This chicken pot pie recipe uses no canned ingredients and is absolutely delicious. It’s simple to prepare and a real crowd-pleaser—the family couldn’t stop raving about it.
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Chicken pot pie is classic comfort food. If you’ve avoided it because of canned peas and carrots, this recipe will change your mind. It uses fresh ingredients and a rich, homemade filling while still being approachable enough for a weeknight dinner or elegant enough for guests.
Puff Pastry
Puff pastry is a laminated dough available in the freezer section of most grocery stores. It bakes up light, flaky, buttery, and crisp. For this pot pie it creates a golden, crunchy top that many prefer over a traditional pie crust, and it saves you the time and effort of making pastry from scratch.
Chicken Pot Pie Filling
This filling is made from scratch with diced or shredded cooked chicken, potatoes, carrots, and frozen peas in a creamy white sauce. There are no canned vegetables—just fresh flavors and herbs for a comforting, satisfying filling.
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a large pot or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the diced shallots, potatoes, and carrots with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 10–15 minutes.
Add the cognac and cook for 1 minute to burn off the alcohol and concentrate the flavor. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute to eliminate the raw flour taste.
Pour in the chicken stock and heavy cream, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 1–2 minutes until it thickens slightly.
Stir in the cooked chicken, frozen peas, parsley, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the pot from the heat.
Transfer the chicken mixture to your chosen baking dish or to individual dishes. If preparing ahead, let the filling cool and refrigerate until ready to assemble and bake.
When ready to bake, whisk together the egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water for an egg wash. Roll or cut thawed puff pastry to be about 1 inch larger than your dish diameter. Cut a 1-inch slit or a few small vents in the center to allow steam to escape.
Center the puff pastry over the dish and crimp the edges to seal. Brush the pastry with the egg wash. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any spills.
Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes, then loosely cover with aluminum foil and continue baking for another 20–25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let the pie rest about 15 minutes before serving to allow the filling to set.
This version of chicken pot pie is warm and hearty—perfect for cooler evenings and family dinners.
Tips and Variations
- Use rotisserie chicken, poached or roasted leftover chicken, or quickly sauté boneless chicken pieces until cooked through, then add to the filling.
- Add other vegetables such as corn, celery, green beans, or mushrooms to vary the texture and flavor.
- Substitute heavy cream with light cream or half-and-half for a lighter sauce; note the filling will be slightly less rich and thick.
- Make the filling ahead: cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container. Assemble and bake when ready.
FAQ
It’s not recommended to use puff pastry as a bottom crust because it will likely become soggy from the filling. Puff pastry works best as a top crust.
Yes. Prepare the filling, cool it, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve, top with puff pastry and bake.
Store covered in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. You can freeze the assembled pot pie baked or unbaked: wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat thoroughly before serving.
More Amazing Chicken Recipes
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Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
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Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large shallots, diced
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 5 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/3 cup cognac
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 5 cups cooked chicken (roasted or poached)
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 3 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 large egg yolk + 1 teaspoon water for egg wash
- additional salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425°F. (If making ahead, skip this step.)
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Melt butter in a stockpot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
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Add shallots, potatoes, carrots, and a few pinches of salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10–15 minutes.
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Add the cognac and cook for 1 minute.
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Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute until well combined.
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Add chicken stock and heavy cream. Combine and bring to a simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring until the mixture thickens.
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Stir in the chicken, peas, parsley, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper.
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Transfer the mixture to the desired baking dish or individual dishes. If preparing ahead, cool and refrigerate.
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When ready to bake, whisk together the egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water for the egg wash.
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Cut thawed puff pastry 1 inch larger than the dish and cut a 1-inch slit or vents in the center.
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Center the pastry over the dish, crimp the edges to seal, and brush the top with egg wash.
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Bake on a baking sheet at 425°F for 10 minutes, then cover loosely with foil and bake another 20–25 minutes until golden.
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Allow to cool about 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 39 g |
Protein: 31 g |
Fat: 36 g