This Homemade Chicken Pot Pie is the ultimate comfort food! It does things a bit differently than many traditional recipes – it’s made entirely from scratch (NO condensed cream soups!), with less butter and using milk instead of cream for a lighter but still very delicious take on the classic casserole.
A Note from Nora
Do I love a good casserole! And this homemade Chicken Pot Pie is no different: Cozy, homey comfort food at its finest!
I often make my own crust, but this works perfectly fine with a store-bought crust, too. I make the filling without any condensed cream soups. The result is a super tasty pot pie that doesn’t make you feel like you’ve just eaten a brick of concrete! Plus it’s full of healthy vegetables and a great way to stretch chicken breast to feed more for a budget friendly dinner – YES PLEASE!
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie
Read on for the detailed step-by-step ingredients and instructions, or scroll down for tips and the printable recipe card.
Ingredients for Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
This chicken pot pie recipe uses fresh ingredients for the best taste possible!
You Need:
- 1 medium potato, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced (about ¾ cup)
- 1 large stalk celery, sliced (about ½ cup)
- 1 large chicken breast, cubed
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- Black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ cup frozen corn
- 1 pie crust for a double-crust pie, store-bought OR homemade
- 1 egg beaten
I always make my own pie crust, but I fully understand it’s not something everyone has the nerve for. I have made it so many times, I can throw it together in five minutes now – it’s definitely worth it to learn how to make this pastry.
And I have a tutorial for how to make pie crust from scratch!
I also added my way of making it to the notes in the recipe box at the bottom, but you can easily make your own favorite recipe or use a store-bough double crust.
Ingredient Swaps
- use cubed rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey meat in place of the fresh chicken breast
- use phyllo pastry or puff pastry on top of the filling instead of a pie crust for a fun twist
- replace the milk with cream or half-and-half for a richer filling
Equipment Needed to Make a Chicken Pot Pie from Scratch
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You need the following equipment ready
- a knife and chopping board
- a vegetable peeler
- a large pot
- a skillet and a wooden cooking spoon
- a whisk
- measuring cups and spoons
- pie dish
- rolling pin and bowl, if making your own crust
PS this is the BEST vegetable peeler I’ve ever owned!*
Steps
Making chicken pot pie takes a little time, but it’s well worth the effort!
Make the filling:
1 Cook vegetables and chicken:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water well with salt.
Add the diced potato, carrot, celery and chicken and boil until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain well (otherwise you’ll have a watery filling!) and set aside.
Note: Why pre-cook the chicken and vegetables?
The chicken and vegetables are cooked separately so they hold their shape and don’t disintegrate into the creamy base of the filling. Make sure to cook until the carrots are tender, otherwise they may end up still too crunchy.
2 Make the roux:
In the meantime, melt the butter in a deep, wide skillet over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook until softened WITHOUT browning. Whisk in the flour and cook for one minute, whisking constantly. Pour in the chicken stock and milk, whisking carefully so no lumps can form.
Note: Why not brown the roux?
The base of butter and flour of the creamy sauce is called a roux. There are two ways to make a roux: With browning (think brown gravy for Swedish Meatballs) and without browning.
Since this is a chicken pot pie with a light cream sauce, this roux is made WITHOUT browning. Keep heat moderate and watch it closely so it doesn’t catch any color for the lightest filling.
3 Cook the filling:
Season the filling with salt, thyme and black pepper. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
4 Finish the filling:
Stir the potato mixture, chicken breast, peas and corn into the filling. Set aside to cool completely before adding to the pie crust.
Note:Cooling the filling completely:
A very important step to avoid the dreaded soggy bottom is to cool the filling completely before adding it to the prepared crust.
Assemble the pie:
1 In the meantime, prepare the pastry:
Use half of the pastry to line a 9-inch pie plate.
Trim the edges and set the pie plate into the refrigerator to chill. Roll the remaining pastry into an about 10-inch circle.
Place on parchment paper and cover with cling film or a clean kitchen towel. Chill in the fridge as well until the filling is ready.
No matter which crust you decide to use, it’s important to follow the chilling instructions in the recipe. This is the best way to prevent the pie from shrinking back or turning out doughy and pasty!
2 Finish the pie:
Preheat the oven to 420°F. Place the cooled (!) filling into the pastry-lined pie dish.
Place the pastry lid on top. Trim, seal and flute the edge.
Cut slits into the top as air vents, then brush with the beaten egg.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Allowed to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Note: Rest there before slicing:
A 10 minute rest after baking helps the pie to hold up its shape much better once it’s sliced. But I know how hard it is to keep yourself form digging in, so that’s the one thing you can dismiss without suffering dreadful consequences 😉
Nora’s Tips for the perfect Homemade Chicken Pot Pie:
Do let the filling cool completely before adding it to the pie crust, otherwise the pie will turn out soggy.
For an extra-crisp base, place a baking sheet in the lower half of the oven as it preheats. The hot baking sheet will give the bottom of the pot pie a flash-start in the oven for a crispier pastry case.
Leftovers are delicious, too! Chill any leftovers for up to two days and reheat them in short bursts in the microwave until piping hot all the way through.
What to serve with homemade Chicken Pot Pie:
Try these next:
Print the Recipe:
Printable recipe
Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 1 medium potato peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 large carrot peeled and diced (about ¾ cup)
- 1 large stalk celery sliced (about ½ cup)
- 1 large chicken breast cubed
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- Black pepper to taste
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ cup frozen corn
- 1 pie pastry store-bought OR homemade
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
Make the filling:
- Cook vegetables and chicken: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt and boil the diced potato, carrot, celery and chicken until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Make the roux: In the meantime, melt the butter in a deep, wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened WITHOUT browning. Whisk in the flour and cook for one minute, whisking constantly. Pour in the chicken stock and milk, whisking carefully so no lumps can form.
- Cook the filling: Season the filling with salt, thyme and black pepper. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Finish the filling: Stir the potato mixture, chicken breast, peas and corn into the filling. Set aside to cool completely before adding to the pie crust.
Assemble the pie:
- In the meantime, prepare the pastry: Use half of the pastry to fill a 9-inch pie plate. trim the edges and set the pie plate into the refrigerator to chill. Roll the remaining pastry into an about 10-inch circle. Place on parchment paper and cover with cling film or a clean kitchen towel. Chill in the fridge as well until the filling is ready.
- Finish the pie: Preheat the oven to 420°F. Place the cold filling into the pastry-lined pie dish. Place the pastry lid on top. Trim, seal and flute the edge. Cut slits into the top as air vents. Brush with beaten egg. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Allowed to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup butter
- 4 to 6 tablespoons cold water
Melody says
This recipe sounds really good! I was wondering, though, if it’s safe to put a cold glass pie plate on a baking sheet that has been preheated to 420? I thought a drastic, sudden change in temperature like that would cause the glass to break.
Nora says
Melody, that is a very valid question. I’m not sure. I’ve only ever used ceramic pie dishes and never had an issue. I do follow a lot of professional chefs/bakers who recommend this method for most kids of pies. I’ll do some research and if I find anything relevant, I’ll update in the post!