Say goodbye to the freezer section forever. Once you know how easy it is to make homemade chicken potpie, you’ll never go back! There are several potpie recipes to choose from (and even a chicken potpie soup), but we find ourselves returning to this classic chicken potpie recipe time and time again. It captures everything we love about this comforting meal: golden crust, creamy sauce, tender chicken, and a colorful combination of carrots, potatoes, peas and corn.
This homemade chicken potpie recipe makes two pies. That may sound like a lot of food, but making the full recipe is worth it, even if you plan on only baking one. The pies freeze beautifully and don’t even need to thaw overnight when you’re ready to use them. We’ll include instructions on how to freeze chicken potpie and how to bake it from frozen so you can take advantage of a premade meal on a busy night.
How to Make Chicken Potpie
- Make the filling: The filling is a combination of chicken, vegetables and a basic white sauce. Before adding the vegetables, cook any veggies that require softening, such as carrots and potatoes.
- Fill the pie: Line a pie plate with unbaked pie crust. Then, add the chicken filling. Cover it with the top crust, seal the edges, and cut a few slits in the top. Those slits help steam escape as the pie bakes.
- Bake the pie: Bake chicken potpie until the crust is lightly browned and the filling is bubbly. Avoid the temptation to dive right into the pie. Letting it sit for 15 minutes will allow the filling to firm up. And no one wants a runny pie!
Chicken Potpie Ingredients
- Pie crust: Our classic butter pie crust tastes phenomenal, but premade crust is inarguably convenient. To use this shortcut, check out the best store-bought pie crust.
- Chicken: You can use white or dark meat to make chicken potpie. Using rotisserie chicken is a fantastic way to cut down prep time. If you prefer to cook the chicken at home, here’s how to bake chicken breasts without drying them out.
- Vegetables: A top-of-the-line potpie is filled with tender, colorful veggies. This recipe uses potatoes, carrots, frozen peas and corn.
- Cream sauce: The creamy sauce starts with a roux, which is a combination of butter and flour that thickens the sauce. The creamy consistency comes from milk, and the savory edge is from the combination of chicken broth, onions, thyme and black pepper.
Directions
Step 1: Cook the potato and carrot mixture
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Place the potatoes and carrots in a large saucepan, and add enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring the water to a boil. Then, reduce the heat. Cook, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes or until the veggies are crisp-tender. Drain and discard the water.
Step 2: Make a roux for the filling
In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion. Cook and stir until the onion is tender. Stir in the flour and seasonings until blended.
Step 3: Finish the filling
Gradually stir in the broth and milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
Cook and stir for two minutes or until the mixture is thickened.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, peas, corn, and potato-carrot mixture. Stir in the broth mixture.
Step 4: Assemble the potpie
Unroll a pie crust into each of the two 9-inch pie plates. Trim the crusts even with the rims of the plates. Add half the filling to each pie plate.
Step 5: Add the top crust
Unroll the remaining pie crusts. Working with one pie crust at a time, place it over the filling in each pie plate.
Trim, seal and flute the edges. Cut a few slits in the tops.
Editor’s Tip: To seal the pie, roll the edges of the top and bottom pie crusts together. Then, to flute the edge, position your index finger on the outside edge of the pie, facing inward. Position your other hand’s thumb and index finger on the inside edge, and gently press the crust into your outer index finger. Pinch to form a V. Continue around the pie crust until you reach the original flute.
Step 6: Bake the potpie
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned. Let the potpie stand for 15 minutes before cutting.
Recipe Variations
- Change the vegetables: You can use a limitless combination of vegetables in chicken potpie. Make it with or without potatoes, or add veggies like sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers, parsnips, asparagus or green beans.
- Use puff pastry: Give the pie a light and fluffy texture by making puff pastry chicken potpie.
- Swap in another meat: Try ground beef potpie for a hearty twist. Or if you have holiday leftovers, make ham potpie or turkey potpie. For a meatless version, skip the meat and make a vegetable potpie.
How to Store Chicken Potpie
Tightly wrap the cooled chicken potpie with storage wrap, or transfer it to an airtight container. The leftovers will last in the refrigerator for up to four days.
How to Reheat Chicken Potpie
To reheat chicken potpie, bake it in a 350° oven until the filling is hot and reaches an internal temperature of 165°. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature.
Can you freeze chicken potpie?
Yes! To freeze chicken potpie, cover the unbaked pies and place them in the freezer. When you’re ready to use a pie, there’s no need to thaw it. Simply remove it from the freezer 30 minutes before baking to take the chill off the dish.
To bake a chicken potpie from frozen, preheat the oven to 425°. Place the pie on a baking sheet, and cover the edges loosely with foil to prevent them from over-browning. Bake for 30 minutes. Then, reduce the oven setting to 350°. Bake for 70 to 80 minutes longer or until the crust is golden brown and a thermometer inserted in the center reads 165°.
Tips for Homemade Chicken Potpie
How do you keep chicken potpie from getting soggy?
There are several ways to prevent a soggy pie crust. Here are our top tips:
- Seal the crust: Brush the crust with a beaten egg white. This will help seal the crust and prevent the liquid filling from absorbing into the dough.
- Make sure the filling is hot: Pour the filling into the crust while it’s still hot. Then, immediately place the potpie in the oven. The heat from the filling will help set the crust.
- Use the lower rack: Bake the pie on a lower rack in the oven. The oven’s heat concentrates at the bottom. So, placing the potpie on the lowest rack ensures the bottom of the crust will become crisp and golden brown.
- Blind bake the crust: If all else fails, try blind baking the pie crust before adding the filling.
How do you thicken chicken potpie filling?
We thicken our chicken potpie filling with flour. As written, this recipe should create a sufficiently thick mixture. However, you can add a bit of cornstarch or arrowroot to further thicken the filling. Stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into cold water and gradually whisk it into the filling. Be sure to stir the mixture well to avoid lumps. If you’re planning to freeze the potpie, arrowroot is the best thickener. Cornstarch can make the filling spongy when thawed.
Should you poke holes in the bottom pie crust?
No, we don’t recommend poking holes in the pie crust. Pricking the bottom of a pastry crust is helpful if you’re blind-baking the crust. However, you shouldn’t poke holes in the crust when the filling and crust are going to be baked together.
How do you keep the edge of the pie crust from slumping?
You can reduce slumping (when the edge of the crust falls inward off the lip of the pie plate) by letting a fluted crust rest in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes.
Why is the chicken potpie runny?
If your chicken potpie seems runny after it’s baked, chances are good that the pie didn’t bake for enough time. The ingredients need time to set up and create a thick filling. If your crust is getting too golden or dark before the end of your bake time, place a sheet of foil over the top to keep it from burning.
