This easy Chicken Pot Pie recipe keeps it simple without sacrificing flavor! Featuring a buttery, flaky crust filled with tender chicken and a medley of vegetables in a creamy gravy, it’s the ultimate comfort food.
The Secret to Our Easy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe? A Homemade Roux!
Many chicken pot pie recipes rely on canned condensed soup for the creamy filling, but our secret to a rich, flavorful, and perfectly thick gravy is making a homemade roux. A roux is a simple cooking technique that combines butter and flour to create a thick base for the gravy. Unlike condensed soup, which can taste overly salty or artificial, a roux allows you to control the flavor and texture, ensuring this chicken pot pie is thicker, creamier, and way more flavorful. Don’t worry though, making a roux is super simple to do and takes just a few minutes! Here’s why we know you’re going to love this comforting and easy dinner recipe:
- Crowd-Pleaser: With a golden, flaky crust wrapped around a rich and creamy chicken and vegetable filling, it’s always a hit!
- Thicker, Richer Filling: The roux binds everything together, preventing a watery pot pie and making your gravy extra creamy.
- Depth of Flavor: Toasting the flour in butter adds a subtle nutty flavor that canned soup can’t replicate.
- Time Saver: Using store-bought pie crust and frozen veggies saves so much time. Make it even easier by using a rotisserie chicken!
Enjoy more of our favorite pot pie recipes like creamy chicken pot pie soup, crockpot chicken pot pie, and chicken pot pie casserole.
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for chicken pot pie. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Chicken: Use skinless chicken breasts or thighs, leftover cooked and shredded chicken, or a rotisserie chicken to save even more time.
- Onion: A white or yellow onion both work great, you can also use a shallot. We do not recommend using a red onion.
- Celery: We always recommend giving your celery a rinse before chopping. Include the celery leaves for even more flavor, a trick I learned from my own mom that really works!
- Peas and Carrots: Keep life easy and just grab a bag of frozen veggies! You can also use canned vegetables if you prefer, just be sure to drain them well.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is needed to create your roux.
- Milk: We typically use whole milk because the higher fat content will create a creamy gravy. Create an even creamier gravy by using half and half or evaporated milk instead!
- Pie Crust: Honestly, we’re not true to any one brand – we tend to grab whatever’s on sale!
How to Make Easy Chicken Pot Pie
This easy chicken pot pie recipe comes together with minimal effort, making it perfect for busy weeknights. No need for extra sides — this dish is a complete meal in itself! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll down to the recipe card for full instructions.
- Cook the Chicken: If using raw chicken, boil it until fully cooked and easy to shred. (You can also use our instant pot shredded chicken method!)
- Sauté the Veggies: Melt the butter, and the onions and celery, and sauté until softened. Toss in the garlic and cook just until fragrant.
- Make the Roux: Stir in the flour to create the roux and let it cook until slightly brown. Be sure to stir the entire time, otherwise your roux can burn!!
- Simmer Until Thick: Stir in the broth and milk, slowly, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer and cook until the gravy has become nice and thick.
- Add Final Ingredients: Add in the peas, carrots, thyme, and shredded cooked chicken. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. We find freshly cracked black pepper adds a lot more flavor!
- Assemble: Add the filling to a pie dish with a layer of pie crust laid flat and pressed evenly into the dish. Spread the filling evenly and layer the second pie crust on top.
- Brush with Egg Wash: Pinch the edges together, brush the pie crust with a beaten egg, and poke holes in the center so steam can escape.
- Bake: Bake until the pie crust is golden brown. If you’re worried about the crust burning, loosely tent the edges of the pie with foil. You can even do this half way through baking if you notice the edges becoming too dark.
Cook’s Tips and Variations
- More Topping Options: Instead of a traditional crust, top your pot pie with store-bought canned buttermilk biscuits, homemade biscuits, or drop biscuits. Try using puff pastry to add an extra light and crispy texture.
- Individual Servings: For an elegant, portion-controlled serving, bake your pot pies in individual 8 oz oven-safe ramekins.
- Switch Up the Protein: If you have some leftover turkey, or even ham, both are tasty alternatives to chicken in this pie.
- Add Extra Veggies: Mushrooms, green beans, or corn add more flavor and texture to the filling.
Make Ahead Tips
- Fridge: You can make the filling up to 2 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. When ready to serve, simply heat and then pour the filling into the crust and bake!
- Freezer: To freeze, assemble the pot pie but don’t bake it. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as directed.
Yield: 4 large servings
Easy Chicken Pot Pie
This easy Chicken Pot Pie recipe keeps it simple without sacrificing flavor! Featuring a buttery, flaky crust filled with tender chicken and a medley of vegetables in a creamy gravy, it's the ultimate comfort food.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or thighs, or 4 cups cooked and shredded chicken
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 (10 oz) bag frozen peas and carrots
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 sheets refrigerated pie crust
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9“ pie plate. Line the bottom of the pie plate with one of the pie crusts and set aside.
- In a large pot, add chicken and cover with water. Add a little salt and pepper (or a chicken bouillon cube or two for more flavor!). Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes, until the meat is easily shredded.
- While the chicken is cooking, melt the butter in a heavy bottomed skillet. Sauté the onion and celery for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed vegetables and stir to combine to create the roux for your gravy. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, making sure to continuously stir, until the flour slightly browns and becomes fragrant.
- While still stirring, slowly add in the broth and milk until everything is well combined. Bring to a simmer and cook until the gravy starts to thicken, about 4 minutes. Once the gravy is starting to thicken, add the peas and carrots, thyme, and shredded chicken. Stir and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken filling to the prepared pie dish and lay the other pie crust on top. Pinch the pie crust edges together, sealing the crust. Brush the top of the pie crust and the edges with the beaten egg. Use a fork to poke a few holes in the center of the pie crust to let the steam out as the pot pie bakes. (Or you can slice an x in the center with a sharp knife.)
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the pie crust is golden brown. If the edges of the crust are browning to quickly, you can cover just the edges with aluminum foil to stop them from browning more.
- Let the pot pie rest 10 minutes before serving to allow the gravy filling to set up. Then slice and serve warm!
Notes
Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat: To reheat, warm it in the oven at 350°F until heated through or microwave individual portions for 1 to 2 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 351kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 181mg, Sodium: 526mg, Potassium: 794mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 554IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 106mg, Iron: 1mg
My family loved this chicken pot pie! We had zero leftovers, super easy using refrigerated pie crust.