Ultimate Chicken Pot Pie (Complete Guide)

This recipe covers all the basics of how to make the ultimate chicken pot pie — with a buttery crust (that won’t get soggy) and a deliciously creamy filling (that won’t turn to soup). Make the whole thing from scratch, or take a few shortcuts along the way (like using store-bought crust or pre-cooked chicken or turkey) for an easy weeknight dinner. Either way, it’s the perfect comfort food to enjoy during the colder months.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 1 30

Rest Time 40

Cook Time 45

Total Time 2 55

Servings 9" deep-dish pie

Category Savory

Ingredients

For the Flaky Pie Crust (or use store-bought pie crust; see Note 1, below)

▢ 3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
▢ 1 ½ tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
▢ 1 tsp granulated sugar
▢ ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½" cubes
▢ ⅓ cup vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into ½" cubes
▢ ½ cup cold water

Equipment

9" Deep-Dish Pie Plate (like this one)

Instructions

Preparing the Flaky Pie Crust (skip if using a store-bought pie crust)

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together flour, salt, and sugar.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp granulated sugar
With the mixer on low speed, add in chilled, cubed butter and shortening. Mix until only a few small, pea-sized lumps of butter remain (about 5 to 8 minutes).
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½" cubes
⅓ cup vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into ½" cubes
With the mixer still on low, slowly drizzle in cold water. Continue to mix until the dough just comes together. (If there are any large, dry patches of flour, add in an additional 2 to 3 tsp of water.)
½ cup cold water
Pour out the dough out a lightly floured surface and knead 1 to 2 times. Form the dough into two disks, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and chill them in the refrigerator for at least 40 minutes.

Pre-Baking (or Blind-Baking) the Bottom Crust (skip if only using a top crust; see Note 3, below)

Preheat oven to 400℉. Alternatively, if using a store-bought pie crust, simply follow the package instructions to pre-bake the crust.
Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. (This will help prevent the dough from cracking when rolling it out).
On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out dough into a circle that is just slightly larger than your pie plate (keep the dough moving to prevent sticking). Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and carefully transfer it onto a 9" deep-dish pie plate. Gently press dough into the bottom and sides of the dish.
Using a pair of scissors, trim any excess dough around the edges of the pie plate. (Any extra dough can be used to patch any problem areas!) Using the tines of a fork, crimp the edges of the dough to the pie plate, as desired, and score the bottom of the dough. Set the pie plate in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill.
Remove the pie plate from the freezer and cover the bottom and sides of the dough with aluminum foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans, or rice. Bake in the centre of preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Remove the pie weights and aluminum foil, and continue to bake the pie crust until it turns golden brown (about 10 minutes more). (It may shrink slightly around the edges — that’s OK.)
Pro tip: Keep a close eye on the crust in the oven. If it begins to puff up, quickly remove it from the oven and re-score it (or, with the back of a fork, press down on any puffed areas). It is important to ensure your crust is perfectly golden brown before proceeding to fill it, so take your time and inspect it closely. If you don’t have a convection oven, you may need to set the oven to a low broil for the last 1 to 2 minutes.
Once nicely golden brown, remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool while preparing the chicken pot pie filling.

Poaching the Chicken (skip if using cooked chicken)

In a large pan (with a lid) or dutch oven set over medium heat, pour in chicken stock and add in raw chicken breasts. Heat stock until it begins to boil.
1 ¼ lbs (567g) raw chicken (breasts), or 1 lb (454g) cooked chicken
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
Cover the pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, on a low simmer until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches at least 165℉ (about 20 to 25 minutes, depending on size of chicken breasts).
Set cooked chicken breasts on a plate. Allow to cool, at room temperature, for at least 5 minutes before shredding. Set shredded chicken aside.
Using a wire mesh strainer, strain cooking liquid (cooked chicken stock) into a bowl or measuring cup. Reserve for the chicken pot pie filling.

Preparing the Chicken Pot Pie Filling

In a clean large pan or dutch oven (same as above) set over medium heat, heat butter and oil just until the butter begins to foam.
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Add in diced onions, carrots, and celery, and stir to combine. Cover and sauté vegetables for 5 minutes.
1 ½ cups onions, peeled and ¼" diced
1 cup carrots, peeled and ¼" diced
1 cup celery, ¼" diced
Season with black pepper and ½ tsp of kosher salt. Continue to sauté the vegetables, uncovered, until softened. (I use a fork to test whether a piece of carrot is tender, but not mushy, before proceeding.)
½ tsp ground black pepper
Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 to 2 minutes). Then, stir in fresh thyme and cayenne pepper.
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 tsp fresh thyme
¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
Add in flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Continue to cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
Pour in white wine (or additional ⅓ cup of chicken stock), followed by the reserved cooked chicken stock (2 cups). Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and begins to bubble.
⅓ cup dry white wine (or additional chicken stock)
Reduce heat to low and add in an additional 1 tsp of kosher salt. Stir in the shredded chicken, followed by the frozen peas and heavy cream. Taste for seasoning. Note: Depending on the type of chicken stock and the brand of salt you use, you may need to add an additional ½ tsp of kosher salt (or more).
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup heavy cream
Remove chicken pot pie filling from heat. Cover and set aside while preparing the crusts for assembly.

Assembling and Baking the Chicken Pot Pie

Preheat oven to 375℉.
In a small bowl, prepare egg wash by whisking together 1 large egg and 1 Tbsp of water until homogenous. Set aside.
For the top crust, remove the second disk of dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out dough into a circle that is just slightly larger than your pie plate and between ⅛" and ¼" thick. Alternatively, if using store-bought pie crust or puff pastry, follow the package instructions.
Working quickly — so as not to let the raw dough get too warm — fill the cooled, pre-baked pie crust (whether homemade or store-bought) or pie plate (if not using a bottom crust) with the prepared chicken pot pie filling.
Brush the edges of the bottom crust (and/or the rim of the pie plate) with egg wash. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and carefully transfer it on top. Trim any excess dough, then crimp the edges to the bottom crust or pie plate (over the egg wash). Brush the entire surface of the top dough with the egg wash and cut several slits in the top to allow steam to escape while baking.
Set the pie on a baking sheet, then into the centre of the oven. Bake until the top turns a nice golden brown (about 40 to 45 minutes). Depending on your oven, you may wish to set the oven to a low broil for the last few minutes to achieve the desired look.
To prevent the final chicken pot pie from being too liquidy, I recommend allowing it to rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

Homemade vs. Store-Bought Pie Crust: To save time, you can certainly use a store-bought pie crust as the bottom crust. Just be sure to pre-bake (blind-bake) the pie crust according to the package instructions before filling it with the chicken pot pie filling.
Raw Chicken vs. Cooked Chicken: This recipe guides you through the steps to poach the raw chicken (in chicken stock, for added flavor) in case you wish to make the entire chicken pot pie from scratch. Of course, if you are short on time, you can always use leftover cooked chicken or turkey (or even a grocery store rotisserie chicken). Just remember that you will need between 1 to 1 ¼ lbs of cooked chicken, which is about 3 to 3 ½ cups shredded. (Remember that raw chicken weighs 25% more than cooked chicken, although a little more or little less won’t affect the recipe all that much.)
Top & Bottom Crust vs. Top Only: Another shortcut you can take is omitting the bottom crust entirely, which allows you to skip the steps needed to pre-bake the bottom crust. Simply make the filling, pour it in a pie dish or casserole, and cover with a homemade or store-bought crust (or even store-bought puff pastry). I prefer my chicken pot pie to have a bottom crust — I think it has the perfect crust-to-filling ratio — but if you are looking to save time (or if you just simply prefer it), you can easily forgo the bottom crust altogether.
Pre-baking (Blind-baking) the Bottom Crust: If using a bottom crust, I strongly recommend pre-baking it. Some recipes don’t call for blind-baking the bottom layer, but I find it often comes out raw and soggy on the bottom (even when the filling isn’t overly soupy). Furthermore, I recommend pre-baking the bottom crust slightly longer than you normally would for a pie, just to ensure you won’t end up with a soggy bottom!
Freezing Instructions: Chicken pot pie freezes perfectly well for up to 2 to 3 months! When ready to serve, simply bake, covered with aluminum foil, at 375°F until warmed through.

Nutrition

Nutrition Disclaimer