This Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Is Comfort Food at Its Finest (2024)

Recipes
Dinners
Comfort Food

This from-scratch chicken pot pie is adapted from Marshall Field's classic recipe. With a slow-cooked chicken, a creamy vegetable filling, and a handmade pie crust, this pot pie is the ultimate comfort food.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Updated November 28, 2023

13 Ratings

This Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Is Comfort Food at Its Finest (3)

Classic Chicken Pot Pie

If you are looking for an old fashioned, traditional chicken pot pie, made from a whole chicken, freshly cut vegetables, and a flaky homemade crust, this is it!

This chicken pot pie recipe is also known as "Mrs. Hering's Chicken Pot Pie" in the Marshall Field's Cookbook, from the famed Chicago Marshall Fields department store. First introduced to customers in 1890, it was this Marshall's chicken pot pie that launched the dish into our national consciousness.

This Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Is Comfort Food at Its Finest (4)

How To Make Chicken Pot Pie

This pot pie recipe is a weekend affair — meaning, you should put on some music and set aside some time to make this! Your time will be well rewarded. There is nothing like the taste of homemade, from-scratch chicken pot pie.

Here are the basic steps:

Cook the chicken: Start with a whole, raw chicken. Simmer it with water and vegetables until the meat is cooked. Pull all the meat off the bones for your pie, then add the leftover bones back to the pot. This makes a rich chicken stock for your recipe.
Make the pie crust: If you're intimidated by pie crusts, have no fear! This crust is made in the food processor and is easy to roll out. (You could also skip making pie crust and just use rounds of puff pastry instead.)
Make the filling: This pot pie filling is a mix of classic veggies (carrots, celery, and onion) with a sauce thickened with some flour and milk.
Put it all together: Portion the filling into individual ramekins and top with a lid of pie crust. Bake until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

This Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Is Comfort Food at Its Finest (5)

Make-Ahead Steps

If you're not keen on spending the whole afternoon in the kitchen, you can certainly break this into steps.

The chicken can be cooked and shredded, and the stock simmered, up to three days ahead. (You can also make it in the pressure cooker following this method.)
The pie crust can also be made up to two days ahead and kept refrigerated. When you're ready to assemble the pot pies, just let it sit on the counter for a few minute to take the chill off and make it easier to roll it out.
You could also prepare the entire filling and even portion it into the ramekins a day or so ahead of time. Keep them covered and refrigerated. Just wait to top with the pie crust lid until you're ready to bake.

This Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Is Comfort Food at Its Finest (6)

A Thick and Creamy Filling

The ideal consistency of your filling when you're cooking it on the stovetop and before going into the pot pies should be creamy and thickened. It will thicken a little more in the oven as the pot pies bake, so at this point, you want it to be slightly less thick than the finished dish.

If at this point your filling seems soupy, like heavy cream, let it simmer until it thickens up enough coat the back of a wooden spoon. If it seems like it's not thickening up as fast as you like, scoop out about 1/4 cup of the sauce, whisk in a tablespoon or two of flour until no more lumps remain, and then whisk this mixture into the skillet.

If it seems like the filling thickened up too much and it starting to seem stiff, then whisk in a little broth or water to thin it out again.

Leftover Pot Pie

Pot pie is best served right away, mostly because that's when the pastry crust topping is at its crispiest and flakiest. If you have leftovers, you can definitely reheat them -- they're delicious! Just know that the pie crust will be softened and won't crisp back up again.

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Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

Prep Time90 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time115 mins

Servings6 servings

Ingredients

For the chicken and stock

1 (3 1/2 pound) whole chicken
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
1 small onion, halved
2 teaspoons salt

For the pie crust

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup(1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced into 1/2-inch cubes (best to chill cubes in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before using)
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

For the chicken pot pie filling

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups onion, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
3 carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups chicken stock, reserved from cooking chicken
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thymeleaves
1/4 cup dry sherry
See Also
Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (VIDEO)
3/4 cup green peas, frozen or fresh
2 tablespoons mincedfresh parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the egg wash

1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water

Special Equipment

Food processor
10ounceramekins (6 of them)

Method

Cook the chicken:
Combine the chicken, carrot, celery, onion and salt into a large stock pot. Add cold water until just covered and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool for 15 minutes. While the chicken is cooling, continue to boil the remaining water and vegetables in the pot.
Shred the chicken:
When the chicken has cooled enough to touch, strip away as much of the meat as you can. Place the meat on a dish, set aside.
Finish the chicken stock:
Return the chicken bones to the stockpot and continue to boil, on high heat, until the stock has reduced to a quart or quart and a half.
Set aside 2 1/2 cups of the stock for this recipe. The remaining stock you can refrigerate and store for another purpose.
Prepare the pie crust dough:
Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the chilled butter cubes and pulse 5 times to combine. Add the shortening and pulse a few more times, until the dough resembles a coarse cornmeal, with some pea-sized pieces of butter.
Slowly stream in ice water, a tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition, until the dough sticks together when you press some between your fingers.
Empty the food processor onto a clean surface. Use your hands to mold into a ball, then flatten the ball into a disk. Sprinkle with a little flour, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days, before rolling.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Prepare the filling:
In a large skillet, melt butter on medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, one minute more.
Whisk in 2 1/2 cups of the chicken stock. Whisk in the milk. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often until thickened and creamy.
Add the chicken meat, thyme, sherry, peas, parsley, salt and pepper and stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Divide the warm filling among six 10-ounce ramekins.
Prepare the crust:
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a little less than a quarter-inch thick.
Cut into 6 rounds, slightly larger than the circumference of the ramekins. Lay a dough round on each pot pie filling.
Fold the excess dough under itself and use the tines of a fork to press the dough against the edge of the ramekins. Cut a 1-inch vent into each individual pie. Use a pastry brush to apply an egg wash to each pie.
Bake:
Line a baking sheet with foil, place the pies on the baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling.
Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!

Comfort Food
Chicken Casseroles
Whole Chicken
Vegetables

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
774	Calories
44g	Fat
50g	Carbs
44g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	774
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 44g	56%
Saturated Fat 23g	113%
Cholesterol 200mg	67%
Sodium 1279mg	56%
Total Carbohydrate 50g	18%
Dietary Fiber 4g	15%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 44g
Vitamin C 9mg	45%
Calcium 147mg	11%
Iron 4mg	23%
Potassium 822mg	17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

This Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Is Comfort Food at Its Finest (2024)

FAQs

What is the sauce made of in chicken pot pie? ›

Flour: Flour thickens the sauce. Seasonings: We're flavoring this pot pie filling with salt, pepper, and thyme. Chicken Stock/Broth: Feel free to use vegetable broth/stock instead. Half-and-half: This is the magic ingredient for a rich, creamy sauce that coats the meat and vegetables in the pot pie filling.

Know More ›

Why do you not use a bottom crust on chicken pot pie? ›

I only gave my pot pie a top crust, because I feel like the bottom crust always gets soggy. If you do want to add a bottom crust, I suggest blind baking it. What does blind baking mean? It's when you bake your pie crust without a filling in order to crisp it up.

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How long does chicken pot pie last in the fridge? ›

Leftover chicken pot pie will last in the fridge for up to 5 days, stored in an airtight container. To Freeze: The unbaked or baked pot pie freezes well for up to 2-3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then bake as directed, or bake until its warm throughout.

Know More ›

How can I thicken up my chicken pot pie? ›

Stir a tablespoon of cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of cold water and add it to your filling mixture to thicken it.

Get More Info ›

What do you use to thicken chicken pot pie? ›

Unfortunately, the filling relies on flour for thickening. However, you can substitute it to make it truly gluten free a few ways. You can dissolve cornstarch in the COLD milk before pouring it into the skillet. You can use a one-for-one gluten free flour substitution, or you can use arrowroot!

Tell Me More ›

How do you keep the bottom crust of a chicken pot pie from getting soggy? ›

The most common way to ward off a soggy pie crust is by a process called blind baking. Blind baking means you pre-bake the crust (sometimes covered with parchment or foil and weighed down with pie weights to prevent the crust from bubbling up) so that it sets and crisps up before you add any wet filling.

Why does my chicken pot pie get watery? ›

A watery potpie may be the result of not cooking the filling for long enough or adding too much liquid to the filling. Another possible reason for the pie being watery is if you add watery vegetables like spinach or green beans to the filling rather than potatoes or carrots, which soak up liquid.

Read On ›

Should you prebake the bottom crust of a chicken pot pie? ›

I solved the problem with most soggy chicken pot pies - I have you to prebake the bottom crust before filling it with my rich and flavorful chicken and veggie packed filling so the bottom crust won't get soggy, and then have you bake it again with a top crust until golden brown!

Explore More ›

What makes chicken pot pie unhealthy? ›

Most of the fat and calories in pot pie comes from that crust. And don't worry, we wouldn't ask you to give up it -- just make some changes. Crusts made with shortening, lard or puff pastry are overloaded with artery-clogging saturated and trans fats.

Read On ›

How to tell if chicken pot pie is bad? ›

A stale or off smell is a clear warning sign. Additionally, if you notice any mold or discoloration on the pie, it's a sure sign it has gone bad. When tasting, if you find the flavor is off or sour, it would be best to toss it out.

View Details ›

Can you eat rotisserie chicken after 7 days? ›

USDA recommends using cooked chicken within three to four days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within three to four days.

Learn More Now ›

Can I eat a chicken pie 3 days out of date? ›

You should not eat the food after this date has passed. The use-by date is only valid as long as the food is stored properly, and the packaging is sealed.

See Details ›

Can you eat cooked chicken left out for 8 hours? ›

Even if you plan to refrigerate it and recook it, the damage might already be done with the amount of bacteria now on the meat. So while it's never ideal to waste food, if your chicken has been left out for more than two hours, your safest bet is to toss it.

Why does chicken pot pie have so much saturated fat? ›

A significant amount of the calories and fat in traditional chicken pot pie come from the crust. Only using crust on the top of the pies made a big difference nutritionally. For this recipe, I used a ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust rather than making my own.

Discover More ›

What is the original pot pie? ›

Would it surprise you to know that the pot pie has been around since Ancient Greek and Roman times? Around 500 BC the Ancient Greeks made meat pies called artocreas. These pies had a bottom crust but no top crust. Once the Romans started making artocreas they added a top crust made from oil and flour.