This Legitimately Easy Chicken Pot Pie Takes Just 10 Minutes to Prep

A simple, ultra-comforting chicken pot pie with a shatteringly crisp crust? Sign us up.

Liv Dansky

and

Genevieve Yam

Updated September 25, 2024

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Baked Pot pie with one serving taken out of skillet and on a plate. Skillet is on a white tablecloth and has serving plates around it. — Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

Why It Works

Using store-bought puff pastry is an easy way of creating a crisp, flaky topping.
Lemon zest brings brightness to the creamy chicken filling.

As much as I love cooking projects like all-day lasagna, porchetta, and sourdough bread, I, like many busy parents, cook a lot of one-pot and one-pan recipes. Most evenings, I’ll whip up pasta, stir-fries, or a simple salad. And when the weather dips below 60ºF, hearty soups, stews, and pot pies start to make appearances. One of my favorite things to prepare when sweater weather rolls around is chicken pot pie with plenty of vegetables, tender morsels of meat, and a creamy sauce encased in a flaky crust. It may sound like a time-consuming affair, but it doesn’t have to be.

Broth and cream added into skillet of cooked vegetables in skillet — Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

Our version below, which comes from Liv Dansky, our Birmingham, Alabama-based test kitchen colleague, comes together in a single cast iron skillet, making it a meal that’s light on both effort and clean up. To make it, you sauté bite-size pieces of chicken with aromatics—carrots, celery, leek, and garlic—then add a touch of flour, which helps thicken the filling once you add the chicken broth and cream. Frozen peas add a pop of sweetness and color, and the acidity of lemon zest brings brightness that cuts through the creamy filling.

Unlike many pot pie recipes, which may have you make dough from scratch for a double-crusted pie, Liv calls for store-bought puff pastry here. All you have to do is thaw and roll the dough out before placing it on top of the pie, brushing it with egg wash to give it a nice sheen, and placing it in the oven to bake. The result? An easy, ultra-comforting chicken pot pie with a shatteringly crisp crust.

Thinly slices carrots and vegetables cooking in a skillet — Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

Editor's Note

This recipe was developed by Liv Dansky; the headnote was written by Genevieve Yam.

Recipe Details

This Legitimately Easy Chicken Pot Pie Takes Just 10 Minutes to Prep

Prep 10 mins

Cook 40 mins

Cooling Time 10 mins

Total 60 mins

Serves 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon (15ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound (454g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces, see notes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 ounces; 56g)
3 small carrots (about 2 ounces; 57g each), peeled and chopped (about 1 1/4 cups chopped)
2 celery ribs (about 2 1/2 ounces; 68g each) chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 medium leek, washed and rinsed of any grit, sliced
3 medium cloves garlic
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounce; 44g)
2 cups (480ml) chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon (65ml) heavy cream, divided
1 1/2 cups frozen sweet green peas (about 6 ounces; 175g)
2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely grated from 1 lemon
1 sheet puff pastry (17 1/4 ounces; 490g) from 1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg

Directions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F (205ºC). Heat oil in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat until just shimmering. Add chicken; cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from skillet, and transfer to a plate.
Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze
Melt butter in same skillet over medium. Stir in carrots, celery, leek, garlic, thyme, salt, and cayenne; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with flour; cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are evenly coated and flour begins to stick to bottom of skillet, about 1 minute. Stir in broth and 1/4 cup of the cream; bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in peas, lemon zest, and reserved chicken; remove from heat.
Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze
Place puff pastry on top of chicken mixture in skillet; tuck edges inside skillet so mixture is covered completely.
Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze
In a small bowl, whisk together egg and remaining 1 teaspoon heavy cream. Using a pastry brush, brush top of pastry with egg wash. Using a sharp paring knife, cut an “X” about 3 inches across in middle of pastry. (This allows steam to escape as the pie bakes.)
Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze
Set skillet on top of a rimmed baking sheet and bake until top is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

Special Equipment

10-inch cast iron skillet, whisk, pastry brush, rimmed baking sheet

Make-Ahead and Storage

The filling can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days, though the crust will lose its crispness. Reheat in the microwave or in oven at 375ºF (190ºC) until hot throughout, 15 to 20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
797	Calories
49g	Fat
55g	Carbs
34g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	797
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 49g	63%
Saturated Fat 13g	65%
Cholesterol 128mg	43%
Sodium 1040mg	45%
Total Carbohydrate 55g	20%
Dietary Fiber 5g	17%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 9mg	47%
Calcium 77mg	6%
Iron 5mg	26%
Potassium 521mg	11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.