Crustless Chicken Pot Pie
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Enjoy the rich and creamy comfort of a classic chicken pot pie, but ready in a fraction of the time without any fuss of pastry! This quick and easy version delivers deep, satisfying flavor in every spoonful – served over fluffy mashed potatoes or rice for the ultimate cozy meal.
While already a comforting dish, this version is made for added ease and modern diets. Leaving out the crust instantly makes it a low-carb meal that you can enjoy alongside low-carbs sides, such as cauliflower mash or rice.
This crustless chicken pot pie recipe is also incredibly quick to whip up for those busy midweek dinners – made in one pot on the stovetop and ready in just 20 minutes! We also use frozen stir-fry veggies for a colorful twist instead of the usual peas and carrots.
What is crustless chicken pot pie?
Crustless chicken pot pie is a comforting, savory dish that delivers all the rich, creamy flavor of a classic chicken pot pie without the pastry shell. It features tender shredded chicken and vegetables in a thick and creamy sauce, infused with herbaceous depth.
Ditching the crust simplifies the preparation and reduces the recipe time, allowing you to focus on the hearty filling, which can be enjoyed like a soup or served over a starch like mashed potatoes, rice, or biscuits to provide a satisfying, spoonable meal!
Ingredients needed to make no-crust chicken pot pie
- Butter: Use unsalted butter as a way to control the level of salt in this no-crust chicken pot pie recipe. Omit or reduce the salt added to the mixture if you do choose to use salted butter instead. The butter provides a rich, savory base for sautéing and deepens the overall flavor, although you could use olive oil instead.
- Yellow onions: We love yellow onions for a classic chicken pot pie filling, offering a sweet, aromatic foundation.
- Shallots: The delicate sweetness of the finely sliced shallots complements the onions and garlic.
- Garlic cloves: Always use garlic cloves for the best pungent and aromatic depth of flavor.
- Frozen stir fry vegetables: Cook from frozen to prevent overly soft and mushy veggies in the creamy sauce. Stir fry veggies offer a fun and delicious alternative to the usual peas, corn, and carrots.
- Thyme sprig: Imparts a subtle, earthy, and herbal fragrance to the simmering sauce. Make sure to remove from the stalk before adding it to the mixture.
- Dried dill: Lends a bright, grassy, and slightly tangy flavor that lightens the rich dish.
- Flour: We use all-purpose flour or almond flour to thicken the sauce.
- Chicken broth: Forms the liquid base of the sauce, providing savory depth and body. Use low-sodium broth as a healthier option. Vegetable broth can be used instead.
- Salt and pepper: To taste. Adjust as needed towards the end.
- Red pepper flakes: Adds a gentle hint of warmth and complexity to the dish.
- Shredded chicken: What’s chicken pot pie without the chicken? Feel free to use leftover breasts or rotisserie chicken.
- Bay leaf: Infuses a subtle, woodsy aroma during simmering that deepens the sauce’s flavor. Don’t forget to remove the bay leaf before serving.
- Half and half: Adds creamy richness and smooth consistency. Heavy cream is another option.
How do you make crustless chicken pot pie?
Sauté the aromatics:
- Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the prepared onions, shallots, and garlic, sautéing until soft and fragrant.
Cook the vegetables:
- Add the frozen stir fry vegetables, thyme, and dill, cooking for about 5 minutes to lightly sauté them.
Develop the sauce:
- Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and gently mix.
- Pour in the chicken broth, stirring until the sauce starts to thicken.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer:
- Add the seasonings, shredded chicken, and bay leaf, stirring gently.
- Stir in the half and half and simmer on medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and adjust the seasoning, if needed, before serving as a thick soup, over rice, mashed potatoes, or cauliflower rice.
Serving
This crustless chicken pot pie is delicious as a thick and creamy chicken soup with a side of flaky biscuits or garlic bread.
Alternatively, you can serve it over white or brown rice, tender pasta, or creamy mashed potatoes.
To keep this meal low-carb, consider serving the chicken pot pie filling over cauliflower mash or cauliflower rice.
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Store leftover crustless chicken pot pie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-7 days. Reheat in a pot over medium heat until warm. You can add a splash of broth or milk to the leftover mixture as it reheats since it would have naturally thickened in the fridge.
- Freezer: Once completely cool, store the creamy filling in the freezer for up to 3 months, either in an airtight container or individual portions in freezer-safe bags. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat to serve.
- Make-ahead: Cook and store the creamy filling a day ahead, leaving only the rice, mashed potato, or pasta to prepare for serving with the reheated mixture for an easy dinner.
- Adjust the liquid: Add extra broth or half and half if the sauce is too thick. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Large pot: A Dutch oven works the best when making this no-crust chicken pot pie, but you can use a regular large pot too. Just make sure that the pot you use is big enough to hold all of the ingredients comfortably for even cooking and no spilling over.
- Cut through the richness: Feel free to add a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice to the sauce to cut through the creamy richness, if you like. This may be particularly good if you use heavy cream to make the sauce.
- How to shred chicken: To easily shred cooked chicken, use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer or shred it with two forks. Any excess shredded chicken can easily be added to chicken soups, casseroles, Chicken Mole Enchilada Pie, chicken tacos, pasta recipes, and so much more!
Variations:
- Gluten-free crustless chicken pot pie: Use almond flour instead of all-purpose flour to coat the veggies and thicken the sauce.
- Choice of chicken: Use leftover chicken breasts or thighs. You can also use rotisserie chicken for added convenience.
- Vegetables: Don’t want to use stir fry vegetables? You can easily make this dish with the traditional combination of frozen peas, corn, and carrots.
- Spicy kick: Add more red pepper flakes or mix in smoked paprika or cayenne pepper for an extra kick of heat, if you like. Adding chopped chipotles in adobo sauce to the creamy sauce is another fantastic way to add a kick of heat and incredible flavor!
- Crusted chicken pot pie: If you can’t imagine chicken pot pie without the crust, simply add the creamy sauce to a pie or casserole dish and cover it with a thawed and rolled out sheet of puff pastry (cut to size). Score the pastry topping with a knife; pinch the edges and corner to seal the pie. Brush the top with egg white and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until brown and puffy on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
If you love the comforting flavors and textures of pot pie, be sure to try our Leftover Chili Pot Pie or Chicken Pot Pie with Cheesy Drop Biscuits!
More one-pot/pan dinners you may want to try:
- One-Pot Chicken Vegetable Soup
- One-Pot Paprika Chicken Thighs
- Baked Lemon Chicken and Olives
- Dutch Oven Chicken Cacciatore
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta Recipe
Get the Recipe:
Crustless Chicken Pot Pie
This one-pot, 20-minute crustless chicken pot pie is creamy comfort food, perfect for serving over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
- 2 thinly sliced shallots
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 cups frozen stir fry vegetables
- 1 thyme sprig remove from stalk
- 1-2 tsp dried dill
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour, or gluten free flour
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth or as needed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 cups shredded chicken
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup half and half, or whipping cream
Equipment
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the prepared onions, shallots, and garlic, sautéing until soft and fragrant.
- Add the frozen stir fry vegetables, thyme, and dill, cooking for about 5 minutes to lightly sauté them.
- Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and gently mix.
- Pour in the chicken broth, stirring until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Add the seasonings, shredded chicken, and bay leaf, stirring gently.
- Stir in the half and half and simmer on medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and adjust the seasoning, if needed, before serving as a thick soup, over rice, mashed potatoes, or cauliflower rice.
Optional serving:
- Serve over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.
Notes
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Store leftover crustless chicken pot pie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-7 days. Reheat in a pot over medium heat until warm. You can add a splash of broth or milk to the leftover mixture as it reheats since it would have naturally thickened in the fridge.
- Freezer: Once completely cool, store the creamy filling in the freezer for up to 3 months, either in an airtight container or individual portions in freezer-safe bags. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat to serve.
- Make-ahead: Cook and store the creamy filling a day ahead, leaving only the rice, mashed potato, or pasta to prepare for serving with the reheated mixture for an easy dinner.
- Adjust the liquid: Add extra broth or half and half if the sauce is too thick. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Large pot: A Dutch oven works the best when making this no-crust chicken pot pie, but you can use a regular large pot too. Just make sure that the pot you use is big enough to hold all of the ingredients comfortably for even cooking and no spilling over.
Calories: 389kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 113mg, Sodium: 592mg, Potassium: 612mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 5962IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 89mg, Iron: 3mg
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Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
