Love a chicken pot pie but don’t want to deal with the labor of the full crust? Try this easier phyllo chicken pot pie recipe! This still has the classic filling with shredded chicken, onions, vegetables and creamy sauce, but it’s topped with quick and buttery phyllo dough sheets that require only minutes of your time. Plus, this is a one-pot meal!
I love making this on a weekday night – we can eat it for two evenings in a row and the flavors taste even better the second day.
What is phyllo dough?
If you aren’t familiar, phyllo dough is very thin, unleavened dough that is commonly used for baklava cookies. It’s a little similar to puff pastry, but it has lower fat content. Puff pastry is usually made with butter while phyllo is often developed with oil. It’s also sometimes called filo dough, but they are the same thing. They are different transliterations of the Greek word for “leaf.”
Phyllo sheets are very thin, and when you brush them with butter or oil, they crisp up and turn golden in the oven. They take a long time to create, so I just get store-bought boxes from the freezer aisle. Just be sure to let it thaw the day you plan to make this recipe.
Equipment needed for phyllo chicken pot pie
Here’s everything you need to make this recipe:
- A dutch oven (4 quarts or larger) – it’s pretty essential to have this, as we will use this on the stovetop, arrange the phyllo and then stick the whole thing in the oven. Makes for easy cleanup too. I use one from Staub, and it’s one of my most used items in my kitchen (probably second to my food processor).
- A sharp knife + a cutting board
- Slow cooker, optional – I use a slow cooker whenever I need shredded chicken breasts. I love that I can just put the chicken in there earlier in the day, put it on high for 4 hours or low for 6, and have them ready to go. You can also make the chicken a day in advance.
Ingredients for phyllo chicken pot pie
Here’s what to add to your grocery list:
- unsalted butter
- a yellow onion
- chicken breast
- garlic
- celery
- carrots
- a yellow potato – you could also use russet potatoes, but I like how yellow potatoes maintain their firmness.
- dry white wine – like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. We only use a little bit and reduce it, so anything you have sitting around should work.
- all purpose flour
- almond milk or dairy milk – either works! I prefer dairy free due to my own sensitivities to creamy sauce.
- chicken broth – I opt for low sodium
- a bay leaf (can be dried)
- fresh parsley and fresh thyme
- Dijon mustard
- parmesan cheese – can be a wedge or pre-grated
- salt and pepper
- Phyllo dough – I buy Athens brand, 1 pound packages. There will be two sleeves inside the package, and you only need about ten sheets total, so you will have a lot left over. You can leave them in the freezer and use them for something else, like baklava!
- Flaky sea salt, like Maldon’s
Tips for making this chicken pot pie
Don’t wad up the phyllo dough – We want to be careful not to bunch the phyllo dough into a smashed paper ball. Brush thoroughly with butter and pretend like you are carefully “draping” it onto the surface of the pot pie. If it’s too bunched up, some of it won’t crisp up well in the oven, so keep more surface area exposed.
Swap in different vegetables – this phyllo pot pie can include different vegetables if you wish. Peas and corn are easy substitutions that would taste great too. Or, make it vegetarian and double up on the potatoes.
How to make phyllo chicken pot pie
Let’s make it together!
Step 1
Prepare the chicken. Give them a pinch of salt and pepper. Than bake it on a sheet in the oven or place the chicken breast in a slow cooker with a splash of water and cook for four hours on high. Then remove it and shred the chicken with two forks.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 375℉. In your Dutch oven, add the butter and let it melt over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt of pepper. Cook until they begin to turn translucent.
Step 3
Add in the garlic, carrot, celery and potatoes. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Then add the white wine and continue cooking on medium until it reduces by half.
Step 4
Add the flour and stir until everything is well coated. Let the mixture cook for 1 minute – it will start to turn golden. Then add your milk and mix thoroughly.
Step 5
Pour in the chicken broth, water, Dijon mustard, bay leaf, parsley, and grated Parmesan. Mix together. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and allow it to thicken for 15 minutes.
Step 6
Before baking, make the phyllo topping. Take a sheet of phyllo dough and brush it thoroughly with butter. Then gently crumple the phyllo sheet together (like a draped curtain) and carefully place it on top of the pot pie, starting in one corner. Repeat the process until the whole top is filled. Sprinkle it with sea salt and pepper. Then dab the remaining butter on the surface of the sheets.
Step 7
Place the pot pie in the oven to bake (uncovered) for about 20 minutes, or until the top is a nice golden brown. Sprinkle on the thyme and serve.
Storage and Reheating
For storage, I typically leave the contents in the Dutch oven and place the lid on top before refrigerating. To reheat, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the Dutch oven back in there (uncovered), for about 20 minutes, or until warm.
Eat within three days – the phyllo dough will be pretty soggy after that.
Other recipes to try
If you liked this phyllo chicken pot pie, try these other dishes:
Chicken and Dumplings with Rainbow Carrots and Potato
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Phyllo Chicken Pot Pie
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 slow cooker optional
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 1 large chicken breast cooked and shredded
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 celery stalks sliced thin
- 3 long carrots diced
- 1 yellow potato peeled and diced into cubes
- ½ cup dry white wine like sauvignon blanc
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups almond milk or dairy milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1½ cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- salt and pepper
For the topping
- 10 sheets phyllo dough thawed
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken. Either bake it on a sheet in the oven at 450℉ for 15-20 minutes or place the chicken breast in a slow cooker with a splash of water (and some salt and pepper) and cook for four hours on high. Then remove it and shred the chicken with two forks.1 large chicken breast
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. In your Dutch oven, add the butter and let it melt over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt of pepper. Cook until they begin to turn translucent.3 tbsp unsalted butter, ½ yellow onion, salt and pepper
- Add in the garlic, carrot, celery and potatoes. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Then add the white wine and continue cooking on medium until it reduces by half.4 cloves garlic, 3 celery stalks, 3 long carrots, 1 yellow potato, ½ cup dry white wine
- Add the flour and stir until everything is well coated. Let the mixture cook for 1 minute – it will start to turn golden. Then add your milk and mix thoroughly.¼ cup all purpose flour, 2 cups almond milk
- Pour in the chicken broth, water, Dijon mustard, bay leaf, parsley, and grated Parmesan. Add the chicken. Mix together. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and allow it to thicken for 15 minutes.1 cup chicken broth, 1½ cups water, 1 bay leaf, ¼ cup fresh parsley, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, 1 large chicken breast
- Before baking, make the phyllo topping. Take a sheet of phyllo dough and brush it thoroughly with butter. Then gently crumple the sides of the phyllo sheet together and gently place it on top of the pot pie, starting in one corner. Repeat the process until the whole top is filled. Sprinkle it with sea salt and dab remaining butter on the surface of the sheets.10 sheets phyllo dough, 4 tbsp unsalted butter, flaky sea salt
- Place the pot pie in the oven to bake (uncovered) for about 20 minutes, or until the top is a nice golden brown. Sprinkle on the thyme and serve.2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
