Mom’s chicken pot pie with pie crust is the ultimate comfort food dinner. This cozy casserole features chicken and vegetables in a creamy, made-from-scratch sauce, all topped with a buttery, flaky crust. Simple shortcuts like store-bought crust and rotisserie chicken make it easy enough for any weeknight.
For more pot pie ideas, try my Bisquick Chicken Pot Pie, my 30-minute Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits, or my Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie made completely from scratch.
Table of Contents
Before You Get Started
A few quick tips to set you up for success:
- Don’t thaw the frozen peas before adding them to the filling. This keeps them bright green instead of turning brown and mushy after baking.
- Cut slits in the top of the crust before baking. This allows steam to escape and prevents a soggy top.
- Let the pie rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. The filling will set so it slices more easily, and you won’t burn your mouth!
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie with Pie Crust
This is the recipe I grew up with, straight from the browned, stained index card where my mom originally jotted down her favorite dish. It’s truly the easiest chicken pot pie ever, and you don’t need any canned cream of mushroom soup.
Step 1: Prepare the Chicken
You’ll need about 4 cups of cooked, shredded or diced chicken for the filling. A store-bought rotisserie chicken is my favorite shortcut. Just pull the meat and chop or shred it.
If you prefer to cook your own, boil about 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs until cooked through (about 15 minutes). Let it cool slightly, then chop or shred.
Leftover chicken or turkey from a previous meal works great here, too.
Step 2: Make the Creamy Filling
Whisk together the chicken broth and half-and-half in a bowl and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and sauté for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.
Add the flour and stir for one more minute. This creates the roux that thickens the sauce and gives the filling that classic pot pie richness.
Pour in the broth mixture and reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking and stirring until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 5 to 6 minutes. Make sure the mixture doesn’t boil too rapidly.
Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the chicken and frozen peas. Your filling is done!
>> Note: The combination of butter, flour, broth, and half-and-half is what gives this pot pie its signature creamy, savory flavor. For extra depth, you can add a pinch of dried thyme or poultry seasoning.
Step 3: Assemble and Bake
Transfer the filling to a greased 2-quart baking dish or deep-dish pie plate. You can also leave it in an oven-safe skillet (like cast iron) to make this a one-pot meal.
Unroll the refrigerated pie crust and lay it flat over the top of the dish. Trim or tuck under any excess dough, then crimp the edges or press with a fork to seal. Use a sharp knife to cut small slits in the top of the crust.
You only need a single pie crust for the top. I prefer a high-quality store-bought refrigerated crust (Pillsbury is my go-to). The box comes with two crusts, so you can freeze the extra for later.
Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
Let the pie rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. This gives the filling time to set so it slices beautifully.
Oh my, this was the best chicken pot pie I have tasted. I made it exactly as listed and it came out delicious! I have tried different pot pie recipes and the filling was either too watery or the crust would burn. Thank you so much for this truly delicious and truly easy recipe. I still have a pie crust left so I’m definitely making another one to freeze.
– Annette L.
Recipe Variations
- Top with puff pastry instead of pie crust for an extra flaky, golden top. [Full recipe here: Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry]
- Add extra seasonings to the filling, such as fresh or dried thyme, parsley, rosemary, or a bit of garlic powder. Some folks love a handful of cheddar cheese stirred in, too.
- Try different vegetables. Frozen mixed vegetables, frozen corn kernels, or crisp-tender steamed broccoli all work well. My Chicken Broccoli Pot Pie is a family favorite.
- Make individual pot pies by dividing the filling among ramekins or oven-proof bowls. Cut the pie crust to fit each dish (you may need both crusts from the box). Baking time stays about the same.
What to Serve with Chicken Pot Pie
This pot pie is hearty enough to stand on its own, but a simple side rounds out the meal nicely. Try it with a crisp House Salad with Candied Pecans, Garlic Roasted Broccoli, or a basket of warm Homemade Dinner Rolls.
For a Southern-style spread, pair it with Fried Apples or Southern-Style Green Beans.
Storage and Reheating
Make Ahead: Prepare the filling as instructed and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before assembling and baking. You can also freeze the filling for up to 3 months.
Freeze Before Baking: Assemble the entire pot pie (filling and crust) and freeze unbaked. Wrapped tightly, it will keep for up to 3 months. To bake from frozen, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the pot pie on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.
Store Leftovers: Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Let the pie sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Place in a 300°F oven for about 30 minutes, or until heated through. If the crust starts to brown too much, cover loosely with foil.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you keep the crust from getting soggy?
This recipe uses a top crust only, so there’s no bottom crust to worry about. The key is cutting slits in the top before baking so steam can escape. If you want a double-crust version with a crispy bottom, follow my Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie recipe, which includes tips for a flaky bottom crust.
Can I use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken?
Absolutely! A store-bought rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite shortcuts for this recipe. You’ll need about 4 cups of shredded or diced meat. Leftover roasted chicken or turkey works perfectly, too.
How long do you bake chicken pot pie, and at what temperature?
Bake at 400°F for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing so the filling can set.
What gives chicken pot pie its flavor?
The creamy sauce is the heart of a good pot pie. Butter, flour, chicken broth, and half-and-half combine to create that rich, savory base. Sautéing the vegetables first builds extra flavor. For even more depth, add a pinch of thyme, poultry seasoning, or a bay leaf while the sauce simmers.
More Comforting Recipes
If you love this classic, try these other cozy favorites:
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Chicken Pot Pie with Pie Crust
Equipment
- deep dish pie plate (or 2-quart baking dish)
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half (or substitute heavy cream or whole milk)
- ⅓ cup salted butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup peeled and chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups chopped, cooked chicken (such as rotisserie chicken)
- ½ cup frozen peas (not thawed)
- 1 refrigerated pie crust (from a 14.1-ounce box)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish or deep-dish pie plate (or use a 2-quart oven-safe skillet).
- In a bowl, whisk together chicken broth and half-and-half. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 10 minutes, until softened.
- Add flour and stir for 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the broth mixture. Cook, stirring regularly, until thickened (about 5 to 6 minutes). Do not let it boil rapidly.
- Stir in salt, pepper, chicken, and frozen peas.
- Transfer filling to the prepared baking dish. Top with pie crust, trimming and crimping edges as desired. Cut slits in the top to vent.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.
- Let rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken for the easiest prep. One large rotisserie chicken yields about 4 cups of meat.
- Don’t thaw frozen peas before adding them. This keeps them bright green after baking.
- Cut slits in the crust to let steam escape and prevent a soggy top.
- Let the pie rest before slicing so the filling sets and it’s easier to serve.
- For an egg wash: Brush the crust with 1 beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water before baking for a deeper golden color and shine.
- Use a 2-quart dish (casserole, deep-dish pie plate, or oven-safe skillet).
- Make ahead: Prepare filling up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. Assemble and bake when ready.
- Freeze unbaked: Wrap assembled pot pie tightly and freeze up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 400°F, covered with foil for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.
- Reheat in a 300°F oven for about 30 minutes. Cover with foil if crust browns too quickly.
Nutrition
Best pot pie I’ve ever had!
– Lindy
Originally published in October, 2019, this post was updated in January, 2026.
Oh my, this was the best hockey pot pie I have tasted. I made it exactly as listed and it came out delicious! I have tried different pot pie recipes and the filling was either to watery or the crust would burn. Thank you so much for this truly delicious and truly easy recipe. I still have a pie crust left so I’m definitely making another one to freeze.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Annette! We actually had it for dinner last night as well, since I had the extra pie crust in my freezer from before. 🙂
I tried this recipe and it turned out great! I added in cubes of potatoes and mushrooms to the sauted veggies. Super easy and great taste! I am happy I found this tasty recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Rosemary! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review.
This recipe is perfect for two people! My husband and I have made this a weekly staple and we like to add in some paprika and cayenne for a bit more flavor. Turns out perfect every time!
Thank you, Carrie! We’re so glad you enjoy it.
I just made this tonight, so good!! A definite keeper! A few minor changes, I have a few peeps that can’t eat onions/celery so left out the onions and added diced potatoes and used 2 cans of chicken broth instead of 2 cups, definitely needed the extra moisture. I had left over filling so lucky us we get to have the yummy filling over noodles or with biscuits 🙂
Wonderful! So glad that you enjoyed it, Kathy. It’s such comfort food! I imagine you would need the extra liquid when adding potatoes — good thinking! Enjoy those leftovers! 🙂
Made this tonight just as directed and it was delicious!
Wonderful! Thanks, Kelly! Total comfort food. 🙂
Hi Blair!
I had some leftover cooked turkey in the freezer from Thanksgiving, so I thawed it & tonight made your recipe! Oh yum! It was perfect!
I’m not a crust maker, so there’s one more crust from the package in the freezer…. next time I’ll make it with chicken. This was just the right amount of filling & a perfect consistency with amazing flavor.
Thank you so much for sharing your talent. I always enjoy reading your Sunday email and look forward to seeing your pics every week of your beautiful area!
Yay! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Kris! Total comfort food, and definitely a great way to use up leftover turkey or chicken. Thanks for taking the time to leave a note and let me know. Have a great week!
Delicious…..Easy and very filling. Just wondering what’s the best size dish to bake it in. I used a deep dish round casserole dish and next time I would like to bake it in something different so it’s not so deep but I don’t know what size dish to use ?
I made this recipe with a couple twists. First I lined bottom of dish with Pillsbury crescent roll dough. Second, I added a pinch of oregano and a pinch of basil to flour mix. It was delicious! So many compliments! It was really good but the adds took it over the top!
Sounds delicious, Janice. Thank you!
Making now. Can I make it using the bottom of the store bought pie too?
Yes! You can certainly make it a double-crust pot pie. Here’s another double-crusted chicken pot pie recipe, in case you’d like to refer to it. This recipe uses a homemade pie crust, but you can substitute with two store-bought crusts: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/chicken-pot-pie/
Hope that helps!
This was delicious, and a much requested recipe! I appreciate all the information you include in your recipes, particularly the sides to go with them. It makes it so easy for meal planning because you have done all the thinking! I’m wondering if I can assemble the whole pie including the top pie crust and keep it refrigerated until later in the day when I’m ready to bake it. This would also be helpful if I were bringing a meal to a friend because the prep would all be done. Thank you!
Hi, Donna! I’m so glad that you like the recipe! Yes, you can absolutely assemble the pie in advance and then keep it in the fridge. I would let the filling cool completely, though, before you assemble it with the pie crusts. That will help to keep the pie crusts flaky when they bake.
Best pot pie I’ve ever had!
Thank you so much, Lindy!
I just made this pot pie this morning. I did not have carrots, but substituted chopped mushrooms instead. I followed the recipe & was happy with the filling. I cannot wait to take it out of the oven! I am going to share it with my friend that lives in our independent living complex. Please keep the recipes coming.
That’s so nice of you, Sherry! We hope you and your friend enjoy.
Blair,
It was so delicious! I shared it with two friends & we enjoyed the creamy filling. This is a keeper Blair.
Wonderful! Thanks, Sherry!
I like how this recipe all comes together. The gravy was just the right consistency. It was delicious. I served the chicken pot pie with a tossed salad with Craisins for a nice touch of Fall.
Thanks, Cynthia!
Easy as promised and delicious! My family loved it!
Thank you, Lisa!
I just made this Chicken Pot Pie today. It was delicious! My family loved it. I’ll be adding this to my go to recipe list. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Thanks, Raylene! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!
This is my go-to chicken pot pie recipe, it is absolutely perfect. I usually make a single batch but I’m having company over and have more people to feed than usual. If I double all the ingredients, does the cook time/oven temp remain the same?
Thank you!!
Thank you, Sophie! We’re so glad you enjoy it. We recommend making two batches rather than one really large one to ensure it bakes properly. We hope you enjoy!
I followed the directions to a tee. Absolutely wonderful pot pie.
Wonderful! Thank you, Raymond!
I had left over cooked chicken and only one frozen pie crust I made a month ago. This was so easy and delicious! My boyfriend and his dad loved it. Thank you
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for trying it out, Lauren!
Delicious…..Easy and very filling. Just wondering what’s the best size dish to bake it in. I used a deep dish round casserole dish and next time I would like to bake it in something different so it’s not so deep but I don’t know what size dish to use ?
Hi! I recommend a 2-quart baking dish or a deep-dish pie plate. 🙂
I always loved pot pies growing up, so when I found this recipe, I decided to give it a try.
I am so glad I found Blair’s recipe, because it was a lot fewer calories than most of the others I found online. I added some tarragon, portobello mushrooms, and a couple ounces of sherry for some rich complexity. My wife and I really enjoyed this meal, and I absolutely recommend this recipe, because it is truly delicious. This is one meal that I will make more often, especially once colder weather sets in. This dinner not only flooded my mind with memories of my mom and her cooking, but filled our bellies with a great savory meal.
This made our day, Patrick! Thank you for trying it out. We’re so glad you enjoyed it and the memories it brought up.
Oh my gosh, this was delicious. I didn’t have carrots so I used a half a bag of frozen mixed veggies. Everything else I followed the recipe. My husband said WoW! Sooo good. Of course it is 50degrees and quite gloomy here in upstate NY. Comforting food.
Thank you, Tina! We’re so glad you were able to make it work for you.
Delicious. On point. I added a bit more salt and two dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Will make again.
Thank you, Angela! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
I’ve made this twice. Made chicken in crock pot a few days before, so it came together easily. Used Trader Joe’s crust and left out the peas (don’t like ’em). Wow. So delicious. I’m not a great cook and even I succeeded with this one. Thank you so much, Blair, for this recipe. It’s was simply fantastic. Looking on your site for a no fail Mac and Cheese. Best to you.
We’re so glad you’ve enjoyed it, Deb! You can find all of our mac and cheese recipes here.
Greetings from another Blue Ridge local in Rappahannock County, VA.
We had a lot of turkey left over from Thanksgiving as well as an unused batch of pie crust dough, and I landed on your recipe for pot pie, and decided this was perfect for dispatching the last of the leftover turkey. We also had made a big batch of turkey broth with the bones, so also used that to make the sauce for this recipe.
The basic recipe seemed balanced but maybe a bit bland, so I added a clove of mashed garlic in with the onions to make the sauce base, as well as some dried wild mushrooms in the sauce for additional flavor, along with a few dashes of nutmeg.
We just ate two individual pies for dinner, and they tasted great. I have tucked the other two into the freezer, following your instructions. When we take them out, it will be a great memory of this Thanksgiving weekend, and a perfect solution for a busy day to just pop them in the oven–and dinner is made!
Hi, Bill! We’re practically neighbors! I’m so glad that you have some delicious pot pies tucked away for a chilly day. Thanks for your note!
This was delicious as written. There are just 2 of us so I froze leftover individual servings and hope they will reheat well. No more Marie Calendar frozen pot pies!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Anne! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review.