one pie because I barely got to eat any before it was wiped out and the rest of my family who heard about how good it was fought with me that they didn’t get any so I’ll be making more soon! Thanks for your amazing recipes. Your page is my go-to now!
Zoha
AWWW YAY!!!! I am so so happy you tried and loved this recipe :’) And thank you for such a kind review!
Najia
Easy to make and satisfying recipe. Loved by the kids ❤️
Zoha
Really happy to hear that 🙂 Thank you!
Sarah Malik
I’ve made this recipe about 3 times in the last 3 months and my family loves it! Pretty easy and quick to make. Thanks Zoha.
Zoha
Awww, how kind is that! Thank you!
Komal Naveed
Hi,tried this recipe today with ready rolled shortcrust pastry but to my disappointment it didn’t raise well.
Not sure where I went wrong as I followed all the steps mentioned.
Filling tasted good though!
Zoha
Hi Komal!! Shortcrust pastry doesn’t usually “rise” like puff pastry does. If it’s crispy and crumbly, it should be fine. If it is soft, you may need to bake for longer and make sure steam can escape.
Rohma
Thank you Zoha for another stellar recipe.
I made this for the first time for guests I was inviting over for chai. They all complimented it so much. I was sure to tell them it was Zoha’s recipe.
Zoha, I genuinely feel I can turn to your recipes with confidence without having made them before because I am so comfortable with your impeccable standards. Otherwise it’s such a risk to try something for the first time when hosting.
I’m a Zoha fan through and through.
Zoha
Your trust means the world to me. Thank you for trying my recipes and allowing me to be a part of your home. <3
Summer
Zoha which pastry crust did you use for this recipe? It looks like Pepperidge farms puff pstry but in your comments you say you recommend short cut pstry and not puff pastry
Missy
Thanks for asking! I noticed that too! puff pastry is a totally different end product than pie crust! Why not just say puff pastry in the ingredients?? FYI It will NOT look like hers without using puff pastry guys!!
Zoha
Hi Missy, i actually addressed this in my blog post already. You can use both, I have used both, but I like the result better with pie crust 🙂
Zoha
Yes, I used Pepperidge farms puff pastry! A lot of people are using puff pastry and enjoying it, but my personal preference is shortcrust (traditional pie crust) which I make at home. It is up to you. Just make sure to leave room for steam to escape.
Pri
Honestly an amazing and easy to make recipe! Have to make it again 🙂
Zoha
SO much love for you
Sabahat Nawaid
I would highly recommend to try this recipe as it is so delicious and melt in the mouth. I loved the mix of flavours and the best part about it which is that it actually took me 20 minutes to make it.
Insanely good and a must try. 5 ⭐️s
Zoha
Yayyyy so glad to hear you enjoyed this simple recipe 🙂
Hajra
Tried this. It was not only easy to make but was delicious ?
Zoha
YAYYYY!!
Zoha
Thank you! I hope you love it.
Zar
Made it several times now, always a hit.
Zoha
I am so honored! Thank you
MC
What’s the difference between using milk vs heavy cream for this recipe? If I used heavy cream instead would the consistency not be right?
Zoha
It might be a bit on the heavier, thicker side. Since we add flour, the milk also thickens up