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Chicken Pot Pie
A golden double-crust chicken pot pie with tender rotisserie chicken and a creamy vegetable filling, on the table in about an hour.
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This chicken pot pie has a golden double crust, tender chicken, and a creamy vegetable filling, and the whole thing comes together in about an hour.
Most classic pot pie recipes ask you to make pie dough, chill it for two hours, poach and shred chicken, then build a gravy from scratch. It's a beautiful Sunday project, but it's also the reason a lot of us order takeout on a Tuesday night, and think about pot pie some other time.
This version is built for busy weeknights. You'll still get a proper double crust, a thick savory filling, and a pie you can slice into wedges. You'll just get there quickly.
Finally, a chicken pot pie recipe you can make on a school night.
Three things make this recipe quick to make: rotisserie chicken from the deli counter, a box of refrigerated pie crusts, and a can of cream of chicken soup as the backbone of the sauce.
Here's the part that keeps it tasting homemade. The soup never goes into the pie on its own. It's added to sautéed, butter-softened onions, a properly cooked flour roux, real chicken stock, and a splash of heavy cream, seasoned with bouillon, thyme, and seasoned salt.
By the time it goes into the crust, it tastes like a sauce you made from scratch.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this easy chicken pot pie recipe:
For The Filling
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup diced yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, (or ½ tsp dried thyme)
- ¾ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1⅓ cups chicken stock
- 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken breast, about 1 pound (you can also use other leftover chicken, or even leftover turkey)
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 1 cup frozen corn
For The Crust
- 14.1 ounce box refrigerated double pie crusts
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon water
A Few Ingredient Notes:
Rotisserie chicken is the biggest time saver in this entire recipe. Three cups is roughly the white breast meat from one chicken, chopped into bite-size pieces instead of shredded.
Chicken bouillon seasoning carries most of the savory depth. It helps keep the filling from tasting like soup straight from the can.
Seasoned salt brings garlic and onion notes along with the salt.
Fresh thyme keeps the filling from tasting heavy. A little brightness against all that cream makes a real difference.
Heavy cream and chicken stock work together. The stock thins the canned soup back out and the cream adds a rich flavor.
Refrigerated pie crusts need to come to room temperature before you unroll them, or they crack. Just set the box on the counter when you start the filling.
The egg wash goes on both crusts, not just the top.
Chicken Pot Pie Shortcuts That Actually Work
I use three shortcuts in my chicken pot pie that actually make this recipe faster than a traditional pot pie without sacrificing flavor.
🥄 Rotisserie chicken - It's already cooked, already seasoned, ready to chop, and tastes every bit as good as (and maybe better than) poaching your own.
🥄 Refrigerated pie crusts. A box gives you both crusts, top and bottom. They bake up flaky and golden, and they save a few hours that it takes to make your own crust.
You can use homemade pie crust if you want to make it from scratch or if you have some in the freezer.
🥄 Frozen peas, carrots, and corn. These get blanched before freezing, so they go into the filling straight from the bag. Fresh carrots would need dicing and a bit of time sautéing in the pan to soften them up.
The one that doesn't work: stirring the soup in on its own.
It just doesn't taste like pot pie filling if you don't doctor it up a tad. I skipped the roux the first time I made this, thinking the soup was thick enough already. The filling was thinner than it should have been and tasted bland. The three extra minutes are the whole difference between this pie and a can.
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie
FIRST STEP: Heat the oven to 350°F. Set a 9-inch pie dish on a large rimmed baking tray. The tray catches any bubble-over and helps the bottom crust bake evenly.
SECOND STEP: Melt the butter in a large deep-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, chicken bouillon, thyme, seasoned salt, and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the onion turns soft and translucent.
THIRD STEP: Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir until it's completely absorbed with no dry patches left.
FOURTH STEP: Pour in the chicken stock gradually, whisking the whole time, then add the cream of chicken soup and heavy cream. Whisk until smooth and let it thicken for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-high heat, then take it off the heat.
FIFTH STEP: Stir in the peas and carrots, corn, and chopped chicken. Let the filling cool for 10 to 15 minutes while you get the crusts ready. Hot filling starts melting the butter in the bottom crust before it ever reaches the oven, and that's what turns a bottom crust soft.
SIXTH STEP: Unroll the first crust into the pie dish. Beat the egg with the water and brush a thin layer over the bottom crust.
SEVENTH STEP: Pour in the cooled filling and smooth the top. Lay the second crust over, tuck the edges under the bottom crust, press to seal, and crimp. Brush the top with the remaining egg wash and cut a few slits for steam.
EIGHTH STEP: Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown. Let the pie rest on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing so the filling can set.
How To Make Sure The Crust Doesn't Get Soggy
Three small habits keep the base crisp instead of soggy.
- Egg wash both crusts. Brushing the bottom with egg wash seals it before the filling touches it, so the gravy soaks in more slowly.
- Cool the filling 10 to 15 minutes. Hot filling melts the butter in the raw dough on contact. The cold butter in the pre-made crust is what makes pie crust flaky, so cooling the filling first helps protect that process.
- Bake on a rimmed tray. Metal underneath conducts heat into the base so it sets at the same pace as the top. It catches spills too.
Make Ahead and Freezing
Chicken pot pie is a great make-ahead meal, and there are two ways do it.
- Make the filling up to three days ahead. Make it through the point where the chicken and vegetables go in, then cool it and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Warm it gently on the stove until it's just barely warm, then pour it in the pie crust and bake as directed.
- Assemble the pot pie and freeze it (unbaked) for up to two months. Assemble the pie unbaked in a freezer-safe dish (like a metal or foil pan) and wrap it tightly. When you're ready to bake, remove it from the freezer and add the egg wash to the top of the pie. Bake it straight from frozen at 375°F, loosely covered with foil for 30 to 40 minutes, then uncover and keep baking until the filling is bubbling.
If you're freezing, a metal or foil pan is a better choice than a glass pie plate because glass can crack when it goes from the freezer into a hot oven.
Storage and Reheating
Let the pie cool completely, then cover it tightly or move slices to an airtight container. It keeps in the fridge for up to three days.
For reheating, the oven or a toaster oven at 350°F will bring it back closest to it's original taste and texture. A microwave heats the filling quickly but steams the crust, so it might be a bit soft, but it will still taste good.
What To Serve With Chicken Pot Pie
Pot pie is a full meal on its own, so the best sides stay light and cut through the richness. A green salad, roasted veggies like beans or broccoli, or a simple coleslaw are great choices.
Since pot pie is rich and creamy, something light and fruity for dessert is a nice choice.
- Lemon Pie Bars - bright and tart against a savory dinner.
- Blueberry Angel Food Cake - about as light as dessert gets.
- Blackberry Pie Bars - fruity and easy to cut into squares for a crowd.
- Strawberry Fluff - cool, creamy, and no oven time needed while the pie is baking.
- Lunch Lady Brownies - for when your family wants chocolate, regardless of the meal.
More Family Dinner Recipes ⭐ Chicken Bubble Biscuit Bake | Crock Pot Cube Steak With Rich Mushroom Gravy | Sloppy Joe Bake | Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Chicken Pot Pie FAQ
I've only tested this recipe as a 9-inch double-crust pie, so the answers below are my best read rather than times I've clocked in my own oven. It's worth watching yours and going by how the crust looks.
Can I make individual pot pies?
Yes, and the filling divides neatly among ramekins or small oven-safe dishes. Keep the oven at 350°F. Smaller pies bake faster, so I'd start checking around 25 to 30 minutes and look for a golden crust with the filling bubbling at the edges.
Can I make this in a 9x13?
You'd need close to double the filling to fill a pan that size, and you might need an extra crust to cover it. If a casserole is what you're after, our Easy Chicken Pot Pie is made for a 9x13 from the start.
If you'd rather double this one, plan on baking it for somewhere around 50 to 60 minutes and tent the top with foil if it browns before the center is bubbling.
Can I use a cast iron skillet?
A 9-inch skillet works well. Cast iron holds heat, which tends to help the bottom crust set, so it may run slightly faster than a glass or ceramic dish. I'd check at 35 minutes.
Can I skip the bottom crust?
Yes. Spoon the filling straight into the dish and lay the single crust over the top. With only one crust to bake, you can skip the cooling step. Expect it to bake in about 35 minutes, and go by color rather than the clock.
Chicken Pot Pie
A golden double-crust chicken pot pie with tender rotisserie chicken and a creamy vegetable filling, on the table in about an hour.
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Ingredients
Filling
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup diced yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ¾ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1⅓ cups chicken stock
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken breast meat, (chopped into bite-size pieces (about 1 pound))
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 1 cup frozen corn
Crust
- 14.1 ounces ready-made double pie crusts
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon water
DIRECTIONS
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Set a 9-inch pie dish on a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Melt the butter in a large deep-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, chicken bouillon, thyme, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion softens and turns translucent.
- Scatter the flour over the onions and stir until no dry flour remains.
- Pour in the chicken stock a little at a time, whisking constantly. Add the cream of chicken soup and heavy cream, whisking until smooth. Let the mixture thicken over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove the skillet from the heat.
- Fold in the peas and carrots, corn, and chopped chicken. Set the filling aside to cool for 10 to 15 minutes while you prepare the crusts.
- Beat the egg with the water. Unroll the first crust into the pie dish and brush a thin layer of egg wash over it.
- Add the cooled filling and spread it into an even layer.
- Lay the second crust over the filling. Tuck the edges under the bottom crust, press to seal, and crimp. Brush the top with the remaining egg wash and cut several slits for steam.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown.
- Rest the pie on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing so the filling can set.
Notes
- Let the boxed crusts come to room temperature before unrolling so they don't crack along the folds.
- Egg wash goes on the bottom crust as well as the top. It seals the base and helps keep it crisp.
- The baking sheet conducts heat into the bottom of the pie and catches any filling that bubbles over.
- Whisk constantly as the liquids go in to keep the sauce smooth. Cooling the filling before it meets the raw dough is what protects the bottom crust.
- Freeze it (unbaked) for up to two months. Assemble the pie unbaked in a freezer-safe dish (like a metal or foil pan) and wrap it tightly. When you're ready to bake, remove it from the freezer and add the egg wash to the top of the pie. Bake it straight from frozen at 375°F, loosely covered with foil for 30 to 40 minutes, then uncover and keep baking until the filling is bubbling.
Nutrition
Calories: 641kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 1421mg | Potassium: 541mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2748IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 4mg
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