Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie

Figuring out a comforting dinner that pleases the whole family on busy weeknights can feel impossible. After all, hearty meals often require hours of prep work when you’re already juggling soccer practice pickups, homework help, and the never-ending pile of laundry, and things get even more complicated when everyone has different taste preferences.

Luckily, this chicken pot pie checks all the boxes: it’s warm and satisfying, surprisingly simple to put together, and packed with ingredients that even picky eaters will actually enjoy.

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What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

For chicken pot pie, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are the most popular choice since they’re easy to work with and cook evenly. However, you can absolutely use chicken thighs if you prefer – they’ll add more flavor and stay juicier during cooking. If you’re short on time, rotisserie chicken from the store works great too – just shred it up and skip the initial cooking step. Whether you choose breasts or thighs, try to cut your chicken into similar-sized cubes so everything cooks at the same rate and gives you nice, even bites in every forkful.

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Options for Substitutions

This classic comfort food recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Chicken breast: You can easily use chicken thighs instead – they’ll add more flavor and stay juicier. Rotisserie chicken works great too; just shred it and add it at the end to avoid overcooking.
• Frozen peas: Swap these with frozen corn, green beans, or mixed vegetables if that’s what you have on hand. Fresh peas work too, but add them in the last few minutes of cooking.
• Pie crusts: Store-bought is totally fine, but you can also use puff pastry for a flakier top, or make it easier with just a top crust and skip the bottom one.
• Milk: Heavy cream will make it richer, while half-and-half is a nice middle ground. In a pinch, you can use more chicken broth, though it won’t be quite as creamy.
• Butter: Olive oil or vegetable oil can work for the roux, though you’ll lose some of that rich, buttery flavor.
• Celery: If you’re not a celery fan, try diced bell peppers or just add more carrots and onions for extra flavor and crunch.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making chicken pot pie is adding raw vegetables directly to the filling, which leads to watery, undercooked veggies that make the crust soggy – always sauté your carrots, celery, and onions first until they’re tender.

Another common error is making the filling too thin, so be sure to cook your flour and butter mixture (the roux) for at least 2-3 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste, then gradually whisk in the broth and milk to avoid lumps.

Don’t skip pre-cooking your chicken completely either, as raw chicken won’t cook evenly in the pie and can leave you with tough, chewy pieces – lightly sauté the cubed chicken until just cooked through before mixing it into your filling.

Finally, always poke a few holes in the top crust to let steam escape, and if the edges start browning too quickly, cover them with foil strips to prevent burning while the center finishes cooking.

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What to Serve With Chicken Pot Pie?

Chicken pot pie is pretty much a complete meal on its own, but I love serving it with a simple side salad to balance out all that creamy goodness. A crisp green salad with mixed greens, cucumber, and a light vinaigrette cuts through the richness perfectly and adds some fresh crunch to your plate. You could also go with roasted vegetables like Brussels sprouts or green beans if you want something warm on the side. For a more casual approach, some buttery dinner rolls are always a hit for soaking up any extra filling that might escape from your slice!

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: Leftover chicken pot pie keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just cover it tightly with foil or plastic wrap, or transfer individual portions to airtight containers. I actually think it tastes even better the next day when all those flavors have had time to meld together!

Freeze: This pot pie freezes like a dream for up to 3 months. You can freeze it either baked or unbaked – just wrap it really well in plastic wrap and then foil. If you’re freezing it unbaked, you can go straight from freezer to oven, just add about 15-20 extra minutes to the baking time.

Reheat: To warm up leftover pot pie, cover it with foil and bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes until heated through. If the crust starts getting too brown, just keep that foil on top. You can also microwave individual slices, but the crust won’t be as crispy that way.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2100-2300
• Protein: 110-125 g
• Fat: 110-125 g
• Carbohydrates: 180-200 g

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup sliced celery

For the sauce:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 2/3 cup milk

For the crust:

• 2 unbaked pie crusts (9 inch each)

Step 1: Preheat Oven and Prepare Chicken & Vegetables

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• Water (to cover)

Preheat your oven to 425 ℉ (220°C).

While the oven is heating, combine the cubed chicken breast, sliced carrots, frozen green peas, and sliced celery in a large saucepan.

Cover the mixture with water, bring it to a boil, and let it cook for 15 minutes.

Afterwards, drain thoroughly and set the mixture aside.

Step 2: Sauté Onions and Make the Creamy Sauce

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 2/3 cup milk

In a separate saucepan over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter and add the chopped onion.

Sauté until the onion becomes tender and transparent.

Meanwhile, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, black pepper, and celery seed in a small bowl.

Gradually stir the flour mixture into the onions and butter.

Slowly add the chicken broth and milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.

Simmer over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens.

Remove from heat when done.

I like to let the sauce simmer just a little longer for an even richer flavor.

Step 3: Assemble the Pie

• 2 unbaked pie crusts (9 inch each)
• Cooked chicken and vegetables (from Step 1)
• Creamy sauce (from Step 2)

Lay one of the unbaked pie crusts into a 9-inch pie pan, pressing it firmly into the bottom and up the sides.

Add the cooked chicken and vegetable mixture (from Step 1) evenly over the crust.

Then pour the hot, thickened sauce (from Step 2) over the chicken and vegetables, making sure it spreads well and fills the gaps.

Cover with the second pie crust, seal the edges together, and trim any excess dough.

Cut a few small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking.

Step 4: Bake the Chicken Pot Pie

Place the assembled pie into the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the pastry turns golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

If the edges start to brown too quickly, you can cover them with strips of foil to prevent burning.

Step 5: Cool and Serve

Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

This cooling period helps the filling to set and makes serving much easier.

Personally, I love waiting just those extra few minutes—the flavors meld together beautifully!

Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie

Delicious Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 23 minutes mins

Cook Time 47 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 2200 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the filling:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup sliced celery

For the sauce:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 2/3 cup milk

For the crust:

• 2 unbaked pie crusts (9 inch each)

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 425 ℉ (220°C). While the oven is heating, combine the cubed chicken breast, sliced carrots, frozen green peas, and sliced celery in a large saucepan. Cover the mixture with water, bring it to a boil, and let it cook for 15 minutes. Afterwards, drain thoroughly and set the mixture aside.
• In a separate saucepan over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter and add the chopped onion. Sauté until the onion becomes tender and transparent. Meanwhile, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, black pepper, and celery seed in a small bowl. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the onions and butter. Slowly add the chicken broth and milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Simmer over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat when done. I like to let the sauce simmer just a little longer for an even richer flavor.
• Lay one of the unbaked pie crusts into a 9-inch pie pan, pressing it firmly into the bottom and up the sides. Add the cooked chicken and vegetable mixture (from Step 1) evenly over the crust. Then pour the hot, thickened sauce (from Step 2) over the chicken and vegetables, making sure it spreads well and fills the gaps. Cover with the second pie crust, seal the edges together, and trim any excess dough. Cut a few small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking.
• Place the assembled pie into the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the pastry turns golden brown and the filling is bubbling. If the edges start to brown too quickly, you can cover them with strips of foil to prevent burning.
• Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. This cooling period helps the filling to set and makes serving much easier. Personally, I love waiting just those extra few minutes—the flavors meld together beautifully!