Deconstructed Chicken Pot Pie

Sharing is caring!

This rich and creamy deconstructed chicken pot pie is the ultimate bowl of cozy-weather comfort. It's great for busy weeknights, quickly coming together in one pot with juicy chicken thighs, tender veggies, and a savory creamy soup. The delicious crust is baked separately so it's crisp, buttery, and easy to put together!

Love chicken soups and stews? Try my chicken noodle soup, this Greek lemony chicken-and-rice avgolemono soup, or cozy chicken and fluffy herb dumplings!

a pot holds chicken pot pie soup with a ladle

Classic Comfort Food for Cold Wintery Days!

When the cozy weather comes to town, y'all know I get too, too excited. The fireplace comes right back on and my stove and oven are covered in pots of any and all types of stews.

As one of my personally favorite (and reader favorite) recipes, this post deserved an update since it originally came out in 2016. This comforting meal easy and cozy and done in less than 30 minutes, what is not to love about chicken pot pie soup?

That's basically what a deconstructed chicken pot pie is: all the yummy vegetables, herbs, chicken, and gravy but the crust is baked separately on a baking sheet and it could be anything! A pie crust, a batch of mouthwatering biscuits, a sheet of puff pastry cut into wedges.

It's the perfect meal for this time of the year, taking the classic creamy filling and cooking it in a pot rather than spending a couple of hours stewing and shredding and rolling dough. It's simple, easy, and unfussy. 

a bowl of deconstructed chicken pot pie sits in front of a basket of homemade biscuits

It's chicken thighs and vegetables mixed up in a creamy sauce that the whole family will just eat up, you know? A mom's best friend.

This post may contain Affiliate Links. Please see my Full Disclosure Policy for more details.

Jump to:

Why You're Going to Love this Deconstructed Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Use Whatever You've Got on Hand - You can use frozen peas and carrots or you can grab fresh vegetables and throw them right in, this recipe is a base with simple ingredients and so easy to customize.

Winter's Ultimate Comfort Food - what is more comforting than chicken soup and stew? Honestly? Whether you have a cold or are just cold, this recipe is ready in

Never soggy, and no need to make a pie crust - this recipe is really so customizable. Use whatever you want as a crust topping or even have no crust at all! There's no worry if you'll have a gluey, soggy crust.

Equipment

Dutch Oven - you could also make this in a braiser or cast iron skillet like I did, but a dutch oven gives you plenty of space for big batches of creamy pot pie goodness. Dutch ovens are probably the most used piece of equipment in my kitchen, especially during the fall and winter seasons (soup season!). 

Wooden Spoon and Whisk for the filling.

Baking Sheet - for your crust topping!

Key Ingredients for Chicken Pot Pie

the ingredients for deconstructed chicken pot pie soup: mirepoix, herbs, butter, chicken thighs, spices, flour, broth, peas, and cream

Chicken Thighs - these are the best part of the chicken to use for protein in a soup or stew. They hold up so well after being seared, braised, and simmered for long periods of time. Chicken breasts can get overcooked very easily.

Carrot, Onion, and Celery - this is called a mirepoix, the French aromatic base that we use in so many dishes!

Chicken Stock - Use a low sodium chicken broth so you can control the salt in your soup.

Fresh Herbs - I use fresh thyme and rosemary, and it works so well, they bring a lot of flavor into your soup. You can also use dried herbs, just use less of the dried rosemary because it's pretty strong.

Heavy Cream - the richness, the decadence? Oh, the heavy cream brings it. 

Puff Pastry or your favorite biscuits - even if it's deconstructed chicken pot pie, it's not pot pie without a crust. Store-bought puff pastry is super easy to cut into pieces and throw in the oven while your soup simmers.

How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Making a crustless chicken pot pie is really simple! You could enjoy the soup as is, but honestly the best part of a chicken pot pie is having a pastry or biscuit topping to sop up that creamy gravy you'll have at the bottom of your bowl.

chicken thighs being seared in a hot pan

Step 1 | Sear your chopped chicken thighs on medium-high heat until they are golden brown and cooked through.

chopped vegetables sautéed in a pan

Step 2 | Melt the butter and sauté the veggies, herbs, and spices over medium heat.

seared vegetables coated in flour

Step 3 | Add flour and coat the veggies, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.

a spoon stirring broth and cream into the pan of chicken and vegetables

Step 4 | Add the chicken back to the pan, whisk in the stock or broth and the cream, then add in the frozen peas. Let it bubble and thicken, then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally until you're ready to eat.

All while your oven preheats and you heat up a sheet of puff pastry you bought from the store. Brush a little egg wash on it and bake according to the package directions.

 Place a piece of baked pastry on top of the filling and dinner is served! So easy.

And if you're using leftover chicken, it's even easier!

Choose your crust: Biscuits or Puff Pastry

Different toppings besides a puff pastry crust also change the game.

Chicken pot pie with biscuits is a delicious favorite when I make this recipe. While it does require more work than grabbing a sheet of puff pastry from the store, is there anything more delicious than homemade biscuits? 

deconstructed chicken pot pie with biscuits on top

Flaky easy buttermilk biscuits make an amazing accompaniment, as well as just baking off actual pie crust if you have some leftover from baking a tasty thanksgiving pie this season.

Variations and Substitutions

  • Extra veggies like green beans, corn kernels, and mushrooms make this dish even more filling. Some people even love adding potatoes or gnocchi!
  • Using rotisserie chicken also cuts down on the cook time, so if you want to speed things up grab one hot and ready before you come home and use this recipe to jazz it, or its leftovers, up!
  • And you could even throw it in a baking dish to bake in the oven if you don't want to babysit. Just cook it until the chicken thighs are cooked through, at 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer.
  • This is a fabulous recipe to use up some leftover turkey from Thanksgiving!
  • A splash of white wine in the creamy chicken filling lifts up the flavor. of such a rich dish. If you have some on hand, give it a try!

Pro Tips

If you're taking the baking route as I mentioned above, just top the filling with the biscuits and bake!

Want a thicker gravy-like situation? Whisk in a cornstarch slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water. 

a bowl of chicken pot pie sits on a fluted plate

Make Ahead Instructions

Make the chicken pot pie soup up to 2 days ahead and keep in the fridge in an airtight container.

When ready to serve, rewarm the soup in a pot until warmed through and bake the puff pastry or make the biscuits as it warms up. Super simple!

Pro Tip: If you feel like the soup has gotten too thick, splash in some broth to loosen it back up!

Storage and Reheating

Storing

Let the chicken pot pie come to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container to keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Which means it's a great make ahead recipe!

Reheating Chicken Pot Pie

Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.

FAQs

How do I thicken chicken pot pie?

If you want your soup to become even thicker, make a cornstarch slurry. With about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl, pour in 1 tablespoon of water and mix together. Stir it into the simmering soup at the end of the cook time

Can I make this gluten-free?

Over the years readers have said that using gluten free flour has worked as a thickening agent!

Can I substitute heavy cream?

You absolutely can sub milk or half and half for heavy cream. It won't be as rich but it'll still be delicious.

What kind of biscuits should you use?

I suggest making flaky biscuits, because they have so many layers and really nice crispy bottoms that are great for scooping up the filling and are nice and buttery. So if you're using store bought frozen ones, the 'flaky' ones are less likely to get really soggy.

Can I put a crust on top anyway?

Yes you can! Make the filling in an oven-safe braiser or cast iron skillet, cut slits into the pie crust, brush with egg wash, and bake until the pie crust is golden brown and flaky.

More Cold-Weather Comfort Food Recipes

Click here to subscribe SWEET TEA & THYME’S NEWSLETTER for free and fresh recipes right into your inbox!

To pin this recipe and save it for later you can use the Pin button on the recipe card, the sharing buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. 

Tag me @sweet_tea_thyme on Instagram to share your remakes with me, I love looking through your photos!

Enjoyed the recipe? Leave a 5 star rating and comment below to let me know. I appreciate ya!

📖 Recipe

Deconstructed Chicken Pot Pie

Eden Westbrook
This rich and creamy deconstructed chicken pot pie is the ultimate bowl of cozy-weather comfort. It's great for busy weeknights, quickly coming together in one pot with juicy chicken thighs, tender veggies, and a savory creamy soup. The delicious crust is baked separately so it's crisp, buttery, and easy to put together!
4.66 from 38 votes
Prep Time 7 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 487 kcal

Ingredients
  

Chicken Pot Pie soup

  • 4 tablespoon butter
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 medium carrots peeled and small dice
  • 1 medium yellow onion small dice
  • 2 celery ribs small dice
  • ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary minced
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric optional
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • ½ cup frozen peas

Puff Pastry Crusts

  • 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoon water

Instructions
 

  • Make the Chicken Pot Pie Soup
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  • Melt the butter in a dutch oven on medium-high heat. Season the chicken thigh meat with the 2 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Sear chicken on both sides until the chicken has a nice golden brown color, 2-3 minutes on each side.
  • Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the chicken to a plate. Set aside.
  • Add your carrots, onion, and celery into the dutch oven. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until onions become translucent and the carrots start to gain a brown crust.
  • Stir in the fresh thyme, rosemary, granulated garlic, ground turmeric and let that mix in for 2 minutes. Stir in all purpose flour, yes it will get thick and gloopy, that's alright.
  • Begin to splash in the chicken broth, stirring constantly, adding more as the flour absorbs the liquid. Keep going, it's going to look weird until the broth and the flour thin out and become liquid and soup-like. Add in heavy cream.
  • Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. The soup will thicken up slightly. Add the chicken back to the pot and the frozen peas five minutes before you're done cooking, you don't want to overcook them.
  • Serve hot with puff pastry (or preferred topping) on the side.
  • Make the Puff Pastry Crust Top
  • Cut your puff pastry into 8 equal pieces, cut into squares or rectangles, then whisk together the egg and water together for an egg wash. Gently brush it on to the pastry, place the pastry onto a baking sheet, and bake according to packaging instructions.

Notes

Tips and Variations

Adding other vegetables like green beans, corn kernels, and mushrooms make this dish even more filling. Some people even love adding potatoes or gnocchi!
Different toppings besides a puff pastry crust also change the game. Flaky homemade biscuits make an amazing accompaniment, as well as just baking off actual pie crust if you have some leftover from baking a tasty thanksgiving pie this season.
Using rotisserie chicken also cuts down on the cook time, so if you want to speed things up grab one hot and ready before you come home (or use this recipe to jazz one or its leftovers up!)
And you could make it in a large skillet or even throw it in a casserole dish to bake in the oven if you don't want to babysit. Just cook it until the chicken thighs are cooked through, at 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Let the chicken pot pie come to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container to keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Which means it's a great make ahead recipe!
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 487kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 13gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 22gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 980mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6g
Tried this recipe?Leave a star rating and let us know!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

5 Comments

  1. When do you add the cream? After the broth and flour thickens?

    1. Eden Westbrook says:

      Hi Brenda,

      So in Step 6, you add all the broth and stir it in, then add the heavy cream right in as well and let the soup simmer. xo, Eden

  2. Alice Roberts says:

    This was absolutely delicious! It's the best recipe I've used in many months. Definitely a keeper.

  3. I made this tonight and it was a big hit! I was out of turmeric so I added a pinch of Madras curry powder instead, and I had no puff pastry so we ate it on top of rice. It was good enough to lick the bowl clean! I could see this being pretty adaptable to whatever veg you have on hand in the fridge. Super yum, this recipe is definitely a keeper!

  4. Nicole Nalchajian says:

    Made this tonight, delicious and so easy.