Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie
A cozy, one-pan chicken pot pie made in a cast-iron skillet with rotisserie chicken, classic veggies, a quick creamy gravy, and a mosaic of golden store-bought puff pastry squares on top!
Cozy Fall Chicken Pot Pie with Golden Puff Pastry Tiles
I love a classic chicken pot pie-the cozy, rich chicken-and-vegetable filling encased in pastry and baked in a pie dish or casserole-but it can be time-consuming, fussy, slow, and prone to that dreaded soggy bottom. And honestly, I’ve never loved the bottom crust; it can go gummy from steam and a juicy filling, so I prefer skipping it. I much prefer a skillet chicken pot pie with no-bottom crust. Instead I tile the store-bought puff pastry on top so it stays crisp and reliably hearty, buttery, and flaky. My version keeps all the flavors of the traditional chicken pot pie (mirepoix, peas, thyme, creamy gravy) but simplifies the process by taking shortcuts like using rotisserie chicken and store-bought puff pastry. No bottom crust means no sogginess. Using rotisserie chicken cuts time without cutting flavor, and the result is restaurant-quality dinner with very little effort. It’s the same hearty Fall meal we love-just faster, cleaner, and truly a family favorite.
What You’ll Need
- Chicken: I used store-bought rotisserie chicken, you can also use leftover turkey, or cook and shred your own chicken (thighs or breasts both work).
- Milk/Cream: While I recommend using whole milk or heavy cream (you’ll need only ½ cup of it), you can totally use half and half, plant based milks, or evaporated milk instead.
- Puff Pasty: Other options for the top crust are store-bought (or homemade) biscuits, pie dough, crescent rolls, or any pre-made type dough could work just as well as the puff pastry!
- Veggies: I am using classic mirepoix (yellow onion, carrots, celery) + frozen peas. You can use all kinds of veggies you like, see my suggestions:
- Add-ins: Mushrooms, diced potatoes, corn, okra, are all good things to add into your chicken pot pie if you want more veggies!
- All the ingredients you need are conveniently labeled in this photo:
Variations
- Vegetarian: Swap out the chicken for mushrooms! Cremini, button, portobellos, shiitakes, oyster mushrooms are all good subs! A mix of these would be incredible! Make sure to saute most of the moisture out of them before adding the rest of the ingredients. Also, add in spinach or kale for a punch of greens.
- Some like it hot: Add hot sauce or whatever kind of spice to the chicken pot pie if that’s what you love!
- Herbalicious: Adding more herbs never hurts! Throw in some fresh rosemary, sage, parsley, dill, whatever your heart desires!
How to Make Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie (Step-By-Step Photos)
This is a recipe overview. Find the complete instructions + ingredient amounts in the recipe card below (scroll down).
- Saute veggies: Heat oven to 400°F. In a large cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium; sauté onion, carrot, and celery 3-4 min until softened. Add garlic and thyme; cook 1 min.
- Thicken the sauce: Sprinkle in flour; cook, stirring, 1 min. Gradually whisk in chicken broth to avoid lumps and stir until smooth.
- Add milk/cream: Simmer gently 2-3 min until lightly thickened.
- Off heat, fold in rotisserie chicken and frozen peas; season generously with salt and pepper.
- Roll puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut into 16-24 squares; shingle over the filling. Brush with egg wash.
- Bake: Set the skillet on a parchment-lined baking sheet; bake 25-30 min until the pastry is deeply golden and crisp.
- Rest 5-10 min, then serve straight from the skillet.
How to Serve It
- Straight from the skillet: Dig into the puff pastry chicken pot pie with a big spoon, family style!
- With greens: Serve alongside a lemony arugula salad or Fall apple spinach salad.
- Bread dunkers: Use warm savory scones or garlic bread to catch the gravy. You can also serve skillet chicken pot pie with garlic butter dinner rolls or homemade bread machine loaf.
- Veggie-forward sides: I love to pair comfort food with healthier sides like my Roasted brussels sprouts, roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli, or bacon green beans.
A cozy, one-pan chicken pot pie made in a cast-iron skillet with rotisserie chicken, classic veggies, a quick creamy gravy, and a mosaic of golden puff pastry squares on top-perfect for a hearty Fall meal, easy weeknight dinner, or family favorite for entertaining.
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick)
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup whole milk or heavy cream
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken skin removed
- 1 ¼ cups frozen peas do not thaw
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
- 1 large egg beaten + 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
- Thyme
- parsley
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Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
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In a large cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until the onion is softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute more.
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Sprinkle flour over the veggies and stir to coat. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute to eliminate raw flour taste.
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Slowly pour in chicken broth, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
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Once smooth, add the milk or cream. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until just starting to thicken, about 3 minutes.
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Turn off the heat and stir in shredded rotisserie chicken and frozen peas. Season generously with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
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On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out the puff pastry and cut into 16-24 equal squares. Arrange as you like on top of the chicken mixture, overlapping slightly.
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Brush the top with egg wash. Place the skillet on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the puff pastry is deep golden brown and crisp.
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Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve directly from the skillet and enjoy!
Notes
- Puff pastry temp: Even though the recipe asks for your puff pastry to be thawed, I recommend to keep it cool in your fridge right up until you need to use it! Cold puff pastry will give you a better flaky crispy crust than if it were warm.
- Season just right: Adjust the chicken mixture seasoning prior to placing on the puff pastry! Once you put the puff pastry on top there’s no turning back!
- When placing the puff pastry over the pot pie filling, try your best to cover it entirely, making sure to not leave holes. Though it’s normal for some of the mixture to bubble up and over, the puff pastry will puff up better if there is less of the filling bubbling up onto the puff pastry.
- Bake the skillet on a parchment-lined baking sheet to catch any bubbling-over juices.
Storage
- Fridge: Keep the cooled pot pie in the skillet and cover with plastic wrap or foil or transfer to an air tight container. You can refrigerate it this way for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze the filling in an airtight container without the puff pastry for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating and topping with fresh puff pastry. You may need to add a little liquid (water or chicken stock) to the filling to rehydrate it.
- Reheat: Either pop a portion in a 350 F degree oven for about 15 minutes, loosely tented with foil. Or, microwave to desired doneness. The puff pastry will lose some crispness, however, if reheating in a microwave oven.
You’ll need these supplies:
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Cast iron skillet
- Pastry brush
- Baking sheet
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
FAQ
- Can I use raw chicken instead of rotisserie? Yes-cube 1½ lbs boneless thighs or breasts, season, and sear in butter/oil until just cooked; remove, make the gravy in the same pan, then stir chicken back in.
- How do I keep the puff pastry ultra-flaky? Keep it cold. I thaw until just pliable, work quickly on a lightly floured surface, and get the skillet into a hot oven (400°F). Warm pastry = less puff.
- Why is my filling runny? It likely needed more simmer time after adding broth/milk, or you didn’t cook the roux long enough. Simmer until it coats a spoon; it thickens more as it bakes and rests.
- Can I make this vegetarian? Absolutely. Use veggie broth and swap chicken for white beans, sautéed mushrooms, or roasted cauliflower. Add a splash of soy sauce or miso.
- Can I top with biscuits instead? Yes-drop 8-10 spoonfuls of biscuit dough over the hot filling and bake until the centers are cooked through. It becomes a cozy chicken and biscuit bake.
