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?? 😂)
Your recipes are just fab! You are my go to cook these days. Thanks for all the great recipes. My Chicken pot pie is in the oven as I write and smells divine. Btw, what size pots do you use per person? I only have a big pot … xx
Hi Debbie, I usually fit these into 4 large or 6 small ramekins – you could always make one large one though!
Delicious. Thank you! We didn’t alter anything and it made enough for two medium size pies. Our toddler loved it too. Love your recipes, thanks.
You’re so welcome Tor!
This is so yummy! Another favourite for the fam! Question, have you ever froze one? Would you recommend cooking then freezing? Thanks
Hi Ann, all the directions are in the recipe notes, point 7 – N x
I live in Finland so just regular puff pastry I guess. But it looked thicker from the start compared to yours. I took a pic of the final product. Super puffed up haha https://imgur.com/a/5aM6k2W
The sauce tasted great though. Is rolling the pastry thinner Ok?
Hi Antony, looks like your pastry is thicker and has more layers than we have here – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing!
The sauce tasted great in this recipe! As a first time user of puff pastry I felt my pastry was almost too thick, I wonder if it’s normal to roll out puff pastry to get it a bit thinner if desired?
Hi Antony, what kind of pastry did you use?
Weird question, iv run out of chicken stock, don’t have tome to go to the shops, can I use beef?
Yup sure thing! Colour will be darker and it will taste a bit beefy but will be really nice, like a dark gravy 🙂 N x
Made this tonight for hubby, Mum and myself – smelt so good we couldn’t wait for pastry so we all had it on toast. Sensational! This is now a family fave. Promise next time we’ll wait for the pastry lol.
I have a few all time favorite pie recipes that generally do, but i loved the look of this one and i was not disappointed! So delicious! I substituted thyme for tarragon as all mine thyme is dead :(. Will add to my favorite recipes!
Thanks so much for letting me know Danni!
Made this last night and got 2 excited ‘thumbs up’ from my partner!
This was absolutely delicious. Your recipes make up majority of the meals in my house lately and I love them!
Thank you for bringing back the excitement I used to have when cooking meals from scratch!
That’s so great to hear B!
Hi Nagi, Just wanted to let you know I made this today – a very cold Tassie day here ! I have no Puff pastry on hand and I am not close to shops, so I have topped the chicken filling with Sweet Potato mash – DELISH !! Love your site for inspiration on my “dont know what to cook” days ! 🙂
That’s a great idea Karen! I’m so glad it worked out for you – N x
These were fantastic! I sprinkled a little Kosher salt on top before baking. Family gobbled them up !
Loved this recipe!!! This was one of the best dishes I’ve made!! And perfect for winter, too!!
Awesome Cheryl!
I HAVE SO MUCH TROUBLE READING YOUR NOTES IN THE PALE BLUE COLOR . MY PC? MY GLASSES? MAYBE DARKER BLUE OR RED?HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET DOZER.
Delicious! Husband approved!
Winning!
I’d never made a pie before and was searching the internet for a delicious looking, easy to follow recipe. This recipe ticked all the boxes! So easy to follow, all the tips and notes were very helpful. Instead of celery I used leek and mushrooms. I also made it as one big pie. The pie turned out perfectly, pastry and filling were delicious! Will absolutely be making this again!
Thank you!!
Delicious! Made this tonight (normally do a diff version) and whole family loved it. I added some button mushrooms that were languishing in the fridge but other than that no other changes. It took me a little longer than I would normally have time for mid week but I’m on holidays so went for it. It’s actually our 3rd Nagi recipe in a row so that tells you everything.
just love it !!!!!!Thank you Nagi Your recipes always work and always are winners!!!!!
You’re welcome Martha!!! — Nx
Hey, Nagi this might sound like a really dumb question ? But if you wanted to make this into a 9 inch pie using puff pastry how do I do so …do I bake it first or how do I layer them (in case I don’t use the puff pastry can I use Pillsbury pie crust instead ?) if I do use that how should I proceed with the baking method 😶sorry this is my first time trying out a recipe like this 😭 normally it’s my mom and dad who cooks and since my sister is coming back from UNI I wanted to surprise them with this ❤️
Hi NAGI Tin Eats:
Writing from Lunenburg, NS, CDA again. Love, love, love your recipes and your wonderful upbeat attitude. Such a pleasure all the time.
Thanks so much Su!!
Hi! If I were to use thigh fillets, would I still have to fork it apart? Or can I just chop it into chunks instead?
This recipe is a winner!! I made this 2x as my husband & kids loved, loved, loved this. The only thing I changed was to add mushrooms and omit peas as we don’t like peas 🙂 Thank you Nagi for another great recipe!!!
Loved it the best I have ever had
The BEST chicken pot pie I have ever had – the wine and Parm are spectacular and distinctive additions! I recently found your site and have discovered a bunch of meals that I need to make. If only you could spell FLAVOR properly. ;^)
Hi Tom, I’m so glad you loved the flavour of these pies!! 😉