With today’s chicken pot pie recipe, you can now make this delicious comfort food from scratch for National Great American Pot Pie Day (September 23) this year.
Our chicken pot pie consists of two golden, buttery crusts wrapping a creamy, savory filling of tender chicken and veggies. In this recipe, we’ll show you how to make pie crust yourself using only flour, butter, shortening, and water.
It’s a lot of work, but all of your efforts will be rewarded with a scrumptious meal. Before we start, let’s find out a little more about this classic American staple.
What Is a Chicken Pot Pie?
A “pot pie” is a type of meat pie that consists of flaky crusts and savory fillings. The main choice of protein for the dish can be beef, poultry, seafood, or vegan-friendly plant-based meat substitutes.
The preparation and cooking methods of a chicken pot pie vary depending on the preference and imagination of chefs. Culinary skills aside, chicken pot pie is indisputably one of the most popular comfort foods in the U.S and is considered one of the top must-try American staples.
If you’ve never had chicken pot pie before, don’t expect to be dazzled by an otherworldly gastronomic experience. Rather than that, each bite is like a warm, soothing hug for your stomach and soul, bringing you the feel of a cozy, traditional American family meal.
Is This Chicken Pot Pie Healthy?
Yes, today’s chicken pot pie recipe is healthy. Here’s why:
As always, boneless, skinless chicken breast is our favorite source of protein due to its versatility and low fat content. Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts in a 4-oz raw chicken breast:
- Calories: 136
- Total fat: 2.96 g
- Saturated fat: 0.64 g
- Protein: 25.4 g
Since it’s low in fat, the chicken breast is also relatively low in calories. Plus, thanks to its versatility, you can combine this lean cut with a reduced-calorie diet to lower your daily calorie intake.
In addition, eating skinless chicken breast may help lose weight.
With its high protein content, chicken breast is every fitness guru’s favorite as it helps build and maintain muscle. High-protein foods can also help you stay full longer, preventing you from munching on unhealthy snacks and consuming excess calories.
If you love similar healthy, low-fat chicken recipes, check out our baked chicken breast recipe. It’s just as simple, easy to make, and delicious.
Pie Crust for Chicken Pot Pie
Here are some popular pie crust options for chicken pot pie:
1. Biscuits
If you love biscuits and gravy, you’ll definitely want to try using biscuit dough to make the crust for your pot pie. When baked, it will puff up into a lovely, fluffy crust on top of your pie.
We recommend using biscuit dough as the top crust of a serving-sized pot pie as it may not work as a bottom crust.
2. Bisquick
We haven’t tried using Bisquick to make chicken pot pie, but we’ve heard so many praises for how easy it is to make. If you have tried it, please let us know how it went in the comment section below.
3. Homemade Pie Crust
Making the pie crust from scratch is quite laborious and time-consuming, but if you like a challenge, give it a try. We can guarantee your effort will pay off.
Chicken Pot Pie Filling
Here are the main ingredients of our chicken pot pie filling:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast: This is our favorite choice of protein. That being said, you can replace it with turkey if you have it available at home.
- Chicken broth: As always, we recommend using unsalted broth to keep your sodium level to a minimum.
- Aromatics: Carrots, onions, and celery make the “Holy Trinity” in today’s recipe. We also add garlic to enhance the savory flavor of the chicken broth.
- Whole milk and heavy cream: We only use a small amount of milk and cream to add a touch of richness to the gravy.
- Vegetables: We only add frozen peas to our chicken pot pie, but you can try other vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, or even broccoli.
- Herbs: Our recipe only uses parsley, but thyme can be a great addition to elevate the flavor of the chicken.
How to Make Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Here is a summary of our chicken pot pie recipe:
Make the pie dough
Combine the dry ingredients.
Add fats.
Form the dough.
Divide and let the dough rest.
Make the filling
Sear the chicken.
Sauté the aromatics.
Make a roux.
Make the gravy.
Assemble the pie
Roll the bottom crust.
Put the bottom crust into the baking dish. Add the filling.
Roll the top crust.
Put the top crust over the pie.
Decorate the surface of the pie.
Bake the chicken pot pie.
Serve.
What Else Goes Well In a Chicken Pot Pie Recipe?
1. Potatoes
It is debatable whether potatoes should be included in a chicken pot pie, but they are a great addition.
2. Cream of Chicken Soup
Okay, we admit it: cream of chicken soup is super convenient and decently delicious for a store-bought product. If you’re using it for your pie filling, you just need to add it to the seared chicken and be done with it.
However, it is high in calories and sodium and loaded with fat, which is not very nutritious for your body. It’s safe to say that making the filling from scratch can steer you away from consuming all those excess calories and fat.
What to Serve With Chicken Pot Pie
Here are some suggestions on what to pair with your meal:
1. Mashed Potatoes
Chicken pot pie with mashed potatoes is one of the must-try American staples. Together, they create a hearty, wholesome meal that can satiate and pick you up instantly.
However, they may not be a very healthy combination as both dishes are quite rich in fat. It’s best to look for another, more nutritious side dish.
2. Shrimp Salad and Cucumber Water
Our shrimp salad is packed with lots of crunchy vegetables mixed in a tangy, vinaigrette dressing. This cold salad and its flavor profile may seem completely opposite to the warm, savory pot pie, but they pair perfectly.
The faint hint of sourness from the lemon juice freshens up your palate in every bite. It will make you feel like your palate is cleansed and ready to enjoy another tasteful bite of the creamy chicken pot pie.
In addition, we add a glass of refreshing cucumber water on the side for you to take a sip every now and then. It helps wash down all that richness from the chicken.
Here are the combined nutrition facts of today’s meal:
If you want to include more chicken in your diet, check out our healthy chicken recipes have a bunch of ideas.
FAQ
1. How Many Calories in This Recipe?
One serving of our chicken pot pie provides 491 calories.
It may not seem like enough energy to fuel your body, but don’t worry. You can pair the pot pie with our recommended side dish to have a wholesome and satisfying meal.
2. Can You Freeze Chicken Pot Pie?
Yes, you can.
If you’re making a large chicken pot pie like we are today, it’s best to allow it to cool. Divide the pie into serving portions before transferring the leftovers to freezer-safe containers.
We recommend leaving the pie in the fridge for a couple of hours so that the crust can firm up if you have the time. By doing so, it won’t crumble and fall apart as easily when you transfer the pie to the container.
If you plan to make a big batch of chicken pot pie to freeze, make several small pies in serving-sized ramekins. All you have to do is put them in Ziploc bags and into the fridge they go.
Frozen chicken pot pie can last up to a month.
When you want to eat it, defrost it in the microwave for about 5 minutes and reheat it on the highest setting for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. How Long Does It Last in the Fridge?
If you have leftovers, cover the baking dish with cling film and refrigerate them. Or, you can transfer the pie to an airtight container to save storage space.
Your homemade chicken pot pie should last up to a week in the fridge.
Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
This homemade chicken pot pie recipe may take some effort, but we guarantee you it is worthwhile. Your hard work will pay off with a delicious, comforting pie — what could be better?
- cook TIME 1 hr 5 mins
- prep TIME 20 mins
- total TIME 4 hr 10 mins
- INACTIVE TIME 2 hr 45 mins
- COURSE Main Course
- CUISINE American
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 494 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 9.2 ozall-purpose flour (divided into 1 3/4 cup and 1/3 cup (*))
- 1 tspsalt (divided (*))
- 1.5 tspbaking powder (*)
- 5.3 tbspunsalted butter (room temperature, divided into 4 ½ tbsp and ¾ tbsp (*))
- 4.5 tbspvegetable shortening
- 0.3 cupcold water
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 16 ozskinless boneless chicken breast (cubed)
- 0.5 tspblack pepper
- 6 ozyellow onions (diced)
- 1 tbspgarlic (minced)
- 3.6 ozcarrots (diced)
- 3.6 ozcelery (diced)
- 1.5 cupsunsalted chicken broth
- 3 tbspwhole milk
- 2 tbspheavy cream
- 0.5 cupfrozen peas
- 1.5 tbspchopped parsley (optional)
- 1 medium egg (beaten)
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the pie dough
Combine the dry ingredients: In a big bowl, combine 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder.
Add fats: Add 2.3 oz unsalted butter and 4 1/2 tbsp vegetable shortening to the flour mixture. Knead quickly to form large crumbs.
Form the dough: Add 1/3 cup cold water, one tablespoon at a time. Knead the water to combine it with the crumbs and form a large dough.
Divide and let the dough rest: Turn the dough onto a clean work surface. Gather any crumbs and add them back to the dough. Divide into two. Flatten each dough ball into a round disk. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Optional: this pastry can also be made in a food processor following the same order.
Make the filling
Sear the chicken: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a deep, cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add 16 oz cubed chicken breast, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Sear for 6 minutes or until golden brown on all sides, stirring occasionally. Transfer the seared chicken to a plate and set aside.
Sauté the aromatics: Add 6 oz onions, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 3.6 oz carrots, 3.6 oz celery, and 3/4 tbsp unsalted butter to the same skillet. Stir and cook for 4 minutes or until translucent, stirring constantly. Return the chicken to the pan.
Make a roux: Add 1/3 cup all-purpose flour. Mix well so that the flour coats the chicken evenly.
Make the gravy: Add 1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken broth, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 3 tbsp whole milk, 2 tbsp heavy cream, and 1/2 cup frozen peas. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes or until thickened. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tbsp chopped parsley.
Assemble the pie
Roll the bottom crust: Before you start, preheat the oven to 375°F. Then, take the first pie dough out of the fridge. Unwrap and put it on a clean, floured work surface. Apply flour onto your hands and rolling pin, and start to roll out the pastry into a flat pie crust about 1/8 inch thick.
Put the bottom crust into the baking dish: Lay the bottom crust into a 9-inch pie dish. Scoop your chicken filling into the dish and set aside.
Roll the top crust: Take the second dough out of the fridge and roll it out in the same way to form the top crust.
Put the top crust over the pie: Cover the pie with the top crust. Trim the dough around the edges of the pan, leaving about 1 inch of dough overhanging. Fold the excess dough in and tuck it underneath. Crimp around the edges of the pie with your fingers and knuckle.
Decorate the surface of the pie: Brush the surface of the pie with a beaten egg. Make 4 indentations in the middle of the top crust with a knife for the steam to come out while baking.
Bake the chicken pot pie: Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven.
Serve: Once the timer rings, take the pie out of the oven. Let it cool for at least 45 minutes before you cut into it and serve.
NUTRITION
7.92 oz all-purpose flour
0.9 tsp salt
1 ⅓ tsp baking powder
2.37 oz unsalted butter
2.07 oz vegetable shortening
Tuyet Pham
Chef, Culinary Consultant
Luna Regina
Writer, Author
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD
Nutrition Reviewer