This recipe for quick and easy chicken pot pie is a comfort food classic. With only 20 minutes of prep time, this is an easy dinner for any busy home chef! In this recipe, we use a pre-made frozen crust to save both time and hassle.
Chicken pot pie is my all-time favorite comfort food recipe. I could eat it any and every day of the year. However, I needed a recipe for chicken pot pie that was quick and easy. And here it is! This is a recipe that can be made for dinner even on busy nights. This quick and easy chicken pot pie with a pre-made frozen crust can be whipped up much quicker than a fully from-scratch chicken pot pie.
How to get Dinner on the Table Quicker
Prepping your ingredients can make for an easier recipe when dinner time is quickly approaching. Chop your carrots, onion, and celery ahead of time, and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to start cooking dinner.
Using a premade pie crust also saves you time when in a pinch. I like to keep a package of 2 prepared and frozen pie crusts in my freezer for an impromptu pot pie dinner.
Precooked chicken is the final step to a quick and easy chicken pot pie. There are several options for pre-cooked shredded chicken. You could buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken for added convenience. You could also cook your raw chicken breasts ahead of time. Or you could use my preferred method — an Instant Pot pressure cooker.
When making chicken pot pie on short notice, I like to put 2 pounds of raw chicken breasts with a small amount of water or broth in my Instant Pot to cook while I start cooking my veggies. It’s quick, easy, and gets the job done.
About the Ingredients
For a quick and easy chicken pot pie crust…
- 2 9-inch, deep-dish prepared pie crusts
- I like to use pre-made frozen pie crusts to make this recipe quick and easy. By using the deep dish crusts, you can ensure plenty of space for the savory chicken filling. You could also make your own homemade pie crust if you wish, however, it will add time and effort to the dish.
What’s in the chicken pot pie filling?
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Olive oil is used to cook the mirepoix by lightly sauteing until soft but not browned. Oil is also needed as fat to be combined with flour to make a roux.
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped onion
- Carrots, celery, and onion are the three ingredients that make up the French mirepoix. A traditional mirepoix consists of 2 parts onion to 1 part carrot and 1 part celery. However, I like to use 2 parts carrots to 1 part celery, and 1 part onion for this recipe. I like the extra carrots in my chicken pot pie!
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic is equivalent to about 3 cloves of garlic.
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Black pepper adds seasoning and flavor!
- ¼ cup flour
- Roux (pronounced ROO) is a thickening agent used to thicken sauces, gravies, and soups. Cook it just long enough to remove the starchy, flour flavor.
- 2 cups milk
- 2 pounds of chicken cooked and shredded
- Can be cooked ahead of time, or put into an instant pot while the veggies are cooking.
- ½ cup frozen peas
- One of the last ingredients added to the filling! While I personally like peas in my pot pie, you could make this chicken pot pie recipe without
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Thyme is one of my favorite herbs to pair with chicken!
How it’s Made
Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.
Prepare Chicken (if needed)
If you are not using pre-cooked chicken, you should start cooking your chicken now. This is when I put my chicken in my Instant Pot pressure cooker.
To cook your chicken in an electric pressure cooker like the Instant Pot, add 1 cup of water (or chicken broth for added flavor). Place the trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot and lay the boneless skinless chicken breasts on top. Season chicken with a little bit of salt and freshly ground pepper if desired. Place the lid on and set the lid valve to “sealing.” I set mine to pressure cook on high for 10 minutes, then allow a 5-minute natural release. Next, carefully flip the valve to “venting” to quickly release the remaining pressure.
Remove the chicken and shred. You can shred by hand with two forks or use an electric mixer (stand or hand-held) to easily shred without the extra effort. Set aside until needed in the recipe.
Cook the Veggies
Add oil to a heavy-bottomed saucepot or a Dutch oven and heat on medium. I highly recommend getting a Dutch oven as they are so versatile. I use mine so much!
Add your chopped carrots, celery, and onion. Cook veggies for about 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the veggies are beginning to soften, add the minced garlic and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for one more minute.
Make the Sauce
Leave the veggies in the pot and add the rest of the oil. Next, stir in the flour and cook on low heat for a few minutes. Cook just long enough to remove any starchy flour taste. This is the thickening agent for our sauce.
Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly. Turn up the heat to medium-high and cook for 3-4 minutes. The sauce will start to slightly thicken.
Add the Pie Filling Ingredients
Turn off the heat. Add in the shredded cooked chicken, frozen peas, and thyme. Mix well.
Spoon all of the fillings into one of your prepared pie crusts. Remove the second prepared pie crust from the tin pan. Lay the crust over the top of your filled pie. Trim off any overhanging pie dough. Pinch the edges to seal the top and bottom crusts together. Carefully cut four slits in the top of the pie crust with a sharp knife.
Bake
Place the chicken pot pie in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. The crust will be a deep golden brown and the filling should be bubbling when done. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Want more from Cooking with Ginger?
Click HERE to subscribe to our e-mail list to get new recipes delivered right to your inbox. By subscribing to the email list you also get a FREE copy of my eCookbook, Healthy Recipe Swaps: 30 Comfort Food Recipes Made Healthier.
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Quick and Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 2 9-inch, deep dish prepared pie crusts
- 4 tablespoons olive oil separated
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 pounds chicken cooked and shredded
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for about 8 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Add the garlic and black pepper.
- Add the rest of the oil and the flour and cook on low heat for about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Stir in the cooked shredded chicken, frozen peas, and thyme.
- Spoon the chicken pot pie filling into one of the already prepared pie crusts. Remove the second prepared pie crust from the tin pan. Lay the circle of pie dough on top of the filled pie crust. Trim off any overhanging dough. Gently pinch the dough together at the seam of the pie. Cut 4 slits in the top of the dough with a sharp knife.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes. The crust should be a deep golden brown, and the filling should be bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Serve hot.
Video
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know how it turned out for you! Snap a picture and share it on Instagram with the tag #cookwithginger. Don’t forget to leave a message in the comments below and share this recipe with your friends if you enjoyed it!
New to Cooking with Ginger? Read more about me by clicking here.
More Recipes You Might Like
