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This crustless chicken pot pie recipe makes chicken pot pie super easy, even for a quick weeknight dinner. No dough rolling required, but with a very simple crispy panko topping, this recipe has the same creamy, comforting flavor of classic pot pie in just 30 minutes. All the 5 star reviews will tell you it’s a family favorite!
A Quick Look: Crustless Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
- What is it? A chicken pot pie without pie crust, biscuits, puff pastry – or anything you need to roll!
- Total cook time: 30 minutes
- Serves: 4 (but easy to scale up)
- Customizable – You can easily edit for gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian diets.
- Flavor profile – Classic chicken pot pie filling with a crunch from buttery, crispy panko on top.
- Difficulty – So easy and ideal for beginner cooks.
Homemade chicken pot pie is warm, cozy, comforting – perfect for cooler weather. The only drawback is I never want to make it because the idea of making a crust feels overwhelming. But a chicken pot pie recipe without the crust? Totally easy! This is also how I came up with my crustless blueberry pie.
Throughout the years, this crustless chicken pot pie has been a top favorite for kids and adults because it’s great to meal prep and freeze, and can be made into individual portions in a larger casserole dish. For a variation with pasta, try these chicken pot pie noodles!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 30 Minute Meal – This recipe takes under 30 minutes from start to finish making it the perfect weeknight meal.
- Great for meal prep – It stores so well in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Easy for beginner cooks – You can use all frozen vegetables or pre-cut veggies to avoid any chopping.
- The perfect gift – This is my go to, along with lazy lasagna, as a get well gift or for new parents!
- Chicken pot pie bowl – Make this into individual servings with ramekin bowls for a great party variation.
Ingredients
- Chicken – Cook either boneless skinless chicken breast, pre-cooked chicken, or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to cut off one step. You could also use leftover cast iron roast chicken.
- Carrots, peas, and corn – I prefer to mix fresh vegetables like carrots and frozen peas and corn. Sometimes you can find grocery stores will have freshly chopped mirepoix for convenience, which is a mix of onions, carrots, and celery – you can use that here too.
- Shallots – I prefer to use shallots in this recipe as they have a softer flavor than onions.
- Thyme – Added for a bit of woodsy flavor, you could also add rosemary, onion powder or garlic powder if desired, but as written is more traditional.
- Butter – I use Kerrygold, which gives the filling a rich flavor.
- Milk – Any type of milk will work, but I recommend whole milk as it withstands higher heat without curdling, like reduced fat milk. Plus it provides a more creamy consistency without using heavy cream.
- Vegetable or chicken broth – Both work well here as well as chicken stock or bone broth. I recommend a low sodium store-bought version rotisserie chicken bone broth.
- Panko – Kikkoman and Trader Joe’s are two brands I have used, but any panko will work for this recipe. You can also completely omit the topping if you’d like and serve this as just chicken pot pie filling, but then it feels more like a soup to me.
Substitutions & Variations
- Frozen vegetables – While I find fresh yields the best texture and flavor, a vegetable medley with peas, corn, carrots, and green beans is the easiest trick for times you don’t feel like chopping. Use 2 cups as a replacement for the fresh veggies.
- Crustless turkey pot pie – Use leftover Thanksgiving turkey for the filling instead of chicken!
- Celery – I have some readers who say chicken pot pie must have celery in it and others who hate it. If you do love celery in it, just chop about 1/2 cup of celery and add it to the vegetable mix.
- Heavy cream – Add heavy cream to replace the milk for a thicker and much more decadent sauce.
- Dairy free – Use olive oil or Earth Balance Pressed Oils as a substitute for butter. Oat milk is the best substitute for regular milk.
- Gluten free – Recommend Aleia’s or Jeff’s Naturals. Thicken the sauce by substituting corn starch or arrowroot powder for the flour.
- Vegetarian – To make this vegetarian, just add another cup of mixed vegetables and omit the chicken.
- Low carb – Omit the panko on top for a lower carb option. Psyllium husk powder can be used to thicken the sauce, or use heavy cream instead of milk.
- Want a crust? Use the filling with a store-bought pie crust, biscuit, or puff pastry for a more traditional version.
How to Make Crustless Chicken Pot Pie
Step 1: If using raw chicken, start by browning chicken in a deep pan on the stove top. If using cooked chicken, skip this first step.
Step 2: Remove chicken and add butter, shallots, and carrots, stirring frequently with a wood spoon while cooking over medium heat. Once carrots begin to soften, add corn and peas. If using a frozen vegetable medley, add them all at once.
Step 3: Mix the flour into the vegetables till everything is coated, then stir in the broth over medium heat. Stir frequently so the flour doesn’t clump and everything is smooth.
Step 4: Add the milk and bring it to a simmer so the sauce begins to thicken, stirring frequently till the sauce is creamy. Season with kosher salt and black pepper and taste to adjust any seasonings.
Step 5: Spoon the crustless chicken pot pie filling into oven-safe ramekins, one large baking dish, or you can use the same pan you cooked everything in if it’s oven-safe. A gratin dish would work too.
Step 6: Top with panko and broil on hight till light brown on top – about 1 minute.
Serving Suggestions
This crustless chicken pot pie is really a full meal but here area few salads and vegetables I love to pair with it. You could also serve it with a warm baguette or garlic bread to help soak up the sauce!
Storage and Freezing Tips
This recipe is perfect for meal prep and gets even better when the flavors can combine for a day or two! Cover and store the pot pie without crust in an airtight container or ramekins (for personal servings) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer storage – Cook the crustless chicken pot pie till step 5 where you put the panko on top. Place in freezer bags, laying flat to save space, or freezer storage containers for up to 6 months.
- Thawing tips – Place the freezer bag in warm water, which should take about 30 minutes to 1 hour to defrost. This can also be defrosted overnight in the fridge (this is the best way).
- Crustless chicken pot pie casserole – Transfer the pot pie filling to a baking dish (glass or disposable). Add the panko to a separate container with instructions for how to top the pot pie and broil. Bake the filling without the panko at 350F for about 10 minutes, till warmed through, then broil for 1 minute with the topping.
Recipe FAQ
I love to serve this recipe in individual ramekins if you have them. Just spoon the filling into each ramekin and place on a baking sheet to broil the panko. Cooking time does not need to be adjusted.
Small, chopped potatoes can also be added to this. I’d recommend cutting back on one other vegetable in the same amount that you add.
Yes, start with cooking the vegetables instead of the chicken, then just stir the cooked chicken into the prepared sauce.
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Crustless Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 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
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 cup panko
Instructions
- Cut chicken breast into bite sized pieces, season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add 2 teaspoons of oil to a large skillet or cast iron pan and cook the chicken breast over medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through, 6-8 minutes total. Remove browned chicken pieces from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt butter over medium heat, then add in shallots and carrots. Cook over medium-low heat until softened, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add the peas and corn, and then mix in the all purpose flour until all the veggies are coated.
- Pour in the broth and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then immediately lower it to a simmer over medium low heat, stirring often so the flour gets smooth and not clumpy. With the heat turned down to medium low, stir in milk as it starts to thicken, then add thyme and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and a pinch of black 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. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
- If using an oven-safe skillet, top the crustless pot pie mixture with panko and broil in the oven on high heat for 1-2 minutes, until the panko is golden brown. If using individual ramekins or a casserole dish, transfer the filling to the dish and top with the panko, broiling the same way. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Cooked chicken short cut – Use cooked rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken and stir it in step 3 after the sauce has thickened.
- Frozen veggies short cut – Fresh is definitely more flavorful and a better texture, but for a very quick meal with no chopping, you can use 2 cups of a frozen vegetable medley. You can also substitute the fresh chopped vegetables with a mirepoix that is store-bought.
- Dairy free – Substitute oat milk and olive oil or other favorite sub for butter. Use oat milk as a replacement for whole milk.
- Gluten free – Use gluten free panko (brand recs in post) and arrowroot or cornstarch to thicken the sauce instead of flour.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a regular meal in my house. My husband and daughter also love it. Adjusting to a migraine friendly diet has been challenging, but recipes like this one make it easier.
Thank you, Hannah!
My family loves this as a “filling”. I say “filling” because we like crust, so I’ve been putting the filling in puff pastry! I cut the puff pastry into squares so it fits nicely into muffin tins. Fill the puff pastry in the muffin tins and seal at the top with a fork (pinch the dough together and use the fork to kind of twist at the end…kind of like sealing a dumpling). Then bake. I kind of combined this recipe and the Chicken in Puff Pastry recipe. This recipe for the filling and chicken in puff pastry to know how to prep/bake the puff pastry. By the time you’re done, you have individual flaky, buttery pot pies. They’re my son’s favorite and are absolute comfort food in our house. I hope you try. Let me know if you do! ❤️
Haha thank you for sharing this!
It tastes delicious!
Slightly sweet for some reason, but love it regardless!
I didn’t have the panko, so I didn’t add that.
It was very easy to make and I didn’t have to spent much time preparing (I used frozen vegetable). I will definitely make this again.
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Hey! I’m glad you enjoyed it, but not sure why yours was sweet unless you used a honey chicken or really sweet corn or something? The recipe as is isn’t sweet so that’s odd.
delish!
dont want to print without email hmmm
Then just look at the recipe on your screen?
FYI, some Kerrygold butter has “cultures,” which I’m guessing may be problematic in the same way as yogurt etc.
https://www.kerrygoldusa.com/products/unsalted-butter/
Hey – all cheese and butter is cultured. It’s basically how they make milk into these products. It’s live active cultures that can be the issue. The brand will usually state what they are like “l acidophilus”, etc.
Three adults all loved this “pie”. I added mushrooms and celery when sautéing onions because we all love them. I used my own chicken stock, and almond milk because that is what I had on hand. Instead of panko, I made mashed potatoes and topped the “pie” with mashed potatoes. I broiled it until the top had some crispy portions. It was delicious, lactose/dairy free, and low carb. I made one big pie and scooped out portions as people desired them.
Thank you for an excellent recipe. I will definitely make this again.
Thanks so much, Allison!