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An easy recipe for the best classic homemade Chicken Pot Pie with tender chicken in rich, velvety sauce with a double crust that’s flaky and perfect!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 small chicken (2.5-3 lbs)
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup half & half
- 2 refrigerated pie crusts
INSTRUCTIONS
- Read recipe notes before beginning.
- Add chicken to a large pot then add 4 cups water (it’s OK if the chicken isn’t submerged). Season per your preference, cover then cook over low heat for about 2 hours or until the legs and thighs are pulling apart from the chicken.
- Remove chicken to cool then strain broth, reserving 2 cups. Save the remaining broth for another recipe.
- Once cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones from chicken then cut into bite-sized pieces; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Sauté carrots, celery and onion in butter over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper, thyme and flour then stir until very well combined. Continue cooking for 2 minutes.
- Combine reserved 2 cups of broth with half & half then slowly pour over vegetables. Using a large whisk, stir and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat then stir in chicken.
- Roll out one pie pastry on a lightly floured surface until just large enough to line the bottom and slightly overhang the sides of a 1.5-quart deep dish pie pan or other round or oval baking dish. Pierce the bottom of the pastry 4-5 times with a fork.
- Pour chicken mixture over bottom pastry.
- Roll out remaining pastry just large enough to slightly overhang the top. Lay pastry over chicken mixture then fold over bottom pastry, pinching to seal.
- Cut 3-5 slits in the top pastry to vent then bake at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Place a pie guard or aluminum foil ring over edges after about 20 minutes to prevent overbrowning.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Note
- You can use bone-in, skin-on breasts or thighs instead of a whole chicken with no changes to the recipe. The recipe needs approximately 3-4 cups diced chicken.
- You can use boneless, skinless breasts in this recipe BUT you will need to cook them in chicken broth instead of water and additional seasoning. The recipe needs approximately 3-4 cups diced chicken.
- You can also use rotisserie chicken and prepared broth if you’d like.
- When cooking the chicken and making homemade stock, I use 2 teaspoons salt then 1 teaspoon each pepper, thyme and garlic powder (with 4 cups of water).
- Not sure if the dish you want to use is big enough? The recipe makes about 6 cups of filling so just measure 6 cups of water then pour it into the dish to see if it fits.
- You can absolutely add peas to this recipe! Add 1 cup frozen or fresh peas when adding the chicken to the thickened stock. You can add corn, mushrooms or just about whatever you like!
- This recipe freezes beautifully! Cover tightly with aluminum foil then freeze up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 400 degrees, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove foil then bake for 35-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Place a pie guard or aluminum foil ring over edges after about 20 minutes to prevent overbrowning.
- I use Pillsbury Pie Crusts (typically found in the diary section near canned biscuit dough). If you’d like to make homemade crusts, the recipe I almost always use is listed in my recipe for Classic Pecan Pie.
- You can use milk instead of half & half if needed.
- To get “pie-like” slices, you will need to let the Chicken Pot Pie cool until you can handle the pan without oven mitts.
