This Crustless Chicken Pot Pie recipe makes chicken pot pie seem easy and achievable for a weeknight. No dough rolling required, but still with a crispy breaded topping, this recipe has all the best creamy, comforting parts without the work.
Chicken Pot Pie without The Crust
I get requests from readers all the time for a chicken pot pie recipe that’s also migraine diet friendly. The thing is, I love chicken pot pie. It’s warm, cozy, comforting – perfect for cooler weather. But I never make it – why? Cause the idea of making a crust just seems overwhelming. I know that crusts are fairly easy to make overall, but it’s the clean up that gets me every time. I already have to do dishes for a pan to cook everything in and now I have to clean up flour everywhere. Enter this crustless chicken pot pie recipe!!
Initially when I had the idea, I knew I had to make this more than just a creamy chicken soup. I nearly always have panko on hand, and I love that it took me two seconds to top these “pies” with a crispy topping. I also loved that if I had a little bit more time or got ambitious, this recipe would easily work with a homemade or store-bought puff pastry crust.
Ingredients
There is actually a really funny story behind the ingredients I chose for these pot pies. I asked my private Facebook group if they cared if celery was in the pot pie or if I could leave it out. This simple question launched into what I now like to refer to as The Great Celery debate. This post reached over 100 comments – some people having more hatred for celery than paying taxes or having to work on Christmas. Others praised celery as the vegetable that has come to save us all.
My personal opinion? It’s one less thing! I wanted to make this recipe really approachable and I think part of that is using frozen vegetables that you don’t have to worry about going bad. Especially during the fall and winter months.
Dairy Free Chicken Pot Pie
This chicken pot pie is really easy to make dairy-free, which is part of the reason I recipe tested milk instead of cream. Instead of using butter, I’d use a favorite oil.
Oatly oat milk would make a really great milk substitute as you need something nice and creamy and I think oat milk has the best texture. Full fat coconut milk could also be used, although I think that might affect the flavor a bit more.
Gluten Free Option
To make this crustless chicken pot pie gluten free, all you need to do is substitute the flour and panko. Some ideas for the roux (a flour and butter mixture to thicken the sauce) is to use cornstarch, arrowroot powder, or your flavor gluten free flour.
My favorite gluten free pankos are Aleia’s and Jeff’s Creations.
Other Chicken Recipes
Creamy Rosemary Chicken
Honey Garlic Chicken
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Boursin Stuffed Chicken
Chicken and Rice Soup
If you make this recipe, don’t to tag me #thedizzycook or @thedizzycook on Facebook and Instagram. And please leave a review below!
Crustless Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tsp olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 cup panko
Instructions
- Cut chicken breast into bite sized pieces, season with kosher salt and pepper. Prepare a large, deep pan with a little bit of olive oil (2tsp or so) and cook chicken bites over medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken bites from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter, chopped shallots and carrots. Cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Then add the peas and corn, as well as the rest of the butter. As the butter melts, mix in the 2 tablespoons of flour until all the veggies are coated.
- Add broth and simmer (small bubbles, not a boil) for 1-2 minutes, stirring so the flour gets smooth and not clumpy. Stir in milk as it starts to thicken, then add thyme, and more salt and pepper if desired. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce is nice and thick, enough to coat a spoon. Add cooked chicken into the mixture.
- Spoon chicken pot pie filling into individual, oven-safe ramekins. Top with panko and broil under high heat for about 1 minute until lightly browned. Serve warm.
Notes
- Oatly oat milk would make a really great milk substitute as you need something nice and creamy and I think oat milk has the best texture. Full fat coconut milk could also be used, although I think that might affect the flavor a bit more.
- For Gluten Free, I like Aleia's or Jeff's Gluten Free Panko, both linked in the post.
- For low sodium and migraine-friendly, I recommend making your own stock from one of my recipes online or in my cookbook.
Interested in this recipe? Has anyone had success freezing this recipe for a quick freezer meal?
Yes!! Works perfectly. Wait to top with panko though.
First, I want to congratulate you on your new baby!!!❤❤❤
Next , about this recipe. I made it th iui s weekend and it was so good.
No changes made, except that I didn’t have any ramekins, do I made it in a pie plate.
Wonderful!
Thank you!
This was terrific!!!
This is a keeper! I’m not even following a migraine diet these days, but still make this regularly.
Loved this recipe! Made it as a casserole instead of in ramekins. Was excellent, and so very comforting.
This dish is so yummy and so creative! Alicia always finds ways to give us back dishes that we thought were forever-gone as part of the diet. Sometimes we add bite-sized potatoes to have it go a little further.
Me again. 🙂 I forgot to add, I’ve made this with whole milk and oat milk and it worked great both ways!
Thanks so much for adding that!!
I’ve made this recipe several times for my family and we all love it! Sometimes I mix it up and make a crust for the top when I have more time. The ramekins are just the perfect serving size. I do add in celery too 🙂 Its the perfect comfort meal for dizzy/head pain days.
Made just as posted…easy and delicious!
Enjoyed this on a cold day! Added one more Tbsp of flour to thicken it up. Used half and half with 2% milk to equal a cup and it worked great. Used my own homemade chicken broth! Delicious! Thank you!
I absolutely love this recipe! Probably because I love pie! Lol its become one of my fave recipes of Alicia’s! I really recommend it.
This recipe is so easy to do and it’s nice not to have to mess about with pastry.
The panko breadcrumbs on the top work really well so you get a nice crunch on the top.
The filling is so nice with the chicken stock and creamy with the milk (I used oat milk this time) I could eat the filling on its own lol I love the peas and sweetcorn and the dried thyme in it… I added some fresh tarragon also which worked well too. I serve steamed veg with it like cabbage, cauliflower,brussel sprouts etc. I was going to do potato with it put there is much filling esp of you use deep ramekins like me and realised its enough without it, I’m sure boiled potatoes or mash would go well though. If you haven’t already tried this recipe, you must!