I Tried the Chicken Pot Pie Recipe People Can’t Stop Raving About—and It Lived Up to the Hype

The only chicken pot pie I had growing up was the kind that came in a box from the freezer section of the grocery store. Ironically, I found the whole experience rather charming. I got my own little pot pie, just for me, which meant my brother’s cooties were nowhere nearby. I enjoyed those frozen wonders—but when a friend invited me to her house and I sampled a homemade chicken pot pie, the boxed version suddenly became less appealing.

A homemade pot pie, no matter the variety, is a delicious treat. I don’t make pot pies that often,  but I love a good excuse to try a few new recipes—so I dug up Allrecipes’ five most popular chicken pot pies and put them to the test. 

Meet the Contenders

If you’re after a chicken pot pie recipe that’s simple and delicious, then we have plenty in our database, thanks to you! But for this taste test we pulled not just the simplest recipes but the most highly rated and reviewed.

How I Judged the Recipes

While I think I am a pretty good judge of food, I know there’s power in numbers—so I enlisted the help of some good friends. Their goal was to find the best chicken pot pie in the bunch and provide commentary along the way. They were asked to provide their thoughts on flavor and characteristics of the filling, specifically, since the crust was the same store-bought, refrigerated brand for each. I prompted them with questions including, “Was the meat tender and could you taste it?” and “Was the sauce rich and flavorful and was the dish balanced or one-note?” They had a lot to say—here are the results.

The Results

Most Decadent

• The recipe: Easy Chicken Pot Pie, submitted by Tressie Grant
• Average rating: 4.7
• Rave review: “I’ve had many chicken pot pies, this is the BEST! Favorite recipe by far!” —sherrybabie59

I liked that this pot pie started with cooked chicken. Using prepared pie crusts and canned vegetables and soup also kept things easy. A quick stir was all it took and I had my pie in the oven in about five minutes. With a total of five ingredients, though, it wasn’t a surprise that the pot pie tasted like it was missing something. 

While my testers liked the creamy filling that was described as “hearty and satisfying,” they all wished it had more flavor. I agree, but there are a few easy fixes for that, as noted by many of the recipe’s reviewers. I suggest swapping frozen vegetables, which taste fresher, for the canned variety. I also recommend adding a handful of herbs and seasonings—some dried thyme and parsley would be great, but also garlic powder and onion powder for depth.

Best for a Time Crunch

• The recipe: 4-Ingredient Chicken Pot Pie, submitted by Allrecipes Member
• Average rating: 4.5
• Rave review: “A comforting meal with a flaky crust and creamy filling. Perfectly seasoned, hearty, and packed with tender chicken and veggies.” —Diana Chistruga

The best thing about this recipe is that it only requires four ingredients. And there’s a little cooking involved, but nothing too challenging. After poaching the chicken, dice the breasts and add them to a bowl with canned vegetables and condensed cream of chicken soup. Then that goes into the prepared pie crust, gets covered by another layer of pie dough, and bakes for about 45 minutes. 

The result is something that tastes pretty similar to the pot pies you find in the freezer section. Pretty basic, pretty bland, but not awful. In fact, my testers thought it was a decent pot pie, it just needed “more.” Their suggestion: Add some herbs and spices to amp up the flavor.

Others commented that the canned mixed vegetables were overly soft and distracting, so maybe swap those out with frozen ones or try blanching and shocking some fresh versions in the chicken poaching water. Bottom line: It’s a good option, but play around with seasoning and ingredients.

Best for Biscuit Lovers

• The recipe: Mom’s Fabulous Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Crust, submitted by Pam
• Average rating: 4.7
• Rave review: “Make this yearly around the Fall Season, only difference, I bake my Biscuits first for 7 to 10 minutes then transfer on top of mixture and Bake for 10/15 minutes ~Deliciousness Dinner Meal for the Family” —Althea

This isn’t a traditional pot pie, but if you ask my testers, it’s one of the most delicious variations! They all loved the filling with tender chicken and (mostly) fresh vegetables made into a quick sauce that started with a simple roux (flour cooked in butter), broth, and cream. It was rich and delicious, especially when the bite included a bit of buttery biscuit. 

My testers all loved this pot pie, and it topped my list too. I tried to make the recipe as written, but couldn’t deny the repeated suggestion of cutting the biscuits in half before topping the filling and baking. This was a good move because the biscuits were perfectly cooked and held up to the filling.

Best for Fans of Simple Flavors

• The recipe: Mom’s Chicken Pot Pie, submitted by Samantha Hamilton
• Average rating: 4.8
• Rave review: “This is the best and easiest pot pie ever. I’ve made it several times and it’s always a success!” —Pat

There’s a little more cooking involved with this recipe than the four-Ingredient or easy versions above, and unfortunately, I don’t think much was gained in regards to flavor from it. I do appreciate that the cooking eliminated the need for using a condensed canned soup, but it lacked proper seasoning to make the dish truly delicious. My testers agreed, with one saying, “this is boring.”

But tasters admitted that it was one of the heartier versions they tried. The addition of potatoes added some bulk, but unfortunately, not much flavor. All that said, it would be easy to improve the issue. Similar to the recipes above, it’s a simple matter of adding some herbs and aromatics (like garlic and more onion). The addition of a few fresh or dried herbs would also be delicious as well as swapping in fresh or frozen vegetables.

The Best Overall Chicken Pot Pie

• The recipe: Chicken Pot Pie, submitted by Robbie Rice
• Average rating: 4.8
• Rave review: “This is a favorite comfort food of mine. I love the simplicity of it and the heartiness. ❤️” —SunnyRoast8979

You know things are going well when your tasters immediately gasp, “yum” upon their first bite. This was the favorite among the bunch with everyone agreeing it had great flavor. Testers commented that chicken was tender and that the sauce was seasoned well. The fresh vegetables, they noted, were discernible and delicious. There were no complaints and I agree, the chicken pot pie recipe is pretty perfect.