Chicken pot pie with homemade crust is the version to make when you want buttery, flaky pastry wrapped around a creamy filling of chicken, potato, carrot, celery, and peas. Every part is made from scratch, from the dough to the thickened sauce.
The all butter dough comes together in a food processor in about 5 minutes and rests in the refrigerator while you cook the filling. Plan on roughly 3 1/2 hours from start to finish, with most of that being chilling, cooling, and baking.
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Why This Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Crust Recipe Works
A butter crust made with a splash of white vinegar stays tender because the acid slows gluten development. Pulsing the butter only until it looks like peas leaves little pockets that melt in the oven and create flaky layers.
The filling gets body from two thickeners. A paste of softened butter and flour melts into the broth for a silky sauce, and a cornstarch and milk mixture adds shine and keeps the sauce stable in the oven.
Diced potato simmers right in the broth, so it turns soft and releases a little starch that thickens the sauce further. Cooling the filling before it meets the dough keeps the bottom crust from turning soggy.
Ingredients for Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Crust
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
- 2 medium cooked chicken breasts, diced (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups all purpose flour (for the crust)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (for the crust)
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup ice water
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 egg yolk beaten with 2 teaspoons milk, for brushing
Butter. Use cold butter for the crust and softened butter for the filling paste. Cut the cold butter into 1/2 inch cubes so the processor breaks it up evenly.
Vinegar and ice water. Add them all at once and pulse just 3 or 4 times. The dough should look like crumbs, not a ball, and it will hold together when you press it.
Chicken. Two baked chicken breasts give about 2 cups of diced meat. Cut it into 1/2 inch pieces so it fits on a spoon with the vegetables.
Potato and vegetables. Dice everything to about 1/2 inch so the pieces cook at the same pace in the simmering broth.
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Crust
1. Make the dough. Pulse the flour and kosher salt in a food processor, add the cold butter, and pulse until the pieces are pea sized. Add the ice water and vinegar and pulse 3 or 4 times until crumbly.
2. Chill the dough. Tip the crumbs onto plastic wrap, press into a ball, and divide it into 2 disks, one slightly larger. Wrap tightly and chill for 1 hour.
3. Mix the pastes. Blend 4 tablespoons of the softened butter with the flour in a small bowl. Stir the cornstarch into the milk in a second bowl. Set both aside.
4. Simmer the vegetables. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan, then cook the onion, carrot, and celery for 3 minutes. Add the broth and potato, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are just tender.
5. Thicken the filling. Stir in the butter and flour paste and cook at a gentle boil. Add the milk mixture, return to a boil, and stir until thick. Fold in the chicken, peas, salt, and pepper, then cool for 20 minutes.
6. Assemble the pie. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll the larger disk into a 13 inch circle and fit it into a 9 inch pie dish with a 1/2 inch overhang. Spoon in the filling.
7. Top and bake. Roll the smaller disk into a 10 inch circle, cover the pie, crimp the edges, cut 4 vents, and brush with the yolk mixture. Bake on the middle rack for about 50 minutes until deep golden and the center reads 165 degrees F. Rest for 10 minutes.
How to Serve Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Crust
Cut the pie into 6 wedges while it is still warm. Honey butter dinner rolls are a natural partner, and a cheesy bacon green bean casserole fits a seasonal table. Add air fryer broccoli with Parmesan or one pot asparagus orzo for something green.
How to Store and Reheat Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Crust
Let the pie cool, then cover and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours for 3 to 4 days. Reheat slices at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, loosely covered, until the center reaches 165 degrees F. Wrapped slices freeze for up to 2 months, and the unbaked dough disks freeze for up to 2 months as well.
Tips and Variations for Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Crust
Keep everything cold. Cold butter and ice water give the flakiest layers. If the dough feels soft while rolling, slide it back into the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Cool the filling. Hot filling melts the butter in the crust and leads to a soggy bottom. Let it cool for 20 minutes before assembling.
Roll between sheets. Rolling the dough between two sheets of parchment prevents sticking and keeps extra flour from toughening the crust.
Use baked or poached chicken. Leftover roast chicken works well. Remove the skin and dice it to 1/2 inch.
Vent the top. Four steam vents let moisture escape so the crust stays crisp instead of steaming.
Protect the edges. If the rim browns faster than the center, shield it with foil strips for the last 20 minutes.
Add a little thyme. A half teaspoon of dried thyme in the sauce gives the filling a savory herb note.
Store food safely. The University of Minnesota Extension guide to storing and reheating leftovers explains cooling and refrigerator timing for dishes like this one.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Crust
Can I make Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Crust in advance?
Yes. Make the dough up to 2 days ahead and keep it wrapped in the refrigerator. You can also bake the pie a day early and reheat slices at 350 degrees F until they reach 165 degrees F.
Do I need a food processor for Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Crust?
No. Cut the cold butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or two knives until pea sized, then stir in the ice water and vinegar with a fork.
How do I keep the bottom crisp in Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Crust?
Cool the filling before assembling, bake on a preheated baking sheet on the middle rack, and avoid overfilling the dish.
Can I use frozen peas straight from the bag?
Yes. The peas soften in the hot filling, so there is no need to thaw them first.
Can I make small individual pies?
Yes. Divide the dough among 4 large ramekins, fill them, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden and 165 degrees F in the center.
Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Crust
Equipment
- Food processor
- 9-inch pie dish
- Large saucepan
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened, divided
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ cup milk
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot peeled and diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 1 ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ½ medium russet potato peeled and diced
- 2 medium cooked chicken breasts diced, about 2 cups
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ¼ tsp salt for the filling
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 cup all purpose flour for the crust
- ½ tsp kosher salt for the crust
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
- ¼ cup ice water
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tsp milk for brushing
Instructions
Cooking
- Process the dough. Combine the flour and kosher salt in a food processor, pulse in the cold butter until pea sized, then add the ice water and vinegar and pulse until the mixture looks like damp crumbs. Rest the dough. Shape the crumbs into a ball on plastic wrap, split in two, flatten into disks, and refrigerate 1 hour.
- Prepare the thickeners. Mash 4 tablespoons softened butter into 1/4 cup flour, and dissolve the cornstarch in the milk.
- Cook the base. In 2 tablespoons butter, soften the onion, carrot, and celery for 3 minutes, then pour in the broth, add the potato, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.
- Finish the filling. Whisk in the butter paste, then the milk mixture, boiling gently until thick, and fold in the chicken, peas, salt, and pepper. Cool 20 minutes.
- Shape the pie. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F, roll the larger disk to 13 inches, fit it into a 9 inch dish, and add the cooled filling.
- Bake. Cover with a 10 inch circle of dough, crimp, vent, brush with the yolk wash, and bake about 50 minutes until golden and 165 degrees F in the center. Rest 10 minutes.
