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Chicken Pot Pie With Puff Pastry (30 minutes)

With a few shortcuts that don’t compromise taste, this rich, scrumptious chicken pot pie with puff pastry can be made in 30 minutes. The ultimate comfort food.

chicken pot pie topped with puff pastry crust on plate

Homemade chicken pot pie is not as daunting to make as you might think. You can get amazing results with two great convenience foods (shortcuts) – rotisserie chicken and puff pastry.

I make the pot pie in a large skillet or cast iron pan, but if you don’t have one, just use a pot.

Serve the skillet chicken pot pie on its own or try it with a fig salad with pomegranates or root vegetable soup with barley.

Why this puff pastry chicken pot pie is great

I ate plenty of those frozen pot pies as a kid (and loved them), but I promise this recipe is way better. Here’s why.

  1. For one thing, this chicken pot pie is loaded with healthy vegetables – onions, celery, carrots and spinach – as opposed to the 12 teeny carrots and peas floating in the frozen kind. So a lot more nutritious.
  2. For another, the pot pie can be made dairy free and/or vegetarian. Check out the ‘tailor to your taste’ options below.
  3. And, finally, because you are not baking this homemade pot pie, the spinach or other green vegetables you choose will remain a vibrant green. Ok, so I’m a bit obsessive about colors on the plate 🙂

Bottom line: Tender chunks of chicken and vegetables, wrapped in a velvety flavorful sauce. And topped with a flaky, buttery, crispy crust. Yum!

Ingredients – tailored to your taste

puff pastry sheet, broth, carrots, celery, onion, pepper, spinach, flour, seasonings
Ingredients: puff pastry, butter/oil, broth, carrots, celery, onions, spinach, flour, seasonings, (optional pepper, potato) and chopped cooked chicken (not shown)

Here are several variations and substitutions you can try.

  • Seasonings: I use thyme and poultry seasoning. Tarragon or dill would be great too.
  • Vegetables:
    • Traditional veggies are onions, carrots and celery. I always add baby spinach for extra nutrition. And red pepper for color.
    • Other good options are: mushrooms, butternut squash, potato, cauliflower, baby kale, corn and/or frozen peas (no need to defrost).
    • You can leave out the vegetables for a super easy version. I would still include onions for the flavor.
  • Make a vegetarian version: You can easily convert this recipe to a vegetable pot pie recipe by leaving out the chicken and using vegetable broth.
  • Make a dairy free version:
    • Use broth only (no cream) for the sauce. I find the sauce doesn’t even need the extra cream anyway.
    • Use olive oil – no butter – to make the sauce.
    • Buy a puff pastry that’s not make with butter.
  • Crust:
    • Substitute the puff pastry dough with a pie dough crust
    • Get creative and shape puff pastry before baking any way you like – circles, moons, letters, hearts, etc. Pictured here are rectangles.
    • Or skip the crust altogether and serve the chicken pie with crusty bread or crispy homemade croutons.

How to make chicken pot pie with puff pastry

puff pastry dough cut into 6 rectangles and brushed with eggwash
Unfold puff pastry to lay flat on pan, cut into 6 rectangles, brush with egg wash. Make a few slits.
6 pieces baked puff pastry crusts
Bake puff pastry crusts for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
half the veggies in processor
Chop vegetables in food processor in two batches. Or dice with knife.
close up of chicken pot pie filling
Adjust seasonings in the vegetable chicken mixture to your taste. Ready to serve.
crust laid on top of filling in skillet
Serving options: scoop filling on plate and top with crust. Or place crust on plate and top with filling.
pot pie filling sandwiched between puff pastry crusts
Another serving option: split one crust horizontally and sandwich chicken filling in between two layers.

Puff pastry crust is the best!

I love puff pastry because it’s so darn easy to work with. It’s perfect for a pot pie crust because:

  • you buy the dough, cut it into squares, egg wash it for color and pop it in the oven. That’s it.
  • you don’t even have to roll out the dough if you buy pre-rolled puff pastry sheets
  • it bakes separately in 15 minutes while you’re making the filling
  • the texture and taste are amazing – the puff pastry stays super flaky and crispy
  • you can use it as a bottom crust, a top crust or both

If possible, buy a puff pastry in the freezer section that says ‘butter puff pastry’ or ‘made with butter’. Others will be fine too though.

If you can’t find puff pastry in your local grocery store, you can certainly replace it with a pie crust dough. Also good. Bake it separately as per package instructions.

Shortcuts

Traditional chicken pot pies usually take well over an hour to make. These 3 shortcuts cut the time way down to about 30 minutes.

  1. Chop the vegetables in the food processor (except for potato if using)
  2. Use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken. The ones at Costco are very tender and plump but any will do.
  3. Buy store bought puff pastry dough to make the flaky crust.

Make Ahead

  • Both the filling and the crust can be made a couple of days ahead. Store the filling in a sealed container in the fridge. Store the crusts on the counter – they will stay crisp in or out of a sealed bag.
  • Warm the filling on the stove on medium or in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Add extra broth of water to thin the sauce. Stir.
chicken pot pie filling with crust laid on top p

If you like this recipe, please leave a 5 star rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟in the recipe card below. And if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments. Thanks very much!

chicken pot pie topped with puff pastry crust on plate
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Skillet Chicken Pot Pie (30 minutes)

With a few shortcuts that don't compromise taste, this rich, scrumptious chicken pot pie with puff pastry can be made in 30 minutes. The ultimate comfort food.
Prep Time8 minutes
Cook Time22 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 generous servings

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry dough, thawed (about 8-9 ounces or 245g)
  • 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)

Filling

  • 4 tablespoon butter or oil (I use half butter, half oil)
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 medium celery stalks
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 2 cups additional veggies of your choice Note 1 (or more carrots and celery)
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cup chicken stock, chicken broth or vegetable broth Note 2
  • 2 handfuls fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
  • 2 cups cooked chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces (use leftover or rotisserie chicken from store)

Seasonings

  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning or more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and black pepper to taste depends on saltiness of broth. Start with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

Instructions

  • HEAT OVEN to 400F/204C
  • MAKE CRUST: Unfold sheet of puff pastry dough. Dough will be 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Cut into 6 or 8 pieces with knife or pizza cutter. Transfer to sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush with egg wash (you will only use a bit of it). Make a few small slits in each rectangle with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
  • PREPARE VEGETABLES: While crust is baking, cut vegetables into smaller chunks (about 2 inches). Place half in food processor. Pulse a few times to chop into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces. Don't worry if they are all not perfectly even, but they should be close to the same size for even cooking. Chop up any with a knife that have remained large. Repeat with remaining half. Alternatively, dice vegetables with a knife.
  • SAUTE VEGETABLES: Melt butter (or heat oil) in large pot or large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions and veggies to skillet. Sauté for 6-8 minutes.
  • MAKE SAUCE AND FINISH FILLING: Add flour to vegetable mixture. Stir well. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring. Add broth and all seasonings, stirring rapidly, until you get a smooth creamy sauce. Cook 10 minutes until vegetables are tender and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream if using. Stir in spinach and chicken. Cook 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  • TWO OPTIONS FOR SERVING:
    °Scoop filling onto plates and top with 1-2 pieces of puff pastry crust. Or,
    °Split each crust horizontally with a sharp knife into two thinner pieces. Place bottom half on plate. Add some filling. Place the top half on top of filling.

Recipe Notes

  1. Vegetables
    • You can add a total of 6 cups chopped veggies (not including the spinach).
    • If using 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs and and onion, you can add another 2 cups extra veggies without changing the sauce amount. Some options are: a potato, mushrooms, butternut squash, cauliflower, baby kale, corn and/or frozen peas (no need to defrost).
  2. Broth enrichment: You can substitute 1/4 cup of the broth with half and half cream (or heavy cream) to increase the richness of the filling. 
  3. Make Ahead
    • You can make both the filling and the crust a couple of days ahead. Store the filling in an airtight container in the fridge. Store the crusts separately at room temperature on the counter – they will stay crisp in or out of a sealed bag. 
    • Warm the filling on the stove on medium or in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Add extra broth of water to thin the sauce. Stir. 
 
Nutritional information is estimated for 4 generous portions with extra flaky puff pastry crust. 

Nutrition

Calories: 693kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 1101mg | Potassium: 680mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 10212IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 5mg
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6 Comments

  1. I love Ina Garten’s chicken pot pie so I’m looking forward to trying this stove top variation
    I’ve so enjoyed trying your recipes, thank you

  2. Recipe is great but the conversions need to be fixed. The amount of chicken is not getting increased due to the 2-3. Thanks for the ideas. Love puff pastry!

    1. So glad you liked the chicken pot pie. I fixed the conversion on the chopped chicken (the system doesn’t work with a range and I had put 2-3 cups). Thanks for letting me know.