Chicken Pot Pie

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Chicken Pot Pie

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Take your comfort food to the next level with these elegant chicken pot pies. Made with rotisserie chicken and store-bought puff pastry, they’re as simple to make as they are delicious.

chicken pot pie

There’s something so comforting about chicken pot pie—the flaky crust, creamy sauce, and hearty filling make it the perfect all-in-one meal. But between the chicken, the sauce, and the crust, a traditional pot pie can easily take up an entire day in the kitchen. For this version, I wanted to streamline the process without sacrificing flavor. After many trials, I found that using a rotisserie chicken for the filling and good-quality store-bought puff pastry for the crust were both game-changing shortcuts. With those solved, I tackled the usual problem with chicken pot pies: the bland, goopy white sauce. I thinned the sauce to a chowder-like consistency and added splash of Cognac for that extra depth of flavor that takes these pot pies to the next level.

“My husband, who has never craved chicken pot pie, said this might be the best thing I’ve ever made and is already asking when I’ll make it again.”

Nina

What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Pot Pie

Pot pie ingredients including puff pastry, heavy cream, and chicken broth.
  • Frozen puff pastry: Provides the flaky, buttery topping. I recommend Dufour all-butter puff pastry if you can find it (it’s sold at Whole Foods), but Pepperidge Farm, which is readily available in the freezer section of most supermarkets, is very good too.
  • Butter: For sautéing the vegetables and enriching the filling.
  • Onion and garlic: These aromatics form the flavor foundation for the filling.
  • Celery, pearl onions, carrots, and peas: These vegetables add texture, flavor, and nutrition to the filling.
  • All-purpose flour: Thickens the sauce; also used for rolling the pastry.
  • Chicken broth: Creates the savory base of the filling.
  • Cognac: Enhances depth of flavor.
  • Heavy cream: Contributes to the creamy texture of the filling.
  • Fresh thyme: Provides aromatic herbal notes.
  • Shredded cooked chicken: The main protein component.
  • Egg: Beaten for an egg wash to give the pastry a golden finish.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-By-Step Instructions

To begin, dust a clean, dry work surface with flour and place the puff pastry over top.

Puff pastry on a floured countertop.

Sprinkle the pastry with flour and roll to about 1/8-inch thick, smoothing the creases with the rolling pin at the same time. Using a sharp knife, kitchen shears, or a pizza cutter, cut out 4 circles about 2 inches larger than the circumference of your soup bowls. Place the dough rounds on a foil-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use.

Person cutting out a circle of puff pastry dough.

Next, make the filling. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter, Add the yellow onion, garlic, celery, pearl onions, and carrots.

Vegetables cooking in a skillet.

Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the carrots are just cooked.

Skillet of cooked vegetables.

Add the flour.

Flour in a skillet with cooked vegetables.

Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes.

Vegetable and flour mixture in a skillet.

Add the broth, cognac, salt, and white pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to incorporate the flour.

Broth in a skillet.

Simmer until thickened, a few minutes. Off the heat, stir in the heavy cream, herbs, chicken, and frozen peas.

Peas, chicken, and seasonings added to a skillet of broth.

Ladle the filling into oven-safe ramekins or soup bowls (be sure they are oven proof up to 425°F). The filling should come up no more than three-quarters of the way to the top of the bowls. If you have extra, make another bowl.

Filled ramekins on a lined baking sheet.

Brush the outside edges of each bowl with an egg wash.

Person brushing the tops of filled ramekins.

Place the cold dough rounds over the soup bowls, pressing firmly around the edges so that the dough adheres, and then brush the top of the dough with the egg wash.

Ramekins topped with puff pastry.

Using a sharp knife, make a ½-inch slit in the top of each pie. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is a rich golden brown.

Four pot pies on a lined baking sheet.

Let cool for about 10 minutes, then use a wide spatula to carefully transfer the hot ramekins to serving plates. Sprinkle a few fresh thyme sprigs over top of the bowls and serve.

Pot pie on a cloth napkin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this recipe be made in a pie dish instead of individual ramekins?

While it’s possible to bake pot pies in a single pie dish, serving can be a bit challenging due to the soupy nature of the filling. Using individual ramekins helps contain the filling, making the pies easier to serve without the filling spilling out.

What size bowls do I need for this recipe?

You’ll need oven-safe (up to 425°F) soup bowls. To make four servings, use bowls with an 18 to 20-oz capacity. To make six servings, use bowls with a 12 to 14-oz capacity.

Can I make chicken pot pie ahead of time?

Yes, it’s a great make-ahead dish. You can prepare the filling and even assemble the pie up to a day in advance. Keep it refrigerated, covered, until you’re ready to bake. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time if it’s going straight from the fridge to the oven.

Can chicken pot pie be frozen?

Yes, the unbaked chicken pot pies and can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap the pies tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze. When you’re ready to enjoy it, you can bake it straight from the freezer; just be sure to allow about 10 minutes extra baking time and cover if the pastry starts to get too brown.

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Video Tutorial

Chicken Pot Pie

Take your comfort food to the next level with these elegant chicken pot pies. Made with rotisserie chicken and store-bought puff pastry, they’re as simple to make as they are delicious.

Servings: 4 to 6
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 to 2 packages frozen puff pastry, best quality such as Dufour or Pepperidge Farm, thawed (see note)
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 cup frozen pearl onions (no need to defrost)
  • 3 carrots, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling the pastry
  • 2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • ⅓ cup Cognac or brandy (okay to replace with more chicken broth if avoiding alcohol)
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or a combination thyme, rosemary and sage), plus a few thyme springs for serving
  • 3-4 cups shredded cooked chicken, from 1 rotisserie chicken
  • 1 cup frozen peas (no need to defrost)
  • 1 egg

Instructions

  1. NOTE: For this recipe, you'll need 4 to 6 oven-safe (to 425°F) soup bowls. For larger portions, use bowls with an 18 to 20-oz capacity; for smaller portions, use bowls with a 12 to 14-oz capacity. If making 4 servings, one (14-oz) package of puff pastry will suffice. However, if making 6 servings, you'll need another package.
  2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
  3. Dust a clean, dry work surface with flour and place the puff pastry over top. Sprinkle the pastry with flour and roll to about ⅛-inch thick, smoothing the creases with the rolling pin at the same time. (Depending on the brand of puff pastry you buy, you may not need to roll it out that much.) Using a sharp knife, kitchen shears, or a pizza cutter, cut out 4 circles about 2 inches larger than the diameter of your soup bowls. (Alternatively, cut out 6 circles if making smaller portions.) Place the dough rounds on the foil-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use.
  4. Preheat the oven to 425°F and set an oven rack to the center position.
  5. To make the filling: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the yellow onion, garlic, celery, pearl onions, and carrots. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are just cooked, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Add the broth, cognac, salt, and white pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom and corners of the pan to incorporate the flour. Simmer until thickened, a few minutes. Off the heat, stir in the heavy cream, thyme, chicken, and peas. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. (Note that the broth will taste a little boozy at this point. That's okay - the cognac will cook off in the oven.)
  6. Ladle the filling into 4 large or 6 small oven-safe soup bowls. The filling should come up no more than three-quarters of the way to the top of the bowls. Do not overfill.
  7. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water.
  8. Remove the pastry rounds from the refrigerator. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash.
  9. Place the cold dough rounds over the bowls, pressing firmly around the edges so that the dough adheres. Transfer the bowls to the foil-lined baking sheet. Brush the dough with the egg wash. Using a sharp knife, make a ½-inch slit in the top of each pie. Place the bowls on the foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is a rich golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then use a wide spatula to carefully transfer the hot bowls to serving plates. Sprinkle a few fresh thyme sprigs over top of the bowls and serve.
  10. MAKE AHEAD: The pies may be assembled and refrigerated up to a day ahead of time. Brush the top of the dough with egg wash before baking.
  11. Note: Nutritional information calculated using 1 package of puff pastry and 3 ½ cups of chicken.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (5 servings)
  • Calories: 747
  • Fat: 45 g
  • Saturated fat: 18 g
  • Carbohydrates: 42 g
  • Sugar: 6 g
  • Fiber: 4 g
  • Protein: 35 g
  • Sodium: 678 mg
  • Cholesterol: 163 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • Loved your ziti recipe!

  • Hi,
    I live in France and can’t find the pearl onion anywhere. Do you have a sub for it or would it be ok to omit it?

    • This also has a regular yellow onion in it, so feel free to omit the pearl onions. Hope you enjoy!

      • My husband was begging for a pot pie. Found 7 ramekins and made them tonight. Beautiful presentation on a plate. And delicious. The cognac was the best as were the fresh herbs. Perfection. Thank you Jenn. You never disappoint.

        • — Patticakes from Darien
        • Reply
    • Picard sells pearl onions

  • This sounds delicious! Would the recipe still work however if I were to omit the puff pastry and simply serve the chicken stew part with a mash? My mom is gluten intolerant but would likely enjoy a good chicken stew!

    • Hi Laura, The stew part is delish on its own but it has the consistency of chowder so it needs to be served in a bowl.

  • Love the chicken pot pie recipe. It was easy to make add tasted great. I cut the recipe in half and came out perfectly.

  • OK, I admit….I knew going in that I was going to make one big pot pie and not the individual ones (my ramekins have disappeared). I did not think this would be a problem (even though the comments sections mentioned otherwise) and luckily, it was not a problem at all. Now, I have made this twice already (which means I love it) and the first time, I par baked a premade pie crust for the bottom layer and the second time I did not use a bottom crust. (Of course I used a top crust each time)! I actually like it better with the bottom crust and a top crust! Other than the one pie vs individual and the addition of a bottom crust, I really made no major changes to the recipe. The minor changes were that I did not have cognac so I left it out. I also had no white pepper left so I used black. I also seasoned and poached my own chicken for the recipe since I did not have any cooked rotisserie chicken at home at the time. The poached chicken was super moist. The pie comes out so golden and gorgeous looking and it is beyond yummy. The pie made for so many meals and everyone could take as much as they wanted. It was just such a homey, delicious and filling meal. I cannot wait to make it again! I think when I find the ramekins or just replace them, I will make them that way. I will even use a bottom ‘disc’ crust! I bet my girlfriends would love this at a dinner party!!!!

  • Thank you for this recipe. Using rotisserie chicken and puff pastry makes this recipe so much faster than a traditional pot pie. The flavor of the sauce is delicious, making this the perfect comfort food.
    I’ve made this a few times (it’s a new family favorite) and found that only brushing the top edge of the bowls with the egg wash makes for an easier clean up after dinner.

  • My family LOVES Chicken Pot Pie! After reading this recipe my chicken pot pie is new and improved! Love the pearl onions, it’s a recipe changer! I used to use biscuits as a topper but I love the puff pastry, so much better! I pour the whole recipe into a casserole dish instead of the ramekins. The recipe is a staple in this house!

  • This is one of my family’s favorites!! They love how fluffy the tops get and the rich creamy texture of the pie filling.

  • I made this today- it was absolutely the best tasting chicken pot pie I’ve ever made. It was nice and thick. I used French onion soup crocks – it was the perfect size. I did cut back a tad on the cognac (1/4 cup) and it turned out great. Thank you for such a wonderful, tasty and easy recipe. This is a definitely going to be a go to recipe. Keep those recipes coming!

  • Can this be made in pie dish

    • Hi Candy, The filling is a bit soupy so I think it’d be difficult to serve if made in a pie pan. Sorry!

      • Taste of the pie was great but the sauce became clear not creamy after I baked it crust on the top&bottom

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