Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie

Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie is one of those beloved comfort foods that’s so perfect for a chilly day. It’s almost a soup, almost a stew, but not quite either one – and the golden brown crust is too good to pass up. This recipe streamlines the process so you can get dinner on the table faster!

Make this dish your way. Top it with pie dough, puff pastry, or use canned biscuits. Flavor the biscuits with pepper and parmesan cheese for an exciting new topping (instructions included). Or skip the topping entirely and enjoy just the filling as a delicious pot pie soup!

This recipe was adapted from one published in my first cookbook, ” Weeknight Cooking with your Instant Pot “.

What ingredients are in Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie?

The main ingredients are as follows:

• chopped onion
• sliced mushrooms
• chopped carrots
• sliced celery stalks
• minced garlic
• chicken thighs or breasts
• red potatoes (or russets, peeled)
• chicken broth (can use vegetable broth)
• half & half (or heavy cream)
• a cornstarch slurry
• frozen peas (can also use green beans)
• Worcestershire sauce
• soy sauce
• grated parmesan cheese
• pie crust, puff pastry, or biscuit dough

How do you make Chicken Pot Pie in a pressure cooker?

The Instant Pot makes fast work of delicious comfort foods and it’s one of the best things about owning one (I actually have two)! I use it for everything from Instant Pot Pulled Pork to Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup. My favorite has to be Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff with Blue Cheese and Chives, if only because I have serious love for all things blue cheese.

Using the Instant Pot to make Chicken Pot Pie is so much faster than the stovetop. The saute function is perfect for your mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery) as well as the mushrooms (mushrooms are entirely optional). Then the rest of the ingredients are added and pressure cooked for 15 minutes, resulting in a chicken pot pie filling that tastes as if you’d simmered it for hours!

The only thing left to do after using your Instant Pot is to pour the filling into a baking dish, top it with the pie crust, puff pastry, or biscuits, and bake it until the crust is golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly. You can also skip baking the filling and opting to bake the Parmesan-Pepper biscuits separately, then just top each bowl with a biscuit or serve them on the side.

If you have an air fryer lid, you can also “bake” the crust right in the Instant Pot. Those instructions are explained further below.

How to make individual Chicken Pot Pies

Sometimes it’s fun to make mini pot pies so everyone can enjoy their own! I especially love to do this so I can freeze a few for later (see further below for freezing instructions). I’ve made mini pot pies for casual get-togethers with a few girlfriends and they’re always a hit.

To make individual pot pies, divide the filling between individual pie dishes or ramekins, then cut the crust to fit each dish. Lay the crusts over each dish, pressing the edges down to seal the crust, and poke a few holes in the crust to vent. Follow the rest of the recipe instructions as normal.

How do you thicken Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie filling?

This recipe uses a cornstarch slurry to thicken the filling (cornstarch is mixed with cold water then added to the hot filling to thicken it). If you don’t have cornstarch or prefer not to use it, try instant mashed potatoes! Add a little at a time (about 1/2 cup to start, then a few tablespoons at a time until it’s as thick as you like it). And, of course, you can always make a roux, which only takes a few minutes (although the cornstarch slurry is definitely the easiest).

Can you use frozen chicken?

You can definitely start with frozen chicken! In fact, I have an entire cookbook dedicated to Instant Pot recipes that all start with frozen meats and other ingredients so I have a lot of experience with this!

You can add the boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or chicken breasts) whole as directed in the recipe but they’ll have to be chopped after cooking if you start from frozen (or make shredded chicken by hand or with a mixer). Cut them into bite-sized pieces before freezing if you know you’re going to be using them in an Instant Pot recipe anyway. Either way, the ease of starting with frozen chicken can’t be beat!

If you double the recipe do you double the cooking time?

The cooking time remains the same if you double the ingredients. It will take the pressure cooker more time to come to pressure, however, so that’s one thing to be aware of. Also keep in mind that this Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie recipe makes quite a bit and you’ll need a large enough pressure cooker to hold all of the ingredients! There’s a line on the side of the pot that indicates the fill limit so be sure not to go over it. An 8-quart has enough room but I haven’t tested it with a 6-quart or smaller.

Can this be made in a slow cooker?

You can use the slow cooker setting on your Instant Pot if you prefer. Follow the directions through step 3 in the instructions, but instead of pressure cooking, press “slow cook”. Set the time and temperature to 4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. Follow the remaining instructions as written.

Does this recipe have a bottom crust?

This recipe is written with a top-crust only. But if you really love pie crust and want to add a bottom crust (and who doesn’t love more crust), simply line your baking dish with more pie crust, gently pressing it into the bottom and up the sides. Bake it for about 10 minutes and follow the directions in the recipe as usual. Puff pastry won’t work for a bottom crust though, so be sure to only use this method with pie dough.

How to use an air fryer lid for “baking” directly in the Instant Pot

Before I explain how to do this, I’d like to share my personal opinion that the end result will be better by baking this in the oven as directed in the recipe. Not only is there more surface area – therefore a higher crust-to-filling ratio – but I’ve found that it’s more evenly browned and just tastes better. However, there’s something to be said for making it all in the same pot, so here’s how to do it if you opt for this method.

• Lay the pie crust on top of the filling (you may have to trim the crust to fit perfectly) or tuck in the edges.
• Close the crisping lid, press “Broil” and set the timer for 10 minutes, then press “Start”.
• When the time is up, check to make sure the pie crust is as golden brown as you like it. If not, repeat the process for a minute or two.

Here’s an idea for keeping the ratio the same: “bake” the pie crust in the pot, enjoy it for dinner, then store it in the same container. Reheat the leftovers in your Instant Pot, then simply add another pie crust to the top and bake it again. This assumes you’ve eaten all of the pie crust the first time around. Note: I haven’t tried this method, but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work!

If your heart (stomach?) is set on using puff pastry for your topping, you can bake it separately at 400F on a greased sheet pan (cut it into squares or circles that roughly fit the size of each serving dish) or roll it out to fit the top of the baking dish and bake it with the filling. The air fryer lid doesn’t work as well with puff pastry.

How to freeze Chicken Pot Pie

It’s so easy to freeze pot pie and so nice to be able to grab something homemade for an easy freezer meal. Make the recipe as directed, stopping just short of baking the dish after topping it with the pie crust. Just make sure the dish you use is freezer safe, or use these foil pot pie pans . Double wrap the pot pie tightly with foil and pop it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To bake the pot pie(s) from frozen, pop it into a preheated 400F oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for approximately another 30 minutes, or until the filling is hot and bubbly and the crust is golden brown.

What to serve with Chicken Pot Pie?

While this recipe is definitely a complete meal by itself, sometimes it’s nice to offer a side or two to go along with it. Here are a few ideas for what works well:

• Fall Fruit Salad (or any other fruit salad)
• A green salad (or try this Portillo’s Chopped Salad )
• Garlic Bread – this might be overkill since pot pie already has a crust, but this Stuffed Garlic Bread Recipe is always a worthy addition. You could also skip the pie crust entirely and just serve the garlic bread on the side.
• Creamed Corn – Make it with cream or without, but if you’ve got some fresh corn to use up, try the version without the cream for a perfect pot pie side dish.
• Any vegetable that isn’t in the pot pie already, such as roasted asparagus, green beans, or Brussels sprouts.

Variations for Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie

• Make it vegetarian. Just skip the chicken entirely and increase the veggies. Add some green beans, too!
• Make a Mexican version: skip the carrots, celery, and peas. Add fresh or frozen corn, two chopped poblano peppers, plus a couple of tablespoons of adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers (or more, to taste). The rest of the instructions can be followed as directed.
• The recipe is versatile, so add more or less of what you like or prefer less of. I love mushrooms so I’ll often double that and skip the peas. Green beans are a great substitute for the peas, too. Add some fresh or frozen corn. It’s an easy recipe to tweak to make your own!
• Skip the crust and make chicken pot pie soup! You can still thicken it if you like a thick soup and you’ll still get a piping hot bowl of comfort food.
• Speaking of pot pie soup, add some ditalini, macaroni pasta, or egg noodles after pressure cooking but before adding the cream. Simmer until the pasta is al dente, then add the cream and continue as directed.

Continue to Content

Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

The easiest pot pie you'll ever make! Use pie crust for a more traditional pot pie or make Parmesan-Pepper Biscuits to top each bowl. Feel free to omit the mushrooms if you prefer.

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 lb sliced mushrooms
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb chicken thighs (or breasts), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 8-10 red potatoes, cut into small, bite-sized pieces
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup half & half
• 3 tbsp cornstarch mixed with a few tablespoons of cold water (a slurry)
• 1 cup frozen peas (can also use green beans)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt, more to taste
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pie crusts, rolled out together to cover a 13x9 baking dish (you can also use puff pastry)

For the Parmesan-Pepper Biscuits (optional and in place of pie crust; see notes)

• 1 tube of 8 biscuits (such as Pillsbury Grands)
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Press "Sauté" to preheat your IP and set to “Normal”. When the word “hot” appears on the display, add the oil.
2. Add the onions, mushrooms, carrots and celery. Cook,
   stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their liquid and it has
   evaporated. Add the garlic and cook about one minute more, stirring frequently.
3. Add the chicken thighs, potatoes, and broth to pot. Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Press “Manual” and immediately adjust the timer to 15 minutes. Check that the cooking pressure is on “high” and that the release valve is set to “Sealing”.
4. When the time is up, open the IP using “Quick Pressure Release”.
5. Switch to the “Sauté” setting, then add the half & half to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the cornstarch “slurry” (don’t add the cornstarch without first mixing it with cold water or it will be a clumpy mess). Stir constantly for about a minute or so to allow the sauce to thicken.
6. Stir in the peas, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
7. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
8. Pour the filling into a 13x9 inch baking dish. Top with the pie crust, pressing the edges down to seal, and poke a few holes in the top to vent the crust while it bakes. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbling. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
9. OPTIONAL: To make the biscuits, place the biscuits on a large sheet pan with at least an inch between each biscuit. Baste the biscuits liberally with the melted butter, then sprinkle the tops with freshly ground black pepper. Spoon about a tablespoon parmesan cheese onto each biscuit and spread it with the back of the spoon to cover the top. Bake them according to the directions on the package. Top each bowl of pot pie filling with a pepper-parmesan biscuit.
   
   

Notes

If you opt for the biscuits, these can be baked separately; there's no need to bake the filling with them. However, you can bake the filling with the biscuits if you prefer, simply follow the directions for baking the pie crust, setting the biscuits on top of the filling instead of the crust.

To make individual pot pies, divide the filling between individual pie dishes or ramekins, then cut the crust to fit each dish. Lay the crusts over each dish, pressing the edges down to seal the crust, and poke a few holes in the crust to vent. Follow the rest of the instructions as normal.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 996Total Fat: 49gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 1347mgCarbohydrates: 97gFiber: 8gSugar: 10gProtein: 43g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

You might also like this Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings recipe!

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Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is the recipe creator behind The Wicked Noodle. She's a five-time cookbook author, has taught cooking classes to both kids and adults, and has been creating recipes for nationwide brands since 2009. She learned most of her cooking skills from her mom and grandmother, then honed those skills at boot camp at the Culinary Institute of America.

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