Comfort Food Chicken Pot Pie – Creamy One-Pan Dinner

It is 6:40 on a Tuesday, everyone is hungry, and you want the kind of dinner that makes the table go quiet. This skillet chicken pot pie does that without a second pot to wash.

The filling simmers in the pan, the biscuit dough drops right on top, and the whole thing goes into the oven. One skillet, one bake, and a creamy, savory dinner that tastes like you spent all afternoon.

The trade-off is real: a skillet crust is rustic and craggy, not a picture-perfect lattice. I will take that every time for a weeknight.

About the Ingredients

3 cups (420g) cooked chicken, shredded or cubed

Rotisserie chicken saves 20 minutes and adds flavor. No rotisserie? Poach two boneless breasts in salted water for 15 minutes.

4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter

Salted butter works if you cut the added salt in half. Keep it cold for the dough and melted for the filling.

1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup / 160g)

Sweet onion is a fine swap if yellow makes your eyes water. Frozen diced onion works in a pinch; no need to thaw.

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup / 130g)

Cut them to the same size as the peas so everything cooks evenly. Baby carrots are already the right size, just halve them.

2 celery stalks, diced (about 3/4 cup / 90g)

Use the inner stalks for tenderness. If you have none, a pinch of celery seed adds the same background note.

1/3 cup (42g) all-purpose flour

This thickens the sauce. For gluten-free, use 3 tablespoons cornstarch and whisk it into cold broth first.

2 cups (480ml) low-sodium chicken broth

Low-sodium lets you control the salt. Better Than Bouillon mixed with water is a solid pantry substitute.

1 cup (240ml) half-and-half

Whole milk plus 2 tablespoons melted butter is the closest swap. Do not use skim milk; the sauce will taste thin.

1 cup (140g) frozen peas

Add them frozen right before baking so they stay bright green. Frozen corn is a good swap for a sweeter pie.

1 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour

For the biscuit topping. White whole wheat flour works but makes the biscuits slightly denser.

2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt

Check the date on your baking powder; old powder is the number one reason biscuits turn out flat.

3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, plus 3 tablespoons (42g) melted butter for the topping

Cold milk and melted butter make a soft drop biscuit. Buttermilk is even better if you have it.

Tips & Tricks

Do Not Skip the Roux Rest

After you stir flour into the butter and vegetables, cook it for a full minute before adding broth. That one minute cooks out the raw flour taste that ruins pot pie.

Thicken Before the Dairy

Add the half-and-half only after the broth mixture bubbles and thickens. Adding it early stops the flour from doing its job and you get soup.

Keep the Biscuit Dough Loose

Stir the topping just until no dry flour shows. Overmixing makes tough biscuits that fight the fork.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat the oven

Set a rack in the middle and preheat to 400F (200C). A fully preheated oven is what gives the biscuits their rise.

2. Soften the vegetables

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the carrots start to soften. You want them tender-crisp, not mushy.

3. Build the roux

Sprinkle the 1/3 cup flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 minute. It should smell nutty, not raw.

4. Thicken the sauce

Pour in the broth in three additions, whisking after each. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes until it bubbles at the edges and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the half-and-half and simmer 2 minutes more.

5. Fold in chicken and peas

Turn off the heat. Stir in the chicken, frozen peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Taste it now; it should be a touch saltier than you think, since the biscuits are bland.

6. Mix the biscuit topping

Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Stir in the milk and melted butter just until combined. The dough will be shaggy and sticky, which is correct.

7. Drop and bake

Spoon the dough in 8 mounds over the hot filling, leaving small gaps for steam. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. The filling should bubble at the edges.

8. Rest and serve

Let the skillet rest 10 minutes. Scoop into bowls and serve with a green salad or nothing at all.

Delicious Variations

Turkey and Herb

Swap the chicken for leftover roast turkey and add 1 teaspoon chopped thyme to the filling.

Cheddar Biscuit Top

Fold 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar into the topping for a cheesier crust.

Vegetarian Mushroom

Replace the chicken with 3 cups sliced mushrooms browned first, and use vegetable broth.

How to Store Sunday Chicken Pot Pie Skillet

Frequently Asked Questions

Make it this week: grab a rotisserie chicken on the way home and let the skillet do the rest. Keep it small, keep it going.

Sunday Chicken Pot Pie Skillet

This comfort food chicken pot pie bakes in one skillet with a buttery biscuit top, tender chicken, and a creamy vegetable filling.

★★★★½ 4.7 (238 ratings)

20 minPrep time38 minCook time6Servings452 kcalCalories

Print RecipePin Recipe

🧂 Ingredients

• 3 cups (420g) cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
• 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup / 160g)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup / 130g)
• 2 celery stalks, diced (about 3/4 cup / 90g)
• 1/3 cup (42g) all-purpose flour
• 2 cups (480ml) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup (240ml) half-and-half
• 1 cup (140g) frozen peas
• 1 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, plus 3 tablespoons (42g) melted butter for the topping

📋 Instructions

1. 1Heat the oven — Set a rack in the middle and preheat to 400F (200C). A fully preheated oven is what gives the biscuits their rise.
2. 2Soften the vegetables — Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the carrots start to soften. You want them tender-crisp, not mushy.
3. 3Build the roux — Sprinkle the 1/3 cup flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 minute. It should smell nutty, not raw.
4. 4Thicken the sauce — Pour in the broth in three additions, whisking after each. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes until it bubbles at the edges and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the half-and-half and simmer 2 minutes more.
5. 5Fold in chicken and peas — Turn off the heat. Stir in the chicken, frozen peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Taste it now; it should be a touch saltier than you think, since the biscuits are bland.
6. 6Mix the biscuit topping — Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Stir in the milk and melted butter just until combined. The dough will be shaggy and sticky, which is correct.
7. 7Drop and bake — Spoon the dough in 8 mounds over the hot filling, leaving small gaps for steam. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. The filling should bubble at the edges.
8. 8Rest and serve — Let the skillet rest 10 minutes. Scoop into bowls and serve with a green salad or nothing at all.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: A 12-inch cast-iron skillet is the right size here. If yours is 10 inches, the filling will be deeper and take about 8 extra minutes to bake.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course

Nutrition (per serving): 452 kcal · 28g protein · 38g carbs · 21g fat

Written by Mira Okafor

Mira writes about everyday money habits for people who never got a straight answer about budgeting. Her angle is small, repeatable routines over dramatic overhauls, and she tests every tip on her own household first. She favors plain numbers, real receipts, and admitting when something did not work.