Everybody will fall in love with this easy Chicken Pot Pie!! With a creamy chicken and vegetable filling lightly infused with herbs, this Chicken Pot Pie made with puff pastry lids can be served in individual pots or made as one big pie.
This Chicken Pot Pie recipe is made by poaching uncooked chicken in stock and milk which is then used as the broth for the creamy filling. Or speed things up by using cooked chicken!
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie was a staple in my 20’s. When I was an ambitious lass in the corporate world juggling university in the evenings, Chicken Pot Pie was a handy one-dish freezer-friendly meal that I could cram loads of extra veggies into.
So while fellow uni students were living on instant ramen and cheap sausages, I was making Chicken Pot Pie.
How very homely of me…. Some might even say daggy! 😂
I like to make Chicken Pot Pie in POTS – for maximum pastry to filling ratio!
What goes in Chicken Pot Pie
Here’s what goes in Chicken Pot Pie. Nothing unusual here – but just a couple of comments on some of the ingredients:
Stock powder – this adds more flavour in the creamy white sauce. I like to use Vegeta which is a vegetable stock powder, but any stock powder will do – vegetable or chicken;
Parmesan adds umami (which means savouriness and depth of flavour) rather than cheesiness into the sauce. If you don’t have parmesan, use about 1 1/2 cups of your favourite cheese (cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, tasty); and
Peas are missing! 🙂
There’s no definitive way to make Chicken Pot Pie. While some choose to make it like a traditional pie with a pastry base and shortcrust topping in a pie dish, I have always – and will always – make Chicken Pot Pies in POTS with puff pastry lids.
Let me emphasise that in case you missed it – I make Chicken POT Pie in POTS. 😜
Truthfully though, the way I make it has nothing to do with the name. I make it in pots because it’s quicker and easier, and I love draping the pots generously with puff pastry so that the golden flaky lid is fitted tightly on top and around the pots, rather than just a round piece floating on top.
How to make Chicken Pot Pie
There’s nothing really ground breaking in this Chicken Pot Pie recipe, but there are two little things I do that is a bit different to the usual:
Poach chicken and use poaching liquid to make the creamy filling. Most recipes bake the chicken. I prefer poaching so I can use the poaching liquid which becomes infused with extra flavour from the chicken; and
Parmesan in the creamy filling. Not for parmesan or cheesy flavour, for seasoning. If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that I use parmesan cheese regularly in recipes. It’s because it adds salt as well as umami to recipes, just giving dishes an extra something-something that makes it so good!
Tips for making Chicken Pot Pie
This is a pretty straight forward recipe, especially when made you make individual Chicken Pot Pies like I’ve done. I only have 2 tips to ensure you nail The Pot every single time:
Thicken filling to desired consistency before putting it in the pots. The sauce won’t thicken at all once the lid is on. So keep cooking until the sauce is a nice creamy consistency and not watery. Nobody likes a watery pie filling!
Cool filling before topping with puff pastry. Hot filling = melts butter in pastry that creates layers = less puff.
That moment with this Chicken Pot Pie comes out of the oven, all golden and puffed up, and you know that under that buttery lid the creamy filling is bubbling away with the tender chicken and the vegetables and it just smells so amazing…
….and THEN you crack through that almost impossibly flaky crispy puff pastry to reveal the piping hot creamy filling, and you blow furiously on it, trying to cool it down as quickly as you can so you can shovel a huge spoonful in your mouth without giving yourself 2nd degree burns….
I shouldn’t even joke about that. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve burned my mouth with Chicken Pot Pie. 😂 – Nagi x
More Cosy Pies
Cottage Pie (beef)
Shepherd’s Pie (lamb – because Shepherd’s herd sheep!)
Browse all cosy Winter Warmers
And more cosy Chicken recipes
Slow Cooked Chicken Stew and a faster Chicken Stew (Casserole) – on the table in under an hour!
Watch how to make it
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Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
Chicken & broth:
- 600 g/1.2lb chicken breast (or boneless thighs)
- 2 cups milk , any fat % (Note 1)
- 1 cup chicken broth (stock)
- 2 tsp chicken or vegetable stock powder (Note 2)
- 2 sprigs thyme , optional
Chicken Pot Pie:
- 1 large onion , chopped
- 2 large carrots (3 small). chopped
- 3 celery ribs , chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 50g / 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/3 cup white wine (sub more chicken stock)
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas , no need to thaw
- 2 sheets puff pastry (enough to cover pots, with drape)
- 1 egg , lightly whisked
Instructions
Chicken:
- Place milk, broth and stock powder in a large saucepan. Bring to a very gentle simmer over medium heat, add chicken and thyme.
- Place lid on, simmer gently on medium low for 15 minutes (do not boil, can make milk split).
- Remove chicken, shred or dice (don’t worry if inside a bit uncooked). Cover pot and set poaching liquid aside.
Chicken Pot Pie:
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes. Add thyme, carrot and celery, cook for 3 minutes or until carrot is softened.
- Add wine. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pot, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until wine is mostly evaporated.
- Add flour and stir for 1 minute.
- Add about half the reserved poaching liquid and stir until all flour is incorporated – it will be a thick sludge.
- Add remaining milk broth, parmesan, pepper. Stir.
- Add chicken and peas, stir.
- Once mixture is heated (you’ll see steam), cook for 3 minutes to thicken the sauce, stirring regularly. (Note 3)
- Remove from heat. Spoon into oven proof pots – 4 large or 6 small (Note 4). Cool in fridge at least 30 minutes. (Note 5)
Assembly & Baking:
- Meanwhile, remove puff pastry from freezer to partially thaw. Then use a bowl as a guide to cut rounds from the pastry about 2.5cm / 1″ wider (all the way around) than the pots – be generous!
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Brush edge of pots with egg. Top with puff pastry, folding down the edges.
- Brush pastry with egg. Cut a 2cm / 2/3″ slide in the middle with a small knife.
- Bake 35 – 40 minutes until deep golden.
- Serve immediately!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Few snaps from Dozer’s weekend away with my besties! Clockwise from top left: Smiling happily at the sight of his weekend bag, on the road, enjoying the beach and assuming the best position at the dinner table…. (and I think he fell asleep waiting for food to drop?? 😂)
Hi Nagi. First time I made a pie and it was delicious. I used home made stock and the sweetness came through so well. Also added in some leek. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Can I use corn flour instead of regular flour for GF option?
Kylie I have made this gluten free, I skipped the step to add the flour and put the poaching mix in, made a slurry with 2tbsp of cornflour and added that to thicken it. Worked well.
Another fantastic recipe Nagi!
I just made a batch of these and followed your recipe to the letter with only 1 exception – being a pastry lover and a little bit lazy 😂 I liked the idea of lining the pie dishes with pastry and pre baking the base before adding the filling, but I couldn’t be bothered. (I’m sure they’re awesome made this way though!)
Instead of doing that I made a double lid – cut two pieces of pastry for each lid, stick them together with egg wash and then pop them on. Pastry and pot pie HEAVEN!!!!
Loved this recipe and very easy to follow. Come here again to redo it 🙂
This chicken pot pie recipe was fabulous! The entire family devoured it.
Thank you so much for the tip about a puff pastry base. Worked beautifully, no soggy bottom in sight! The pie was extremely easy to make, very tasty.
Hi Nagi
Just wondering what type of wine & red wine you use as mine the other day was off in the cupboard and my dish wasn’t the same without the wine
Cheers Denise
We live in NZ. I honestly rely on your recipes for anything new, as I now know I can trust the results, regardless of what I add (within reason! 😂) we’ve made this at least 5 times. With a blind baked crust, and without… Every single time it’s absolutely delicious, without fail. Love you!
Absolutely beautiful chicken pie. Nagi is a fantastic chef and her food is always outstanding, I love cooking and Nagis recipes do me justice
Thanks Nagi and Dozer the CEO
Hi Nagi! What brand of ramekin did you use for this recipe? I’m having a hard time finding one that’ll hold a hearty serve, and that is neither too shallow nor deep (also a fan of perfect pastry-to-filling ratio!)
Thanks 🙂
CorningWare has some. Just research 16oz ceramic baking cups/pots/dish.
This chicken pot pie was very nice and is on the “have again” list. I altered it a little by topping it with mashed potatoes and dotted it with butter before I put it in the oven. I’ve tried quite a few recipes on this site and have been thrilled with the results. Hands down my favourite site for recipes.
This recipe is an absolute winner!!!
I find it hard to feed my 85yr old mum who is extremely fussy with food now, but she ate every bite.
Only change I made was using a different dish rather than a ramekin that was more like an everyday pie. (Shallower).
Thankyou!!
Hi Nagi
Just love your recipes. Most of them are super easy, delicious and packed with flavour. Definitely will try this one too.
Thank you Wilma! N x
I love this recipe! I didn’t have puff pastry so I used my own pie pastry. It was the best chicken pie we’ve ever had! I highly recommend this. I think the parmesan cheese makes the difference in the fantastic flavor, don’t leave it out.
Thanks for that feedback Cathy and I agree – the cheese makes it!! N x
Perfect. I added a teaspoon of cayenne chilli powder for a bit of heat and was scrumptious.
Woo hoo!! I am happy you liked it Aniya!! N x
Hi Nagi! First of all, I adore your recipes! Your site is the first I check when looking for something new. Second, I love diced potatoes in a chicken pot pie, and I’m wondering if you have any suggestions about how to add them. Should I cook them separately in water first? Or cook them in the filling? Thank you!
If you dice them into 1 cm cubes then blanch them until just done then you can add them to the filling at the end! N x
Hi! How would I go using a roast chicken from the grocery store? Would this impact the sauce since you skip the poaching process?
Those chickens are generally brined, Eva, so the salt levels would change and the sauce won’t taste the same. N x
Another great one! This one got the husband seal of approval; he said it was the best pot pie he had ever had. And pretty easy too! Thanks!
I am glad you both liked it Olivia! N x
Hey there I see that you use frozen peas could I use a frozen pea/carrot mix?
Yes you could Lana! N x
I made this with the frozen pea/carrot mix and it was amazing! Thanks
How many servings does this make?
That’s always at the top of my recipes, Bailey. This one says Serves 4-6! N x