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This easy chicken pot pie with puff pastry bakes tender chicken, peas, carrots, and potatoes in a rich gravy under a golden, flaky crust. Made in individual ramekins with leftover rotisserie chicken, it comes together in about an hour for a cozy weeknight dinner.
This is the chicken pot pie I make when I want real comfort food without fussing over homemade pie dough. Store-bought puff pastry does the heavy lifting, baking into a crust that’s delicate, crisp, and shatters into flaky layers over a filling of tender chicken, peas, carrots, and potatoes in a savory gravy.
Baking them in individual ramekins means everyone gets their own golden top, and the filling is built entirely from cooked ingredients, so the oven only has to crisp the pastry. It’s the kind of dinner that feels special enough for guests but comes together fast enough for a Tuesday.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Quick to pull together. With leftover or rotisserie chicken and frozen peas and carrots, the filling comes together in about 30 minutes.
No pie dough required. Store-bought puff pastry bakes up flakier and crispier than a traditional crust, with none of the rolling and resting.
Make-ahead friendly. The filling keeps for 3 to 4 days and tastes even better the next day, so you can prep now and bake later.
Individual servings. Ramekins give everyone their own crisp top, and they’re an easy portion to freeze and bake off one at a time.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken: Leftover rotisserie chicken is my shortcut of choice, but any cooked chicken works. You can also use raw chicken cut into 1-inch pieces and cook it directly in the gravy (see the recipe steps).
Puff pastry: One package (usually 2 sheets), thawed. Keep it cold in the fridge until the moment you need it, since cold pastry puffs higher and crisps better than warm, soft pastry.
Frozen peas and carrots: No thawing needed. Stirring them in frozen also helps cool the filling faster before the pastry goes on top.
Potatoes: Cut into ½-inch cubes so they cook through in the gravy.
Chicken stock: The savory base of the gravy. Homemade adds the most flavor, but good store-bought stock works well.
Dried herbs: Rosemary, thyme, or sage all suit the dish. Use one or a blend.
Substitutions and Variations
Turkey: Swap in leftover turkey for the chicken in equal amounts. This is a great post-Thanksgiving dinner!
Vegetables: Mushrooms, corn, green beans, or chopped parsley all work. Use what you have.
One dish instead of ramekins: Bake the filling in a single casserole dish and drape one large sheet of puff pastry over the top. Add a few minutes to the bake time.
Extra creamy: Stir a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half into the finished gravy.
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
Thaw the puff pastry. Thaw overnight in the fridge. If you don’t have time for this, set it out on your counter away from the heat while you’re preparing the other ingredients. You want it pliable enough to unfold into a single layer and roll smooth, but not so warm that the butter starts to melt.
Make the filling. Make sure everything in the filling is already cooked so all you have to do is cook off the puff pastry crust in the oven. The filling is perfect for make ahead! It keeps in the fridge for 3 – 4 days and tastes even better the next day.
To save time, I used leftover rotisserie chicken and frozen peas and carrots. It still tastes fantastic and saves a lot of time for busy weeknights.
Add the filling to each ramekin or your baking dish Make sure not to fill past 3/4 of the way as it will bubble up and the gravy may ooze out.
Top with puff pastry. Follow the instructions on your puff pastry and roll out it out so that you get a smooth surface. Puff pastry shrinks as it cooks so ensure you cut a large enough piece of puff pastry to cover your bakeware – about an inch or more over the sides.
Be sure to brush the sides of your bakeware with egg wash before placing the puff pastry on top. This acts as a glue and ensures that the puff pastry sticks to the sides and not separate from the baking dish.
Next, brush the surface of the puff pastry with egg wash to get a wonderful, shiny, golden brown crust.
Bake. Bake at 400°F for 30 to 40 minutes, until the pastry is puffed, golden brown, and crisp. I also recommend placing them on a baking pan instead of directly on the rack in case you do get some spill over.
Jamie’s Tip
Tips for the Best Chicken Pot Pie
Keep the pastry cold. Cold pastry going into a hot oven gives you the highest, crispest puff. If it softens while you work, chill it briefly before baking.
Don’t overfill. Fill dishes no more than ¾ full so the gravy doesn’t bubble over and separate the crust from the sides.
Seal the edges. Egg wash on the rim of the dish acts like glue, holding the pastry in place as it rises.
Cut a vent. A small slit or two in the top lets steam escape and keeps the underside of the crust from steaming into sogginess.
Use a baking sheet. Set the dishes on a pan to catch any spillover and make them easy to move.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
- Make ahead: Prepare the filling up to 3 to 4 days in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. Add the filling to the baking vessels cold, then top with fresh pastry and bake.
- Storage: Store baked pot pies covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The crust softens over time but crisps back up in the oven.
- Freezing: Freeze the filling (without pastry) for up to 3 months. For grab-and-bake portions, line ramekins with plastic wrap, freeze the filling, then pop the frozen blocks out to store. Thaw in the fridge, add fresh pastry, and bake.
- Reheating: Reheat in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until hot and crisp. Skip the microwave, which makes the pastry lose its flake.
What to Serve with Chicken Pot Pie
This is a full meal on its own, but something bright and acidic balances the rich, buttery filling. Try a simple green salad, roasted kabocha squash soup as a starter, or easy sautéed mushrooms with garlic butter on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, rotisserie or any leftover cooked chicken is ideal here. Stir it into the finished gravy at the end so it just warms through instead of overcooking.
Puff pastry only crisps properly on top. In this recipe the pastry sits over the filling rather than under it, which avoids a soggy bottom entirely. Make sure the filling isn’t too thin, don’t overfill the dishes, and cut a small vent so steam can escape.
Yes. Make the filling up to 3 to 4 days ahead and refrigerate it. When you’re ready to bake, reheat the filling, top with fresh puff pastry, brush with egg wash, and bake as directed.
Freeze the filling on its own for up to 3 months for the best results, since a frozen baked crust loses its flake. Thaw the filling in the fridge, add fresh pastry, and bake. For single servings, freeze the filling in plastic-lined ramekins, then bake from thawed with fresh pastry on top.
Puff pastry is laminated with layers of butter, so it bakes up light, airy, and crisp. Pie crust is a single dense layer with more of a solid, tender bite. Puff pastry is also faster, since there’s no dough to make from scratch.
Yes. Spoon the filling into a casserole dish and drape one large sheet of puff pastry over the top, trimming to fit with about an inch of overhang. Add a few minutes to the bake time and watch for a golden, puffed crust.
Thaw it overnight in the fridge, or leave it on the counter away from heat and check every 15 to 20 minutes. It’s ready when it unfolds into a single layer without cracking. If the butter starts to melt, it’s too warm, so chill it before using.
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Easy Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ cup chicken stock
- 2 ½ cups chicken, cooked or raw, cut into 1 inch pieces
- ¾ cup potatoes, cut into ½ inch cubes
- ¼ cup celery, chopped
- ¼ cup onions, chopped
- 1 ½ cup frozen peas and carrots
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried herbs (rosemary, thyme, or sage)
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 package puff pastry (about 2 sheets), thawed
- 1 egg, for egg wash
Instructions
- Thaw the puff pastry overnight in the fridge, or set it out on the counter away from heat until pliable. See the notes for countertop thawing tips.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the butter and flour and stir for 3 to 4 minutes, until it turns a light tan color. Add the chicken stock, potatoes, celery, onions, cayenne pepper, and dried herbs. If using raw chicken, add it now and bring to a boil, cooking until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through. If using cooked chicken, stir it in after the potatoes are tender. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the frozen peas and carrots. Fill each ramekin or baking dish no more than 3/4 full and let the filling cool. The frozen vegetables help speed this up.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the thawed puff pastry smooth with a rolling pin and cut pieces large enough to drape each dish with about an inch of overhang on all sides.
- Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush the edges and sides of each dish with egg wash, drape the pastry on top, and press the sides to seal. Cut a small slit in the center of each to vent steam, then brush the tops with egg wash.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden brown, puffed, and crisp. Place the dishes on a baking sheet to catch any spillover. Let stand a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- When thawing puff pastry, it should be pliable enough to unfold into a single layer and roll smooth. If it cracks apart, it needs more time, as the butter is still frozen.
- Thawing too much will cause the butter to start to melt which will make your puff pastry too soft and sticky to work with.
- Thawing overnight in the fridge is best but you can also keep it on the counter top away from any heat and check every 15 – 20 minutes for the right consistency. Once it’s thawed enough, place it in the fridge until you’re ready to work with it. It’s best to use it the same day if you’ve thawed it on the counter top.
- Keep the pastry cold right up until baking. Cold pastry puffs higher and crisps better.
- Make ahead: The filling keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and tastes even better the next day. Freeze the filling (without pastry) for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
I now roast two chickens at a time so I have leftovers that I can turn into these delicious pot pies. This recipe has quickly become a family favourite!
We had some leftover chicken and I was looking for a new way to enjoy it. This pot pie came up in my searches and I am so glad it did! Such good comfort food
Thanks Brenda! We make this all the time with leftover chicken too. So happy you enjoyed it!
This pot pie reminded me of the recipe my Dad made me when I was a child. Thank you so much for this – it is lovely to cook a recipe that brings back such lovely and nostalgic memories.
This is our new comfort food fave, my family loved this recipe! Rich and creamy with the golden puff pastry….so good!
Thanks so much Amy! It’s a favorite around here too! 🙂
What a great way to use a rotisserie chicken! I usually always default to chicken salad, but I’m totally giving these pot pies a try next time.
Made this for my husband and he looooved it! Awesome recipe!
I LOVE this recipe! Last time I made it I lined the containers with plastic wrap then froze the filling so I can just pop them from freezer to oven whenever I want a homemade chicken pot pie. Perfection!
The puff pastry came out perfectly flaky and the filling was delicious!
I can’t believe your chicken pot pie recipe is so easy. I used to try a few recipes before, and they all were a bit long! I am determined to give your recipe a try – it certainly looks incredible!
What an elegant presentation! This looks great to serve for special dinner guests.