Chicken Pot Pie
Discover the secrets to making the ultimate homemade chicken pot pie, from the buttery crust to the savory filling. Learn classic techniques and expert tips for this comfort food favorite.
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 884
- Total Fat
- 54 g
- Saturated Fat
- 25 g
- Carbohydrates
- 44 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Protein
- 55 g
- Cholesterol
- 308 mg
- Sodium
- 1405 mg
Article by: Krissy Downey
Homemade chicken pot pie is warm, comforting and packed with savory goodness. This recipe is the one you make when you have the time and don’t want to cut any corners. It yields a magnificent chicken pot pie with tender, flaky, buttery crust and rich, silky filling.
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Like a Pro
Make your own pie crust. You can't fake buttery, flaky homemade pie crust. Our recipe infuses thyme and chives to really lean into that savory flavor. It’s a small step, but it makes all the difference.
Make fortified chicken stock. When making chicken pot pie, you have to cook the chicken anyways, so you might as well poach it in storebought chicken stock to make a fortified stock. This process intensifies the stock’s flavor, giving it a deeper, more robust taste.
Use cheesecloth to make a sachet. Making a sachet is culinary school 101, but it is very easy to do at home. Pile aromatics like garlic, peppercorns and spices onto a sheet of cheesecloth and tie the corners together with kitchen twine. This cheesecloth packet is called a sachet. Since cheesecloth is perforated, it allows the flavors of the aromatics to infuse the broth, but, at the end of the cooking process, you can just fish out the sachet without having to go looking for bay leaves and peppercorns in a large pot of liquid.
Let the filling cool before adding on the dough. If the filling is too hot, the heat can start melting the butter in the dough too quickly, which can cause the crust to become greasy and soggy. Allowing the filling to cool slightly will result in a golden, flaky crust.
Can I Use a Storebought Dough?
You can absolutely use storebought dough, but, if you have the time, homemade dough really takes things to the next level. Storebought dough will never have the fresh butter flavor or countless flaky, tender layers that a homemade crust yields. If you’re in a pinch, we recommend an all-butter puff pastry dough, which is usually found in the freezer section.
Can I Make Chicken Pot Pie Ahead of Time?
Yes, and there are a few ways you can do it.
First, you can assemble the pot pie, cover it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for up to two days. Then, you just bake it straight from the fridge.
Alternatively, you can completely bake the pot pie, allow it to cool, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it. When you’re ready to serve, reheat it in the oven for about 30 minutes.
How to Store Chicken Pot Pie
Make sure your chicken pot pie is completely cooled, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store it for up to four days in the refrigerator.
Can I Make It Vegetarian?
Yes! We love different takes on chicken pot pie, and one modern twist is to replace the chicken with extra veggies like mushrooms and fennel to make a vegetarian dish that is just as hearty and robust as the original.
Chicken Pot Pie
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 2 hr 40 min
- Active: 1 hr
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 884
- Total Fat
- 54 g
- Saturated Fat
- 25 g
- Carbohydrates
- 44 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Protein
- 55 g
- Cholesterol
- 308 mg
- Sodium
- 1405 mg
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 2 hr 40 min
- Active: 1 hr
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 884
- Total Fat
- 54 g
- Saturated Fat
- 25 g
- Carbohydrates
- 44 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Protein
- 55 g
- Cholesterol
- 308 mg
- Sodium
- 1405 mg
Ingredients
For the Dough:
For the Filling:
Directions
- Make the dough: Combine the flour, sugar, salt, thyme and chives in a food processor and pulse a few times to evenly combine. Add the butter and pulse 7 or 8 times until the butter is in pea-size bits. Add the vinegar and 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse just until the dough starts to come together into a ball. (Add 1 to 2 more tablespoons ice water if the dough is too dry.) Form the dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate while you make the filling, at least 1 hour.
- Make the filling: Pile the 2 crushed garlic cloves, bay leaf, lemon peel, peppercorns and coriander seeds on a square of cheesecloth. Bring the corners together to form a pouch and tie with a piece of kitchen twine.
- Combine the chicken, chicken broth and cheesecloth pouch in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a rapid simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate using tongs. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl; discard the cheesecloth pouch. Wipe out the saucepan; return the strained broth to the pan and keep at a very gentle simmer over low heat. Shred the chicken using 2 forks.
- Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the potato, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook until the potato is slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the 3 minced garlic cloves and the thyme and cook until softened, 1 minute. Add the vinegar and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour until the vegetables are evenly coated. Pour in 1 3/4 cups of the strained chicken broth (save the rest for another use). Bring to a gentle boil and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Add the shredded chicken, parsley and peas and stir to combine and heat through; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate and let cool until no longer steaming, about 20 minutes.
- Bake the pot pie: Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough into an 11-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Place it over the filling. Roll the overhanging dough under itself and crimp the edges with your fingers. Cut vents in the top of the dough. Beat the egg and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Brush the crust all over with the egg wash. Place the pot pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the crust is a deep golden brown, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.
Cook’s Note
Be careful not to overcook the vegetables on the stove or they’ll get mushy in the oven. Cook the potato just until it’s slightly softened. Make sure the filling cools before you put the crust on top so it stays flaky. If the filling is too hot, the crust will start steaming and become gummy.
