Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry: A Creamy, Comforting Classic

There are just some recipes that feel less like cooking just to feed folks and more like nourishing and taking care of them, and this chicken pot pie with puff pastry is at the top of that list for me. The moment that golden puff pastry comes out of the oven, all puffed and deeply browned with the filling bubbling up around the edges, you just know dinner is going to be good.

What sets this version apart are a few small tweaks that add up to something really yummy. Shredding the chicken instead of cubing it means every bite is coated in that luscious cream sauce. Poaching the chicken directly in broth deepens the flavor of both. And a splash of dry sherry in the filling adds a subtle, nutty complexity that you may not be able to name, but you would absolutely notice if it were missing. The puff pastry gets frozen before baking to help it rise high and brown beautifully, and an egg-and-cream wash gives it that bakery-level color you usually only see at a good French patisserie.

Read on for the recipe and all the tips that help make this Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry a successful recipe for you and your family.

Table of Contents

Ingredients in Chicken Pot Pie

Puff pastry: Store-bought puff pastry for the win. Look for it in the frozen section near the pie crusts. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then keep it cold until you are ready to cut and freeze it before baking. Cold pastry rises higher and browns better.

Chicken: About two average-sized boneless skinless breasts will give you the 1.5 pounds you need. If your breasts are thick, cut them in half before poaching to reduce cook time and get more even results. Rotisserie chicken is a perfectly fine shortcut on a busy night.

Dry sherry: This is the ingredient that makes everything taste more like itself. Do not substitute cooking sherry, which is loaded with added salt and preservatives. In a pinch, Madeira or a dry white wine will work, but the real thing is worth seeking out. You will find it with the wines at the grocery store, not in the baking aisle.

Whole milk: Its fat content is important for a silky, stable sauce. Low-fat milk can make it thin and a little watery. If you want to go richer, you could swap some of the milk for half-and-half.

Egg wash: One beaten egg combined with a tablespoon of cream is what bakeries and pastry chefs use to get that deep, gorgeous golden-brown finish. An egg-and-water wash will work in a pinch, but you will get a noticeably lighter result.

Make It Your Own

One of the things I love most about this chicken pot pie with puff pastry is how adaptable it is. The recipe as written is what I consider the gold standard, but there is plenty of room to adapt it to what you have on hand or what your family loves.

Swap the protein. Rotisserie chicken is a genuinely excellent shortcut that significantly cuts your prep time. Leftover roast chicken works beautifully, too. Come November, leftover turkey is practically made for this recipe — same technique, same filling, completely different occasion.

Change up the vegetables. The classic mirepoix of carrots, celery, and onion is the backbone of the filling, but you can absolutely add to it. Sliced mushrooms bring an earthy depth. Diced potatoes make it heartier. Frozen corn adds a little sweetness alongside the peas. Just keep your additions roughly the same size so everything cooks evenly.

Adjust the richness. The recipe uses whole milk, which gives you a silky, stable sauce without being heavy. If you want something a little more indulgent, swap some of the milk for half-and-half. It will give the filling a slightly richer, more velvety feel.

Tips for Success

• Cut the breasts before poaching. The poaching time of the chicken will vary based on the thickness of the chicken breasts. Cut them in half to help reduce cook time.
• Poach in chicken broth. Poaching boneless chicken breasts in chicken broth is a great trick. The chicken and broth exchange flavors, yielding juicier, more flavorful chicken and a more flavorful broth, which is used later in the recipe.
• Shred the chicken. Shredding the chicken instead of cutting it creates a rougher, ridged surface, unlike the smooth surface of cut chicken.  The shredded texture helps the sauce cling to the chicken, like pasta sauce clinging to pasta, resulting in a more flavorful, well-rounded bite.
• Build the sauce slowly. Add the milk and broth in small additions, about a half cup at a time, whisking until smooth before adding more. Rushing this step is the most common reason a cream sauce ends up lumpy.
• Match your bakeware to your schedule. Metal or cast iron will give you the fastest, crispest results. Ceramic looks beautiful at the table, but adds 10 to 20 minutes to your bake time. Glass heats unevenly and tends to brown the edges more than the center. Any of them will work, but knowing the difference helps you plan.

• Freeze the pastry squares before baking. Once you have cut the puff pastry into squares, arrange them on a parchment-lined sheet and pop them in the freezer while you finish the filling. The colder the pastry when it hits that hot oven, the more dramatically it will rise.
• Space the squares to let steam escape. Leaving some of the filling visible between the pastry squares is not just a rustic aesthetic choice. It gives the steam somewhere to go, which keeps the pastry from getting soggy and helps it rise more consistently.
• Egg and Cream for the win. Egg-and-dairy egg washes result in deeper browning of the pastry than egg-and-water egg washes. This combination of egg and cream is what bakeries use to make pastries and croissants, which have a gorgeous, deep brown color.
• Watch the oven halfway through. If the pastry is browning too quickly before the filling is bubbling around the edges, loosely tent a piece of foil over the top. If the pastry is not rising or browning but the filling is hot, move the dish to the upper rack.
• Rest before serving. Five minutes out of the oven lets the chicken pot pie filling settle slightly so it scoops cleanly and does not run all over the plate.

Step-by-Step Directions to Make Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

Step 1: Prep the Puff Pastry

Start by preheating your oven to 425°F with the rack positioned in the center. Cut the thawed puff pastry into squares, arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and slide them into the freezer while you work on the filling. This is one of those small steps that makes a real difference — the colder the pastry when it hits the oven, the higher it will rise and the better it will brown.

Step 2: Poach the Chicken

Bring your chicken broth to a boil in a pot with a tight-fitting lid, then add the chicken breasts and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove the chicken and set it aside to cool, but hold onto that broth—it is going into your sauce and is now loaded with flavor from the chicken. If your breasts are on the thicker side, cut them in half before poaching to reduce the cook time.

Step 3: Sauté the Vegetables

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced carrots, celery, diced onion, and one teaspoon of salt, and cook for about four minutes, just until everything is slightly softened. You are not trying to fully cook the vegetables here — they will continue to soften as the filling cools and again in the oven, so pulling them at four minutes keeps them from going mushy in the finished dish. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.

Step 4: Shred the Chicken

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it and add it to the bowl with the vegetables. Shredding rather than cutting the chicken gives it a texture that holds the sauce beautifully — think of how a ridged pasta grabs sauce compared to a smooth one. It makes every bite more flavorful and cohesive.

Step 5: Build the Sauce

In the same pan you used for the vegetables, melt four tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute — this step cooks out the raw flour taste and gives your sauce body. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gradually add the milk and reserved chicken broth mixture, about a half cup at a time, whisking until completely smooth before adding the next. Taking your time here is the key to a lump-free, velvety sauce.

Step 6: Season the Sauce

Once all the liquid is incorporated, stir in the thyme, remaining salt, garlic powder, cracked pepper, and dry sherry. Let it simmer for about a minute until the sauce thickens slightly. The sherry is worth a mention here — it adds a subtle nutty flavor that balances the richness of the cream sauce and pairs especially well with the thyme and chicken. Just make sure you use dry sherry, not cooking sherry, which has added salt and preservatives that can throw off the flavor.

Step 7: Combine the Filling

Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables, then gently fold everything together. Add the frozen peas and fresh parsley, stirring to combine, then transfer the filling to your baking dish. Using frozen peas rather than thawed ones keeps them from going soft and losing their color in the oven.

Step 8: Top with Pastry and Bake

Retrieve your frozen pastry squares from the freezer and arrange them in a single layer over the filling, leaving some of the filling visible between the squares. This spacing is intentional—it lets steam escape from the filling so it does not get trapped under the pastry and make it soggy. Brush the tops of the squares with your egg wash, being careful to keep it just on the tops and off of the sides, which helps the pastry rise more freely. Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is puffed and deeply golden brown. If the pastry is browning too quickly before the filling is bubbling around the edges, tent the dish loosely with foil and continue baking.

Make This Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Ahead of Time

The filling can be made up to 48 hours in advance and refrigerated. Keep the puff pastry squares frozen separately and add them just before baking. This makes it a genuinely stress-free option for a quick weeknight dinner or a special weekend meal.

Storing and Reheating

Refrigerating: Allow the pot pie to cool completely, then loosely cover it with foil or plastic wrap. It will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days. Keep in mind that the puff pastry will soften as it sits, absorbing moisture from the filling. Reheating it uncovered in a 350°F oven for the last five to ten minutes will help bring some of that crispness back, but if you live for that fresh-from-the-oven flaky crust, this is a dish best enjoyed the day it is made.

Freezing: The filling freezes beautifully for up to three months. If you are planning to freeze it, do so before adding the puff pastry, as baked puff pastry does not hold up well in the freezer. Store the filling in an airtight freezer-safe container, then thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, transfer it to your baking dish, top with fresh puff pastry squares, and bake as directed.

Reheating: For the best results, reheat leftovers in a 350°F oven, covered loosely with foil, until warmed through. Remove the foil for the last five to ten minutes to help re-crisp the pastry. If you are reheating a single serving and time is short, the microwave works fine—just know the pastry will lose its crispness. It will still taste wonderful, but it just will not have that satisfying crunch.

Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

This chicken pot pie is the kind of dish that makes the whole house smell cozy. Tender shredded chicken and a rich, herby cream sauce come together with carrots, celery, peas, and a hint of dry sherry, all tucked under golden, deeply browned puff pastry. It is cozy, satisfying, and one of those recipes that earns a permanent spot in your dinner rotation

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Cook Mode

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Rest before serving 5 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Calories 605 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 package puff pastry thawed
• 1½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts about 2 breasts
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 carrots about 1½ cups, peeled, halved and sliced ¼ inch thick
• 2 celery stalks 1 cup, sliced ¼ inch thick
• 1 medium yellow onion 1 cup, diced
• 2½ teaspoons salt divided
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup flour
• 1½ cups whole milk
• 1½ teaspoons fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry not cooking sherry
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Egg Wash

• 1 egg beaten
• 1 tablespoon cream

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 425°F (218℃). Position the rack in the center of the oven.
• Cut puff pastry into squares. Arrange on a parchment-lined tray and freeze while preparing the filling.
• Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add 1 ½ pounds of chicken, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 20–30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove chicken and reserve the broth.
• Combine milk and reserved chicken broth.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 3 sliced carrots, 2 sliced celery ribs, 1 diced onion, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for 4 minutes until slightly softened. Transfer to a bowl.
• Shred the cooled chicken and add to the vegetables.
• In the same pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisk in ½ cup of flour and cook for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low and gradually whisk in 1½ cups milk plus reserved broth (adding liquid in stages until smooth).
• Stir in 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme, remaining 1½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoons of garlic powder, ½ teaspoons of pepper, and 2 tablespoons of sherry. Simmer for 1 minute until slightly thickened.
• Pour sauce over chicken and vegetables. Fold in frozen peas and 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley. Transfer mixture to a 13-inch round or 9×13-inch baking dish. (see notes for baking dish tips)
• Top with frozen puff pastry squares in a single layer. Leave some areas of the sauce exposed to allow for venting spacing slightly so steam can escape. Brush tops with egg wash (1 beaten egg and 1 tablespoon of cream).
• Bake at 425°F (218℃) for 25–30 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is puffed and deep golden brown. If browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
• Rest 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Choosing the Right Baking Dish

The type of dish you bake this in makes more of a difference than you might expect, both in cook time and in the final result.

• Metal (aluminum) is the fastest option. It conducts heat quickly and directly, giving you fast, even browning and the crispiest pastry in 25 to 30 minutes.
• Cast iron also delivers a fast bake in 25 to 30 minutes. It heats quickly and retains heat well, resulting in a very crisp, deeply golden pastry.
• Ceramic makes for a beautiful presentation at the table but requires more patience. It heats slowly and insulates well, which adds roughly 10 to 20 minutes to your bake time, landing closer to 35 to 50 minutes, with even browning throughout.
• Glass behaves similarly to ceramic in that it heats slowly, but it tends to brown the edges more than the center. Budget 35 to 50 minutes here as well.

Regardless of which dish you use, judge doneness by what you see rather than the clock — bubbling edges and deeply golden, puffed pastry are your best indicators that the pie is ready.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 605kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 34gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 1294mgPotassium: 712mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 5797IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 120mgIron: 3mg

Keyword chicken, puff pastry

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