Homemade Flaky Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Why You’ll Love This this Homemade Flaky Chicken Pot Pie

This flaky-crusted chicken pot pie brings together tender chunks of chicken, colorful vegetables, and a rich, creamy gravy that’ll make your kitchen smell like pure comfort food heaven. The golden puff pastry crust practically melts in your mouth, creating those perfect little pockets of buttery goodness that we all secretly fight over at the dinner table. Best of all, you can have this homemade masterpiece ready in about an hour, which means you get all the snug, from-scratch ambiance without spending your entire evening in the kitchen.

Ingredients List

Getting all your ingredients together first is like having your kitchen ducks in a row, which honestly makes the whole cooking process feel way less chaotic.

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
• 3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
• 1 cup quartered baby carrots (5-6 oz.)
• 3/4 cup frozen sweet peas
• 1 (12 ounce) jar chicken gravy
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg, beaten

Now, let’s talk about making this recipe a bit healthier without sacrificing that warm comfort food atmosphere:

• You can swap the jarred gravy for a homemade version using chicken broth and a flour roux, which cuts down on sodium and preservatives
• Greek yogurt works beautifully instead of sour cream, giving you extra protein and less saturated fat
• Fresh carrots and onions already bring natural sweetness and plenty of vitamins to the party
• The puff pastry is definitely the indulgent part here, but hey, life’s too short for sad, crustless pot pie

Step by Step Directions

Making this chicken pot pie is all about layering flavors and getting that pastry perfectly golden and flaky.

• Preheat oven to 375° and roll thawed puff pastry on floured surface into 11-inch square, then cut corners to make round shape and cut decorative slits.
• Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken pieces for 4 minutes, stirring frequently until no longer pink.
• Add chopped onion and quartered carrots to skillet, cooking 5 minutes while stirring until vegetables are crisp-tender.
• Remove from heat and stir in frozen peas.
• Whisk together chicken gravy, sour cream, cornstarch, thyme, and pepper in separate bowl until smooth.
• Stir gravy mixture into chicken and vegetables in skillet until well combined.
• Spoon entire mixture into 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate.
• Place rolled pastry over filling, allowing edges to hang over rim of pie plate.
• Bake for 20 minutes, then brush crust with beaten egg.
• Cover crust edges with foil strips to prevent over-browning and bake additional 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
• Let stand 10 minutes before serving to allow filling to set.

For even heat distribution and superior results, consider making this recipe in an enameled cast iron Dutch oven instead of a traditional pie plate.

Substitutions and Variations

• Biscuit topping – Drop spoonfuls of refrigerated biscuit dough on top instead of pastry for a more rustic, comfort-food atmosphere that’s somehow even more satisfying.
• Individual portions – Divide everything between ramekins or muffin tins for personal pot pies, which are adorable and solve the whole “who gets the biggest piece” debate.
• Add mushrooms – Sauté some sliced mushrooms with the onions and carrots for extra umami, especially if you’re trying to sneak more vegetables past picky eaters.

Additional Things to Serve With This Dish

This hearty pot pie practically begs for some simple sides that won’t compete with all that flaky, savory goodness.

• Simple green salad – Something crisp and light with a tangy vinaigrette cuts through all that rich, creamy filling and makes you feel slightly less guilty about going back for seconds.
• Roasted vegetables – Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or green beans roasted with a little olive oil and salt add color to your plate and help balance out the comfort food atmosphere.
• Cranberry sauce – Whether it’s leftover from Thanksgiving or the fancy stuff from a jar, that tart sweetness pairs surprisingly well with chicken and makes the whole meal feel more special.
• Buttered corn – Because sometimes you just want to lean into the warm farmhouse aesthetic, and corn goes with chicken like peanut butter goes with jelly.
• Dinner rolls – Yes, it’s carbs on carbs, but sometimes life calls for that level of comfort food commitment, especially on cold Tuesday nights when adulting feels particularly hard.

Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)

A few little secrets can turn your good pot pie into the kind that makes people ask for the recipe twice.

• Don’t skip the egg wash – That beaten egg brushed on halfway through baking is what transforms plain pastry into gorgeous, golden perfection that looks like it came from a fancy bakery instead of your Tuesday night kitchen.
• Let your filling cool slightly before adding the pastry top – Hot filling can make the bottom of your crust soggy, and nobody wants to cut into their masterpiece only to find mushy pastry lurking underneath.
• Make extra slits in the pastry – Steam needs somewhere to escape, and those little vents prevent your beautiful crust from puffing up like a balloon and then deflating into sad, wrinkled disappointment.
• Use a clear pie dish if you have one – Being able to peek at the bottom crust helps you avoid the dreaded pale, underbaked situation that haunts so many homemade pies.
• Rest the cornstarch mixture for a minute before stirring it in – This prevents those weird lumpy bits that always seem to hide until you’re serving guests.
• Keep foil strips handy – Pot pie crusts love to go from golden to burnt faster than you can say “dinner’s ready,” so having foil ready to cover the edges saves many a crust from crispy doom.

Nutritional Facts

This hearty comfort food delivers substantial nutrition along with its satisfying flavors.

• Calories: Approximately 420 per serving (serves 6)
• Protein: 28 grams from chicken breast and dairy components
• Carbohydrates: 35 grams primarily from puff pastry and vegetables
• Fat: 18 grams from pastry, oil, and sour cream
• Fiber: 3 grams from carrots, peas, and onions
• Sodium: 680 mg largely from gravy and pastry
• Vitamin A: 45% daily value from carrots and peas
• Vitamin C: 15% daily value from vegetables
• Iron: 12% daily value from chicken and enriched flour
• Calcium: 8% daily value from dairy ingredients
• Cholesterol: 95 mg from chicken and egg
• Saturated Fat: 6 grams (30% daily value)

Fun “Did You Know?”

Why do we call it “pot pie” when it’s actually baked in a pie dish?

I’ll let you in on a secret: the name comes from medieval times when cooks prepared these hearty meals in deep pots over open fires. They’d layer meat, vegetables, and gravy, then top it with pastry.

The dish evolved into what we understand today, but the name stuck.

Here’s another fun fact: chicken pot pie was considered peasant food in England, but American colonists elevated it to comfort food status.

It’s now one of America’s most beloved homemade dishes.