Southern Chicken and Pastry

Prep: 50 min. Bake: 15 min.

Surprise Christmas dinner guests with puff pastry “packages” that blanket bowls of Creamy Garlic & Mushroom Soup. Our Test Kitchen also stirred in a bit of sherry to heighten the soup’s wonderful flavor.

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Ingredients

In a Dutch oven, saute mushrooms in butter in batches until tender. Return all to the pan; add garlic and onions. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with flour; stir until blended.
Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the cream, sherry and seasonings; heat through.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out each sheet of puff pastry into a 12-in. square. Using a 10-oz. ramekin for a pattern, cut out four pastry circles 1 in. larger than the ramekin’s diameter from each square.

To Make Ahead: A day before, make the soup up to the point of adding the cream, sherry and seasonings; cover and refrigerate. Reheat when ready to use; continue with the recipe as directed.

Nutrition Facts

1 serving: 574 calories, 38g fat (17g saturated fat), 89mg cholesterol, 792mg sodium, 48g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 6g fiber), 12g protein.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a deep pot or Dutch oven over low heat, soften the onions in the butter and oil for about 30 minutes and cook until the onions are golden brown, then add the flour and stir. Add the brandy (if using) and continue to stir, then add the stock. Simmer for at least 1 hour.

Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed with salt and pepper. Ladle into 4 ovenproof soup bowls and place the croutons on top, then sprinkle with a good amount of Gruyere cheese.

Brush the lip of each bowl with some of the egg wash. Drape the puff pastry rounds over the bowls and press to gently seal. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top of the pastry. Put into the oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

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This Week on the Show

This easy homemade chicken and dumplings recipe is made with tender strips of scratch-made pastry, store-bought chicken stock, and juicy rotisserie chicken making this a quick and satisfying weeknight meal you can have on the table in under 30 minutes!

Easy homemade chicken and dumplings is the perfect weeknight meal!

This Easy Chicken and Dumplings recipe is one of the recipes I make most for my family and as a ministry meal for family in the hospital, new moms, other friends in need of a comforting meal.

Store bought ingredients help make this Easy Chicken and Dumplings a 30 minute meal.

You just need a few simple ingredients to make this easy chicken and dumplings:

Store-bought rotisserie chicken (or leftover chicken or even Thanksgiving turkey!)
Chicken Stock
Italian Seasoning
Self-rising Flour
Oil
Milk
Salt & Pepper

Homemade Dumplings

Now, some may argue this recipe shouldn’t be considered homemade chicken and dumplings because everything isn’t made from scratch.

I’d argue back, the dumplings (which are the most important part of chicken and dumplings) are made from scratch so this recipe deft counts.

Plus, I’ve tested at least 10 different scratch-made dumpling recipes. I’ve made them with just chicken stock, chicken stock and milk, chicken stock and butter, regular flour, baking soda, and the list goes on and on.

I can attest these homemade dumplings are the most tender, heavenly, and flavorful dumplings out of the bunch.

Cut the homemade dumplings w/ a pizza cutter into one inch strips for even cooking.

How to Make Chicken and Dumplings

The “hardest” part of any chicken and dumpling recipe is the homemade dumplings, but truly they’re not hard at all.

Mix together the flour, ¼ teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and pepper in a large bowl w/ a fork.
Make a well in the middle of the flour, pour in the oil and milk, and stir, either w/ your hands or a wooden spoon, until the dough just pulls together.
Dump the dough onto a floured cutting board, roll out until ¼” thick, then slice into 1″long strips and then into 2″ long squares.
Serve piping hot w/ Parker House Rolls, crusty bread, or a Mixed Berry Salad!

How to Cook Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

Pour chicken stock into a large pot or dutch oven and place over medium-high heat. Generously flour a large cutting board (or your countertop) with flour and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, ⅛ teaspoon Italian seasoning, pepper. Make a well in the middle of the flour, and pour in the oil and milk. Mix until just combined and the dumpling dough pulls together into a slightly moist ball.
Dump the dough onto the floured board and sprinkle with more flour. Thoroughly dust a rolling pin with flour, then roll out the dough to ¼” thickness, adding more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the roller and the cutting board.
Bring the chicken stock, ⅛ teaspoon Italian seasoning, and a pinch of salt and pepper up to a low boil. Gently drop in the dumplings, one at a time, stirring after every handful or so. Sprinkle any remaining flour on the cutting board into the pot, stir, then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer the dumplings for 15-20 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked through and the sauce starts to thicken, stirring occasionally so the dumplings don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Add the shredded chicken to the pot in the last 5 minutes of cooking so it can warm through.
Give the Easy Chicken and Dumplings a taste for tenderness and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. The meal is ready with the dumplings are soft and tender and no longer have a doughy taste.
Serve piping hot with a slice of crusty bread and a nice salad.

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Chicken Pot Pie Pie with Puff Pastry is just as delicious as classic chicken pot pie, but so much simpler. Instead of pie crust, you’ll top classic pot pie filling with a slab of all-butter puff pastry and bake until puffed and golden brown. Make it family style in a baking dish or divide among small baking dishes to make individual pot pies.

If you love chicken pot pie, but don’t make it often because it’s time consuming, you absolutely need to try this Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry recipe. It’s a rich and comforting meal that’s easy enough to make on a weeknight (as is this Chicken Pot Pie Soup). And if you’re feeling ambitious, make your own puff pastry with my recipe for Quick Whole Wheat Puff Pastry.

Ingredients for Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

Olive Oil: extra-virgin olive oil
Onion: yellow or white onion
Carrots: look for firm, deep orange carrots – look for those with fresh looking tops if possible
Celery: use inner celery ribs for the best texture
Potatoes: ideally Yukon Gold potatoes for their creamy texture
Fresh Thyme: or ½ the quantity of dried thyme
Chicken broth: or chicken stock
Butter: salted butter or unsalted butter (whatever you have on hand)
Flour: unbleached all-purpose flour
Chicken: boneless skinless chicken breast
Half and Half: or heavy cream for a richer filling
Puff Pastry: ideally good quality, all butter puff pastry
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper:

FAQ

What’s the difference between pie crust and puff pastry?

Pie crust is a type of pastry dough made with flour, fat (usually butter, lard or shortening), and water. It’s used as a base for pies, tarts, and quiches. Puff pastry is a type of light, flaky pastry dough made with flour, fat (usually butter), salt and water.

Should you put egg wash on puff pastry?

Egg wash is often used to help seal filled puff pastry baked goods like turnovers. It can also be brushed over the whole surface of the puff pastry before baking to enhance browning and create a glossy sheen. As a topping for pot pie, this step is completely optional.

Can I make pot pie ahead of time?

Yes, you can assemble these pot pies, covered and refrigerated, up to one day in advance of baking.

Storage Tips

Store cooked and cooled pot pies tightly covered with plastic wrap for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. You can also freeze uncooked pot pies; thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking.

Serve With

Step 1: Butter 4 1-½ cup baking dishes and set aside. Cook and stir onion in a large saucepan until softened. Stir in remaining vegetables and thyme. Add chicken broth and bring to boil.

Step 2: Stir in chicken; reduce heat and simmer 6 minutes.

Step 3: Melt butter in a small saucepan and whisk in flour all at once. Continue whisking until smooth and the flour taste has cooked out; stir in to broth mixture. Cook and stir until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in half and half and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 4: Divide mixture among baking dishes and top each with a puff pastry. Bake at 400°F until pastry is puffed and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes and serve!

Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Recipe Video

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When you fill the individual casserole dishes, try to have vegetable and meat chunks higher than the pot pie liquid. If the puff pastry cooks in liquid, the bottom won’t crisp up (it will still be good, just soft).

Yukon Gold potatoes
or chicken stock
skinless boneless chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes (or ~2 ½ cups cooked chicken, see recipe notes)
half and half
salt and freshly ground black pepper
all-butter puff pastry divided into 4 equal rectangles or squares sized to fit your baking dishes, also (see recipe notes)

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Butter 4, 1 ½-cup individual casserole or pie dishes and set aside.
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add onion, lightly sprinkle with salt to sweat liquid and keep from browning; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Add carrots, celery, and potato; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Add thyme and broth; bring to boil. Stir in cubed chicken; reduce heat and simmer 6 minutes or until chicken and vegetables are nearly tender.
Divide mixture evenly between 4 prepared dishes. Arrange dishes on baking sheet to catch any splatter. Top each dish with a puff pastry square and transfer to oven.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until puff pastry crust is puffy and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Use your favorite all-butter puff pastry or make your own Quick Whole Wheat Puff Pastry.
If you use cooked chicken (like rotisserie chicken), stir it in just before dividing mixture among baking dishes.

comfort food, cravings

Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry (Bites!) – It’s easily one of the best ways to make pot pie! You get a creamy, richly flavored chicken and vegetable base thats topped with bite size pieces of golden brown, super flakey, buttery puff pastry. It’s the ultimate cozy comfort food.

My Favorite Way to Make Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie

Most often you’ll see chicken pot pie with puff pastry made two ways. Either prepared and baked as a whole “pie” in a single baking dish, or made in individual ramekins or bowls.

Both work but I created this variation because I wanted something easier, a dish that finished with perfectly flakey and non-soggy puff pastry, an option that didn’t waste puff pastry scraps (precious!), and something that wasn’t so messy.

If you bake in a single dish the puff pastry doesn’t cut cleanly, and if you do individual servings it’s tedious to work with single bowls and get the puff pastry to stick well. You also may likely find the end result of both said options yields a soggy layer on bottom.

This method works beautifully, and it’s so convenient that the filling only needs to cook on the stove top so you can bake the puff pastry and make the filling at the same time.

And honestly who can resist those cute little puff pastry bites? I want to put them on everything and it’s hard not to eat half of them before dinner is served.

All around this creamy chicken pot pie with buttery puff pastry makes for the perfect homestyle dinner!

Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Recipe Ingredients

Store-bought frozen puff pastry
Egg
Fats: Olive oil, butter
Vegetables: Yellow onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, frozen peas
Seasonings: Fresh thyme, fresh parsley, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper
Liquid: Chicken broth, whole milk, water
Thickener: Flour
Cooked chicken (preferably rotisserie)

How to Make Puff Pastry Bites for Chicken Pot Pie

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unfold puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface, sprinkle top with a little flour then spread evenly over top.
Cut puff pastry into 1-inch squares. Transfer to a 18 by 13-inch baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl whisk together egg with the 1 Tbsp water until well blended. Brush over top of puff pastry then spread pieces out even.

How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Filling

While puff pastry is baking prepare filling. In a 12-inch skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add butter and garlic and saute 1 minutes. Sprinkle in flour, then cook tossing constantly 1 minute.
Reduce heat to medium, while whisking slowly pour in chicken broth then milk. Add thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cook until thickened, while stirring.
Reduce heat low stir in chicken. Let heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in peas, parmesan and parsley and warm through.
Thin mixture with more chicken broth as desired (or milk). Serve warm in bowls and top with puff pastry pieces garnished with a little more parsley.

Storing and Reheating Puff Pastry Pot Pie

Store leftover chicken pot pie filling in the fridge in an airtight container.
Store baked puff pastry bites at room temperature in a container separately (note that they won’t be as crisp the next day unfortunately).
Reheat filling in a skillet on the stove, over low heat, covered, stir frequently. Thin with broth as needed.
Reheat puff pastry at 250 degrees on a baking sheet to warm through.

Helpful Tips and Variations

Substitute with other vegetables such as squash, leftover baked potatoes, corn etc.
Use another cheese that you have on hand. Something sharp will work well like Romano cheese, asiago, Grana Padano, sharp white cheddar, Gruyere, etc.
Try it with leftover turkey or chicken.
For extra flavor use homemade chicken stock.
If you don’t want to cut all the little bites just cut larger squares or circles.
Make it festive by cutting puff pastry into shapes using mini cookie cutters such as hearts or stars.

More Delicious Ways to Make Pot Pie

Easily one of the best ways to make pot pie! You get a creamy, richly flavored chicken and vegetable base thats topped with bite size pieces of golden brown, super flakey, buttery puff pastry. It’s the ultimate cozy comfort food.

Recipe makes about 9 cups filling.

Amount Per Serving

% Daily Value*

Saturated Fat 19g

Trans Fat 0.4g

Polyunsaturated Fat 6g

Monounsaturated Fat 26g

Vitamin A 10024IU

Vitamin C 36mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Puff pastry tops this classic American meal — the Chicken Pot Pie. Makes two puff pastry chicken pot pies so freeze one for when you don’t feel like cooking.

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Jump down to Recipe

This puff pastry chicken pot pie is delicious and easy to make home but tastes even better than any of the frozen ones you can buy.

Puff Pastry and Chicken Pot Pies were made for each other!

Imagine a flaky, warm crust with a creamy, cozy inside. It might just be the ultimate comfort food. And it’s really easy to pull off making this meal at home, on a tight budget and without spending a ton of time on it.

A great family-friendly meal when you’re on a budget.

Can I admit to you all that I love Banquet pot pies? It’s true. I ate many of them when I was a broke college kid, ha! I love that they are so tasty and I love that they are about a buck. This recipe makes two giant pies for about $2.75/each if you can find your chicken on sale like I did. Or better yet, use leftover chicken.

This Chicken Pot Pie is easy to make.

Watch the video to see step by step how to make this chicken pot pie with puff pastry crust!

Homemade Chicken Stock

You can add and change up the flavor of this chicken pot pie by adding herbs and spices. You can customize the amounts to your liking but I’ve listed a suggested starting point for each in the recipe instructions below.

I personally like how this pie tastes with a bit of rosemary, thyme and garlic but you can change these spices to give this a different flavor profile.

You can use fresh or dried herbs. Of course, fresh herbs are typically more powerful and generally taste better to me but if you only have access to dried, that’s OK. You will add them in when you melt the butter and that helps to reactivate the flavor.

Save time and use a rotisserie chicken.

I don’t always cook the chicken myself though and you don’t have to either. When I find a whole chicken on sale, I’ll cook the chicken myself so I can make the chicken stock.

But if I’m short on time, I’ll just grab a cooked rotisserie rotisserie chicken. You can use the juices that come with a fresh rotisserie chicken (or it will look more like gel if you buy a chilled rotisseirre chicken). You can use those juices (or gel), and add water + chicken bullion to create your chicken stock.

Now if you still want to make your own vegetable infused chicken stock, you can boil just the bones of the rotisserie chicken along with the carrots, celery and onion then add the juices or gel. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes and you’ll get a nice flavorful chicken stock without having to cook an entire chicken.

If you’re just in a hurry, you can also purchase ready-made chicken stock.

So, there are a lot of options. Choose what works best for you!

This puff pastry chicken pot pie is freezer friendly.

You can absolutely prep and then freeze this for an I-don’t-feel-like-cooking night. Just cover your frozen pie with foil and you will need to cook it for about 30 minutes extra. Uncover it for the last 10 minutes or so to lightly brown the top.

How to make the lattice top.

If you want to get fancy, you can make a lattice top for your pie. It actually helps vent the inside when bubbles form and it looks great too. If you’ve never made a lattice top before, check out this step-by-step tutorial.

What veggies are best in a chicken pot pie?

Yep! You’ll just want to pair beef with beef broth. Everything else can stay the same.

Beef broth is a little harder to make homemade since you usually don’t get bones with your beef, but I sometimes will make a large roast and then save the leftover juices in the pan to use as a base for homemade beef broth. If you add some beef bullion and maybe a splash of red wine, you can get a lot of flavor without needing the bones.

Great for using up leftover chicken or beef.

As I mentioned, you can make your own beef or chicken broth using bones or leftover juices. So I often will make a pot pie when I have leftover chicken, particular chicken that is still on the bone. I’ve even made a chicken pot pie from leftover wings!

What type of baking pan is best for this pie?

You can use a traditional pie pan, a cast iron skillet, or you can use a square or rectangular casserole dish. Since puff pastry comes in a rectangular shape, you will have to trim the extra dough when you use a round pie pan.

Sometimes I use my pretty glass Pioneer Woman casserole dish to make this recipe and I make one large, deep dish pie. Especially if I’m feeding a large crowd.

Want a double crust?

This is a pretty heavy dish so I usually do not choose to line the bottom with crust to make this lower on carbs and the recipe below is written to only have a top layer of puff pastry.

However, you can make this with a double crust. I won’t judge! And sometimes I do this too. 🙂

Just line the bottom with a pie crust. I recommend using a regular pie crust just because puff pastry is expensive and once you add the chicken and veggie filling, you don’t really get the same puffiness as the top so might as well just use a regular pie crust.

If you opt to use a puff pastry bottom, Pepperidge Farms recommends that you press the puff pastry into the bottom of the dish then cover with foil and bake at 400˚for 25 minutes first. Before you add the chicken and vegetable filling and additional puff pastry top.

Want more easy chicken recipes?

Browse all my chicken recipes

This recipe for homemade chicken pot pie with puff pastry was featured on Meal Plan Monday!

quartered skin on
Optional herbs: ¼ teaspoon of each sage, thyme, garlic
frozen puff pastry dough

Place carrots, celery, onion and whole chicken in a crockpot. Fill ⅔ full of water. It’s OK if the chicken is not fully covered. Cook for at least 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high or until chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165˚.
When chicken is cooked through, remove, let cool then separate meat from the bones. Shred the meat. Layer shredded chicken into two pie pans.
In a large pot or dutch oven, melt butter. Once melted, add optional herbs to the butter then whisk in flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes, allow butter and flour to bubble yet stirring frequently. (this cooks the flour and eliminates a floury taste from the sauce). Next, whisk in milk until roux thickens then immediately add cups of chicken broth. Whisk until smooth then turn heat off.
Pour the roux sauce over top of the veggies and chicken. Cut the defrosted puff pastry to fit your pie pan. Try making a lattice top if you want to get fancy!
Bake at 400˚ for 15-25 minutes or until puff pastry is golden brown. (This may take longer if your puff pastry is not full defrosted)

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This easy, homemade chicken and pastry recipe is Southern comfort food at its best! Some might call the hearty twist on chicken soup “chicken and dumplings,” but Southern chicken and pastry includes thin, flat strips of a basic flour dough, rather than puffy biscuit-like dumplings. Serve a warm bowl with a side salad, green beans, fried okra, fried apples, or a wedge of cornbread for a delicious family-friendly meal!

Table of Contents

Homemade Chicken and Pastry Recipe

This recipe comes from my friend Sallie’s mom, Debbie, who received it from her friend in North Carolina. I’ve tweaked it a little bit, but the basics remain the same. The easy chicken and pastry is just good old Southern comfort food at its very best.

Tender, flavorful, and juicy bone-in chicken pieces cook in broth, and then the same rich broth is used to boil wide, flat strips of pastry. The broth becomes nice and thick (thanks to the extra flour and starch from the dough), resulting in a hearty bowl of goodness that’s a nice cross between a soup and a stew.

What is the difference between chicken and dumplings and chicken and pastry?

While some might know this meal as “chicken and dumplings,” there is a distinction. “Chicken and pastry” or simply “chicken pastry” is a variation of chicken and dumplings that features wide, flat noodles rolled from a simple flour dough (source).

By contrast, a more traditional chicken and dumplings recipe is known for small balls of dough rather than flat strips. In the Appalachian region of the United States, this preparation is called chicken and slicks, while the Pennsylvania Dutch version is known as bott boi. No matter what you call it — chicken and pastry, chicken and flat dumplings, or chicken and slicks — this simple, cozy meal is absolutely delicious!

This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for the homemade chicken and pastry recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

All-purpose flour: the base of the homemade pastry dough.
Baking powder: helps the flat pastry “puff” a little bit when it cooks in the broth.
Water: to bring the dough together and to thin the broth.
Butter: a little bit of fat in the pastry dough adds flavor, and makes the dough more supple and easy to roll out.
Salt and pepper: to enhance the flavors in the dish.
Chicken: I prefer bone-in chicken breasts or thighs, but you can see my notes below for boneless, skinless chicken or rotisserie chicken variations.
Chicken broth: homemade broth or a high-quality store-bought broth will both work well.
Parsley or thyme: an optional garnish that adds a bit of freshness and a bright touch of color.

How to Make Chicken and Pastry

This easy chicken and pastry is the perfect Sunday supper when you have some time to let it simmer on the stovetop. I’ve included the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the quick version:

Prepare the pastry dough.
Cook the chicken in broth.
Roll out and cut the dumplings.
Shred the chicken meat.
Cook the pastry strips in the broth.
Add the chicken to the pot and continue cooking. The broth should thicken and you’ll know the pastry is done when it doesn’t have a “doughy” taste anymore.
Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley or thyme, if desired.

How to Thicken Chicken and Pastry

Debbie starts with more broth, but she also simmers the pastry for about an hour to let the broth cook down and thicken. If you want to thicken your broth even more at the end, you can just simmer the pot (uncovered) until it reaches the desired consistency.

I have found that less broth (about 8 cups) and a shorter simmering time work best because the pastry isn’t too overdone or mushy, but the broth still has a chance to thicken. Feel free to adjust the simmering time to suit your preferences, though!

Good Sides to Serve with Chicken and Flat Dumplings

It’s nice to add a couple of sides with a bowl of chicken and pastry, so here are some easy options that go well with the dish:

Preparation and Storage

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat the mixture in a saucepan or Dutch oven over low heat, just until warmed through. You can also microwave individual bowls for about 1 minute.

Can you freeze chicken and pastry?

Yes! Store the chicken and pastry in an airtight container or Ziploc freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then transfer to a Dutch oven or saucepan and warm over low heat.

Chicken and Dumplings Recipe Variations

Cut the pastry dumplings into squares or diamonds rather than strips. You can make them as wide or as thin as you like.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast: Debbie makes her chicken and pastry with 2-3 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You will lose some of the flavor from the skin and bones on the chicken, but this is still a good option if you don’t like to mess with those extras.
Rotisserie Chicken: For a shortcut, use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken and skip the 25 minutes of simmering time otherwise required to cook the meat. Again, you’ll lose some of the flavor that you would otherwise get from simmering the chicken with its skin and bones in the broth; however, a high-quality broth will still yield a delicious pot of chicken and pastry. Plus, rotisserie chicken is often seasoned and more flavorful than plain chicken, so that will make up for some of the lost flavor.

Tips for the Best Chicken and Pastry Recipe

If you have the time, make homemade chicken broth to use in this recipe. You can also use the meat from the broth in this dish.
Use bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces for the most flavor. I used white meat chicken breasts here, but chicken thighs also work great. The dark meat tends to stay more moist and juicy when it’s cooked.
Stir the pot as you’re adding the pastry to the broth, and continue to stir occasionally as the pastry simmers. This will prevent the strips of dough from sticking to each other.
The total amount of salt necessary will vary depending on your personal taste preference and on the broth that you use. Taste and season as you go!
For a thicker broth, simmer the chicken and pastry uncovered for a little bit longer.
Garnish each bowl with fresh parsley or thyme for a bright, colorful touch.

More Chicken and Dumpling Recipes to Try

bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or thighs
chicken broth (or enough to cover the chicken)
Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or thyme

PREPARE THE PASTRY

/6 of the recipe

Hey, I’m Blair!

Welcome to my farmhouse kitchen in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Inspired by local traditions and seasonal fare, you’ll find plenty of easy, comforting recipes that bring your family together around the table. It’s down-home, country-style cooking!

Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pies is the ultimate comfort food. They are loaded with chunks of white meat and tons of veggies. The light and flaky crust originates from sheets of puff pastry and is both the foundation and topping for the savory filling. This is the perfect time of year to cuddle up in a cozy blanket, put on your favorite Netflix series and nourish your heart with these perfect chicken pot pies.

A Chicken pot pie always reminds me of my childhood – the comforts of home and family. There’s something so enticing when the aroma of chicken, veggies, and garlic fills your kitchen. These individual pot pies are undeniably COMFORT FOOD at their best.

Since Puff Pastry is so flaky, delicious, and such an easy alternative to homemade pie crust, I think you would love my Puff Pastry Apple Galette as well. Also, the pastry works great for these Spinach Puff Pastry Appetizers.

Chicken Breasts. Choose the bone-in and skin-on breasts. The bone and skin serve as a protective coat on each side helping to keep the chicken from drying out.
Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Chicken Stock. Choose stock over broth. Chicken stock is made from the bony parts of the chicken and is richer and fuller in flavor because of the gelatin that is released from the long-simmer of the bones.
Olive Oil
Vegetables. Sweet onions, celery, garlic, sliced mushrooms, petite whole onions, small red potatoes, carrots, frozen corn, and frozen peas. The flavors from all of these veggies are “yummy” beyond words.
Dry White Wine. You don’t need to use an expensive bottle of wine but don’t go with the super cheap one either.
Flour and Water. This is a mixture that will thicken the sauce.
Fresh Thyme.
Puff Pastry. You’ll find tips below on how to work with Puff Pastry. It can be a little temperamental if you don’t know how to handle it.
Egg for the Eggwash.

Step #1 – Choose Bone-In and Skin-On Chicken Breasts

Make sure and choose bone-in and skin-on when picking out your chicken breasts. The bones add an intense meaty flavor to the chicken broth as it is cooking. The fat in the skin of the chicken releases a rich buttery quality that enhances the filling’s overall taste.

Step #2 – Generously season the Chicken with Salt and Pepper

The skin acts as a barrier for the meat so one of the best ways for the seasonings to penetrate it is to loosen the skin and salt and pepper the meat generously under it. Then, of course, continue to season on top of the skin along with the backside as well.

Step #3 – Cook the Chicken in the Chicken Stock

Pour the chicken stock into a Dutch oven and place the chicken breasts skin side up in the pan. These go into the oven at a preheated temperature of 450°F. Cooking times will depend on how large your chicken breasts are. To give you an idea, I cooked mine for about 50 minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken breasts should be 160° at the thickest part of the meat.

Step #4 – Let the Chicken Cool

When they’re fully cooked, pull them from the stock, place them on a plate, and cover them with foil to cool. Remove the bones and skin when they are cool enough to handle. Cube and set them aside to be added toward the end of the recipe.

Step #5 – Strain the Stock

Strain the rich flavorful stock with a metal sieve and reserve it for the filling.

Step #6 – Sauté the Onions, Celery, and Garlic

These veggies go into the pan before anything else. I chopped good-sized chunks of chopped onion, celery, and whole garlic cloves and sautéed them with olive oil for 8-10 minutes or until they were lightly browned. Stir frequently at this stage so as to not burn the veggies.

Step #7 – Add Mushrooms and Petite Whole Onions

One thing I do love about this recipe is that it’s loaded to the brim with a variety of veggies. And we’ve just begun the process. Here you add sliced mushrooms and frozen petite whole onions. Continue to cook for about four minutes.

Step #8 – Add Chicken Stock, Wine, potatoes, and carrots

. Pour the reserved stock back along with white wine into the pan and bring all of this to a boil. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove the browned bits. This is called deglazing which adds even more flavor to the filling. Don’t “glaze” over this step. (No pun intended, well maybe a little.)

Cut the potatoes and carrots into 1-inch cubes and add to the boiling stock. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes and carrots are tender approximately 20-25 minutes.

Step #9 – Thicken the Chicken Stock

Starches will thicken a broth and give it extra body. Add 1/2 cup of flour to 3/4 cup of water and whisk quickly in a small bowl until the mixture becomes smooth. Pour about half the flour mixture into the broth and veggies and stir quickly. This process prevents clumping and helps it dissolve into the broth. Continue adding the flour mixture until you have the desired thickness.

Step #10 – Add Cubes of Tender Chicken Breast

Add the cooked chicken and fresh thyme into the thickened stock and stir gently. Don’t be aggressive at this stage. Since the chicken is tender, it can break apart with too much action. Nice chunks of chicken are what you’re looking for when you take a bite of those yummy Puff Pastry Pot Pies.

One thing I would suggest here is to make sure that the filling has plenty of sauce in relation to the chicken and the veggies. As it bakes in the crusts, the liquid will cook down and become less juicy.

Step #11 – Use Puff Pastry for the Crust

While the chicken filling is cooking, you can begin preparing the Puf Pastry sheets. For this particular recipe, you will need four sheets from two packages. Work with one sheet at a time and cover the other sheets with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge until ready to use.

For the bottom crust: You will need two sheets. Roll out each to 9×17 inches. Using a two-cup capacity ramekin (5 inches in diameter), place the rim face-down and cut four circles from the puff pastry that are three inches larger than the rim.
Gently press the bottom crusts into the bottom and the sides of the ramekins leaving one inch to hang over the outside. Lightly crimp the dough around the top of the rim. Hanging the dough over the rim will prevent the dough from sagging in the ramekin.
Prick with a fork all around the sides and the bottom (see photo below). This is an important step for the crust because it allows the steam to escape. And in this way, the crust will not puff up too much during the baking process.
For the top crust: Again you will need two sheets of puff pastry. This time roll out each sheet of the dough to 9×15 inches and cut circles that are 1 inch larger than the rim. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to top the pot pies.

Step #12 – Bake the bottom Puff Pastry Layer in a 400°F oven

Before you ever add the filling, you need to “blind-bake” the bottom crust. That means partially baking the crust so that it will not become soggy from the filling. Blind baking gives the bottom crust a firm texture and foundation for the finished pot pies.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F. Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake these bottom crusts for 13-14 minutes or until lightly golden. Pull them out of the oven and let them sit until ready to fill.

Step #13 – Fill the Ramekins for These Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pies

I measure one and a half cups of filling into the bottom of the ramekins. This amount will heap a little above the rim but ends up being the perfect amount after it is baked.

Step #14 – Add the Top Puff Pastry Crust

Remove the top crust circles from the fridge and add each of them on top of the filled ramekins. Gently crimp the dough around the edge of the bottom baked crust so it’s securely fastened. Cut a few slits in the top crust.

Step #15 – Brush Egg Wash on the tops of the Pastry Crust

An egg wash is a simple way to add a golden hue and a glossy sheen to baked crusts. And it is so easy to do. Just whisk 1 egg with a teaspoon of water. Gently brush on the top of the crusts with a pastry brush.

Step #16 – Bake the Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pies

Stay with me. We’re just about to the finish line here. Place the ramekins on a foil-lined baking sheet. You’ll be so happy about the foil once clean-up comes around. With the oven temperature still at 400°F, place the ramekins in the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes or until they come out golden brown.

Why do you cut slits in the Puff Pastry Crust?

Cutting several slits in the dough of the top crust provides a vent that allows the steam to escape while the pot pies are baking.

Can You Make Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Ahead of Time?

The chicken can be cooked and cubed days before you are ready to make the pot pies. Make sure you let it cool to room temperature. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. You can freeze it for up to four months.

Prep the vegetables ahead of time.

Prepping is sometimes the most tedious portion of a recipe. Therefore if you want to save some time and energy, cube all the veggies (except the garlic of course) several days ahead of time and store them in individual plastic bags.

Make the entire filling ahead of time.

You can make the filling with the chicken a couple of days ahead of time as well. Prepare the chicken and filling as directed and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until the day you’re ready to make and serve the individual pot pies. You can store it in the refrigerator for three to four days. The filling will last in the freezer for up to four months.

Can You Use Rotisserie Chicken instead?

Since the chicken in the filling is already cooked, it is perfectly fine to use rotisserie chicken. You’ll need about three cups of cubed rotisserie chicken.

Variations to this Easy Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie.

Meats: If you have recently made beef or pork roasts, these are perfect in a pot pie. Also, leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or Christmas is a great way to use up that extra meat.

Vegetables: You literally could throw any type of vegetable that you love into these pies. It’s a great way to clean out your refrigerator at the end of the week.

Tips for Working with the Puff Pastry

The best way to unthaw the pastry is to remove it from the freezer and let it sit in your refrigerator overnight.
Make sure the puff pastry is completely thawed before unfolding the sheets or they will crack and tear at the seams.
Puff Pastry works best at a cool-to-cold temperature otherwise it can lose its texture and become difficult to work with.
Although the dough needs to be rolled out, you don’t want to handle it too much. It can become tough instead of light and crisp.
Dust with flour on the surface where you will be rolling out the dough. Also lightly dust the top of the puff pastry before rolling.

More Comfort Food Recipes

Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu with Creamy Mustard Sauce

Homemade Chicken and Noodles

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Chicken in White Wine Sauce

Beef Stroganoff Flambé

Beef Short Rib Chili

Homemade Sweet Cornbread

This Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie is especially scrumptious with a depth of flavors and texture. It is loaded with chunks of white chicken breast and tons of veggies. White wine and thyme are somewhat secret ingredients that bring it all together.

Prep Time:
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time:
Yield: large pot pies
Method:
Cuisine:

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For the Filling:

For the Puff Pastry Crust:

For the bottom crust: dust a surface with flour, unfold 2 sheets of Puff Pastry and roll out to 9×17 each. Place one sheet in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap until ready to roll out.
Use 2-cup capacity ramekins that are 5 inches in diameter, and cut 4 circles from the puff pastry that are 3 inches larger than the rim of your ramekins.
Prick the dough with a fork along both the bottom and the sides. Place ramekins on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake until they are lightly browned – approximately 13-15 minutes.
For the top crust: Use 2 more sheets of puff pastry. Unfold each sheet and roll it out to 9×15 inches. Cut 4 circles that are 1 inch larger than the rim of your ramekins. Cover these circles with plastic wrap and store them in the fridge until ready to add them to the top of the ramekins.

For the Pot Pies:

Lay the smaller Puff Pastry circle over the filling and gently crimp down onto the bottom crust.
Cut 4 or 5 slits in the crust to let the steam out as it cooks.
Brush the crust with egg wash and bake in the 400°F oven for 22-25 minutes until golden brown.
ENJOY!

Notes

Choose bone-in and skin-on when picking out your chicken breasts.
The skin of the chicken acts as a barrier for the meat. One of the best ways for the seasonings to penetrate is to loosen the skin and salt and pepper the meat generously under it.
The best way to unthaw the pastry is to remove it from the freezer and let it sit in your refrigerator overnight.
Make sure the puff pastry is completely thawed before unfolding the sheets or they will crack and tear at the seams.
Puff Pastry works best at a cool-to-cold temperature otherwise it can lose its texture and become difficult to work with.
Although the dough needs to be rolled out, you don’t want to handle the dough too much. It can become tough instead of light and crisp.
Dust the surface with flour where you will be rolling out the dough. Also lightly dust the top of the puff pastry before rolling.
“Blind bake” the bottom crust, which means to partially bake the crust so that it will not become soggy after adding the filling.
Make sure the filling has plenty of broth in relation to the chicken and the veggies. The liquid will cook down as it bakes and become less juicy. Therefore, you want plenty to begin with.
Gently crimp the top dough circles around the edge of the bottom baked crust so it is securely fastened. Then cut slits in the dough so that steam can be released while they’re baking.
An egg wash is a simple way to add a golden hue and a glossy sheen to baked crusts. Whisk 1 egg with a teaspoon of water. Gently brush on the top of the crusts with a pastry brush.

Serving Size: 1 pot pie
Calories:
Sugar:
Sodium:
Fat:
Saturated Fat:
Unsaturated Fat:
Trans Fat:
Carbohydrates:
Fiber:
Protein:
Cholesterol:

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