Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Crust

Chicken Pot Pie is a labor of love – particularly if you are homemaking the pie crust like I do for this one. But my goodness, is it worth every minute of prep! This meal is sure to impress and satisfy anybody you serve it to. I sometimes like to make the pie crust the night before making the actual recipe, so it feels a little less daunting. And of course you can use a store-bought crust if you want – I just love how much more flavorful and healthy homemaking it is!

We are healthifying chicken pot pie by using higher-quality ingredients – grass-fed dairy instead of conventional, homemade crust (if desired) that doesn’t have a bunch of fillers and processed ingredients, and a bit more veggies than most recipes call for. By choosing higher quality ingredients, we are avoiding processed chemicals, etc. This homemade chicken pot pie is the comfort meal you know, but made with health in mind!

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Nutritional benefits of this recipe

• I’m a big believer in high-quality flour. I use Sunrise Flour Mill for all my baking because it’s non-GMO, unbleached, properly grown, properly milled, and organic. Wheat products in America are highly sprayed with Glyphosate which is shown to wreak havoc on our gut microbiome. Properly grown and prepped wheat products are easier to digest and are actually nutrient-dense.
• For the healthiest dairy products (butter and milk for this recipe), I always recommend buying grass-fed. Better yet, if you can support a local farm that has grass-fed cows and dairy products, then do that!
• This recipe has lots of veggies – onion, carrots, celery, peas, and garlic. This all provides polyphenols & antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
• Broth is rich in glutamine, collagen, and gelatin and is a superfood for the gut, immune system, skin, hair, nails, and more.
• Chicken is rich in tryptophan, which promotes serotonin. Also rich zinc, selenium, iron, and b-vitamins. Eating protein helps regulate cravings, hunger, blood sugar, weight, and energy. 

Ingredients for Chicken Pot Pie

For the filling:

Chicken – I use boneless, skinless chicken breast, but you can also use tenders or thighs.

Onion

Carrots

Celery

Frozen peas

Garlic

Chicken broth

Milk – or you can use half and half for an even creamier, richer filling.

Flour – to make a roux and to thicken the filling.

Fresh thyme – or use dried thyme, or simply omit

Salt, pepper

For the pie crust

Flour

COLD butter – I take refrigerated butter, dice it into small cubes, then place it in the freezer for a few minutes before using. Ensuring the butter is cold is what creates a buttery, flaky crust rather than a dense crust.

Ice cold water – to make sure the butter in the crust stays very cold.

Coconut sugar

Apple cider vinegar – I use this to slow gluten-development, helping create a flaky crust.

How to make Chicken Pot Pie

Although the instructions in the recipe card are very detailed, the overall premise of chicken pot pie is much more simple when you understand the process. Here’s the process in a simplified manner:

1. You’ll start by home-making the pie crust and letting it chill in the refrigerator while making the filling.
2. Make the filling: Sauté the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic for a few minutes. Add the diced chicken and cook until no longer pink. Then make a roux with butter and flour in the same pan, then whisk in the broth and milk and let the sauce thicken for 15 minutes on simmering. Then incorporate the frozen peas and seasonings.
3. Assemble and bake: Form the bottom crust to the pie dish, scoop the filling into it, place the second crust on top and crimp the edges, brush with egg wash and cut slits in the top crust (for steam to escape during baking), then bake for 35 minutes until golden (cover with pie shield at the end IF needed).
4. Let it rest at least 10-15 minutes before serving – this allows the filling to thicken up a little.

Random fun facts:

1. For making the pie crust ahead of time: feel free to roll into two separate thicker disks about 1/2″ thick (instead of pre-forming the pie crust). This way you can refrigerate it easily (without taking up space) for a couple days or even freeze it for a couple months if you are bulk-making crust. The only reason I instruct to form into the crust off the bat is to save time with chilling.
2. When making the crust: Pulsing rather than blending with the food processor gives better control of the crust formation – it prevents over-blending of the butter into the flour, over-development of the gluten, and it prevents the food processor from heating up and melting the butter (you need it cold for the flaky crust).

Modifications and variations

• Feel free to use pre-cooked chicken, like any leftover chicken you have, or rotisserie chicken, etc. You would use about 12-14 oz of cooked chicken in place of the uncooked chicken.
• Add or substitute any other veggies you want such as sweet potato instead of carrots or leeks instead of onion, or adding other fragrant options such as fennel.
• Make the gravy richer by using half and half instead of milk.
• Use shredded turkey instead of chicken.
• Omit the bottom crust and opt for just the top crust for a lighter chicken pot pie.

Other recipes you’ll love

Easiest One-Pan Chicken Pot Pie (lightened up)

Easy Pot Roast

Autumn Harvest Roasted Chicken & Veggies

One-Pot Tuscan Pasta with Beef & Ricotta

I hope you love this Chicken Pot Pie with homemade crust recipe! Please be sure to leave a comment below and a rating if you give this recipe a try. I would LOVE to hear how it turned out for you, and if you have any questions in the meantime!

This recipe was originally posted on December 4th, 2025, and was modified on January 9th, 2026 with easier instructions – instead of poaching the chicken, I call for dicing it smaller and cooking it in the same pan as the veggies. This is a much quicker and easier method (with less cleanup too!).

Healthier Chicken Pot Pie

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A labor of love that’ll impress anyone and make everyone go back for seconds or even thirds. This Chicken Pot Pie is a recipe you want to keep in your back pocket to impress any guest!

• Author: Christine Manes
• Prep Time: 55 minutes active
• Cook Time: 35 minute oven baking
• Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
• Category: dinner
• Method: stovetop, oven

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

2 crusts (for top and bottom)

340g flour (2 1/2 cups spooned and leveled)

2 Tbsp coconut sugar (21g)

1/2 tsp pink salt (4g)

2 sticks of cold butter (226g) – you want it to be VERY cold!

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (15mL)

6 Tbsp ice cold water (90mL)

Filling

1 Tbsp avocado oil, olive oil, or butter

1/2 yellow onion, diced (170g)

2 large carrots, peeled and diced (160g)

2 celery ribs, diced (85g)

1–1.25 lbs chicken breast, diced into small 1/2″ pieces

5 large garlic cloves, minced

3 Tbsp butter (42g)

1/3 rounded cup flour (50g)

1 1/2 cups chicken broth (354mL)

1 cup whole milk (236mL) – or half and half if you want it even more rich and creamy

1/2 cup frozen peas (60g)

2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried)

1 tsp salt, to taste (8g)

Fresh ground black pepper

Additional

1 egg, beaten, for egg wash on top

Equipment

9-inch pie dish

Large pan

Rolling pin

Pie shield

Kitchen scale (if desired)

Food processor – for making pie crust

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Homemade pie crust:

 15 min prep, 30 min refrigeration

1. Cut 2 cold, refrigerated sticks of butter into small cubes, place into a small bowl, then place in the freezer for a few minutes while you follow the next two steps.
2. Put about 1 cup of water into a small bowl and add ice.
3. Set up a food processor, then add the flour (340g), coconut sugar (21g), and salt (4g) and pulse a few times to combine.
4. Add the cold butter and pulse until it is beaded – about 15 pulses. (You want to pulse, not blend).
5. Add 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar and 6 Tablespoons of the ice cold water. Pulse 15-20 times until it forms a moist, beaded dough. Test it by squeezing some between your fingers – it should be moist enough to stick to itself but not to your fingers. If it’s too dry, add water 1/2 Tbsp at a time (pulse just a few times); if it’s too wet, add flour 1/2 Tbsp at a time (pulse just a few times).
6. Working fairly quickly to keep the dough cold: Flour a clean surface, dump the dough onto it, mold it into a ball, then separate into two portions. Gently roll each portion out, one about 12″ in diameter and one about 9-10″ in diameter. Put parchment paper onto a large plate or cookie sheet, place one of the crusts onto it, then layer another parchment paper, and place the second crust on top (to prevent sticking together). Cover and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Make the filling:

30 minutes

1. Dice up 1/2 yellow onion, 2 large carrots, and 2 medium celery stalks.
2. Put 1 Tbsp of oil into a large pan. Add the diced veggies and begin preheating to medium-high heat.
3. Dice up the chicken into very small 1/2″ pieces and incorporate into the veggies. Season with 1/2 tsp of salt. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink, stirring frequently.
4. Move everything to the edges of the pan as much as you can and add the 3 Tbsp (42g) of butter and 4 minced garlic cloves into the center. Add the 1/3 rounded cup of flour (50g) and mix together with the butter. Re-incorporate everything in the pan.
5. Pour in the milk (1 cup) and the broth (2 cups) and stir everything together. Season with the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and some black pepper. Bring to a simmer then turn the heat to low and let it simmer lightly for 10-15 minutes until thickened, stirring every few minutes.
6. Start preheating the oven to 400°F (200°C).
7. Once thickened, stir in 1/2 cup frozen peas, 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme, 1/2 tsp salt, and some black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning to liking. Remove from heat and follow the next steps.

Assemble & bake

10 min prep, 35 min cook, 15 min rest after cooking

1. Form the bottom crust (12″ in diameter) into the 9-inch pie dish.
2. Spoon in the filling.
3. Top with second crust, crimp edges, and cut small slits in the top crust for steam to escape.
4. Brush with some of the beaten egg. I just do the top, avoiding the edges of the crust to prevent over-browning.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes, until crust is golden. If edges brown too quickly, cover with a pie shield or foil.
6. Let rest at least 15 minutes before serving. The gravy thickens as it cools.

–

Notes

• Feel free to use pre-cooked chicken, like any leftover chicken you have, or rotisserie chicken, etc. You would use about 12-14 oz of cooked chicken in place of the uncooked chicken.
• Add or substitute any other veggies you want such as sweet potato instead of carrots or leeks instead of onion, or adding other options such as fennel, bell pepper, etc.
• Make the gravy richer by substituting half the milk for heavy cream (or substitute all the milk for half-and-half)
• Use shredded turkey instead of chicken.
• Omit the bottom crust and opt for just the top crust for a lighter chicken pot pie.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/8 of chicken pot pie
• Calories: 545
• Fat: 31
• Carbohydrates: 45
• Fiber: 3
• Protein: 22

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