Chicken Pot Pie

This homemade Chicken Pot Pie has tender chicken and fresh vegetables in a rich, creamy gravy tucked between two flaky pie crusts. A quick par-bake and light coating of egg wash help keep the bottom crust crisp, while the top bakes beautifully golden. Use your favorite homemade pie dough or refrigerated crusts for a cozy, classic dinner that's well worth the little bit of extra prep.

Prep Time30

Cook Time50

Resting Time20

Total Time1 40

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 242kcal

Author: Sally Humeniuk

Equipment

12 inch skillet
Large mixing bowl
Pie plate

Ingredients

5 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion diced, about 1 ½ cups
¾ cup peeled and diced carrots about 3 medium carrots
1 cup diced celery about 2 medium ribs
1 tsp kosher salt divided
½ cup frozen pearl onions do not thaw
2 cloves garlic minced
½ tsp dried thyme
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2½ cups cooked chicken cut into bite-sized pieces
¾ cup frozen peas do not thaw
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 homemade or refrigerated pie crusts enough for one 9-inch double-crust pie
1 large egg
1 Tbsp water
¼ tsp dried thyme for topping
Flaky or coarse salt for topping, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Preheat oven to 425°F.
Cook the vegetables. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the frozen pearl onions during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, 1 medium yellow onion, ¾ cup peeled and diced carrots, 1 cup diced celery, ½ cup frozen pearl onions, 1 tsp kosher salt
Add the aromatics. Stir in the garlic and ½ teaspoon dried thyme and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
2 cloves garlic, ½ tsp dried thyme
Add the flour. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until the vegetables are evenly coated. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
Make the gravy. Stir the Better Than Bouillon into the chicken broth until dissolved. Gradually pour the broth into the skillet, stirring as you add it. Stir in the heavy cream, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt and pepper. Continue stirring until smooth and the sauce has thickened enough to coat the vegetables. No prolonged simmering is needed; the filling will thicken further as it cools.
1 tsp Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base, 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, ½ cup heavy cream, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Finish the filling. Fold in the chicken and frozen peas. Remove from the heat. Transfer the filling to a wide bowl or shallow dish and refrigerate for about 15 minutes while you prepare the bottom crust.
2½ cups cooked chicken, ¾ cup frozen peas
Par-bake the bottom crust. Fit one pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate, gently easing it into the plate without stretching the dough. Prick the bottom and sides several times with a fork. Bake directly on the center oven rack for 8–10 minutes, until the crust is set and just beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 2–3 minutes.
2 homemade or refrigerated pie crusts
Add the egg wash. While the crust rests, whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water. Lightly brush the bottom and sides of the warm par-baked crust with the egg wash. Reserve the remaining egg wash for the top crust.
1 large egg, 1 Tbsp water
Add the parsley and lemon. Stir the fresh parsley and lemon juice into the cooled filling just before assembling the pot pie.
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Assemble the pot pie. Spoon the cooled filling into the par-baked crust. Place the second pie crust over the filling. Trim, tuck and crimp the edges as desired. Cut 4 slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Brush the top crust lightly with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon dried thyme and, if desired, flaky or coarse salt.
¼ tsp dried thyme, Flaky or coarse salt
Bake. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Bake for 35–45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the vents. If the crust is browning too quickly, loosely tent the pie with foil.
Rest before serving. Let the Chicken Pot Pie rest for 20–25 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Chicken: Cut the cooked chicken into smaller bite-size pieces so it mixes easily with the vegetables and gravy in each bite. If cooking chicken breasts specifically for this recipe, gently poach them just until cooked through so they stay tender when the pot pie bakes.
Don’t over-thicken the gravy: The filling may look a little looser than you expect when it first goes into the refrigerator, and that’s okay. It will thicken as it cools, and the chicken and vegetables will absorb some of the gravy as the pot pie bakes.
Cool the filling: Refrigerating the filling for about 15 minutes before assembling the pie allows it to cool and thicken slightly. A wide, shallow bowl or dish will help it cool more quickly.
Par-bake for a crisp bottom crust: Don’t skip the quick par-bake. Testing the pie without this step resulted in a much softer bottom crust. Brushing the warm par-baked crust with egg wash also helps create a barrier between the crust and creamy filling.
Don’t worry if the bottom crust shrinks: Some shrinkage during par-baking is normal, especially with refrigerated pie dough. If part of the crust shrinks farther down the pie plate, simply nudge the top crust down to meet it as closely as possible when assembling the pie, then tuck or crimp the edges together. It may look a little rustic rather than perfectly uniform, but it will still bake up beautifully.
Don’t stretch the pie dough: Gently ease the bottom crust into the pie plate rather than stretching it to fit. Stretched dough is more likely to shrink as it bakes.
Thyme topping: The dried thyme sprinkled over the egg-washed top crust adds flavor as well as a pretty finish. Add flaky or coarse salt along with it, if desired.
Watch the crust as it bakes: If the top is nicely browned before the filling is hot and bubbling, loosely tent the pie with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
Let it rest: Allow the finished pot pie to rest for 20–25 minutes before cutting. This gives the creamy filling time to settle and makes the pie much easier to serve.
Make ahead: The filling can be made ahead, cooled, covered and refrigerated. Assemble and bake the pot pie when ready to serve. A pie assembled with cold filling may need a little additional baking time.

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