Skillet Chicken Potpie

Name: Skillet Chicken Potpie
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or thighs (smaller work better here); Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 3 small carrots, thinly sliced (about 6 ounces); 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced (about 6 ounces); 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, coarsely chopped; 1/3 cup all-purpose flour; 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock; 1 cup frozen peas, thawed; 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley; 1 (12-or 14-ounce) sheet (or 2 8½-ounce sheets pressed together at the edges) frozen puff pastry, thawed, rolled into a 12-inch circle; 1 large egg, beaten

By Alison Roman

Total Time: About 1½ hours
Rating: 5(3,159)
Comments: Read comments

Using store-bought puff pastry instead of homemade pie crust for a chicken potpie might seem like cheating, but rest assured it’s for the best, adding shatteringly flaky layers that even the best pie crust lacks. This recipe calls for bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or thighs, so that the chicken fat rendered from searing can serve as the base of the gravy. But for a weeknight-friendly version, shredded rotisserie chicken can be used instead. Just use a tablespoon or two of butter to replace the fat. (A note about store-bought puff pastry: No two brands are the same size, but know that all you need is to cover the surface of the skillet. If it’s larger than expected, feel free to trim or crimp the edges like a pie, and if it seems too small or is a strange shape, simply roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to increase its dimensions.)

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

2pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or thighs (smaller work better here)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2tablespoons olive oil
3small carrots, thinly sliced (about 6 ounces)
3celery stalks, thinly sliced (about 6 ounces)
2garlic cloves, finely chopped
1medium onion, finely chopped
1tablespoon thyme leaves, coarsely chopped
⅓cup all-purpose flour
3cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
1cup frozen peas, thawed
¼cup finely chopped parsley
1(12-or 14-ounce) sheet (or 2 8½-ounce sheets pressed together at the edges) frozen puff pastry, thawed, rolled into a 12-inch circle
1large egg, beaten

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

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Step 1
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 2
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet (or other heavy bottom skillet) over medium heat. Sear chicken, skin-side down, until deeply golden brown and some of the fat has begun to render out, 5 to 8 minutes. Rotate chicken and continue to cook on all sides until evenly browned and cooked through, an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Remove chicken, keeping all the drippings in the skillet, and let cool slightly on a plate.
Step 3
To the drippings, add carrots, celery, garlic, onion and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender and just cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add flour and stir to coat all the vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour has started to turn a light golden brown with no white, floury bits left, about 3 minutes.
Step 4
Slowly add the chicken broth or stock ½ cup at a time, using a wooden spoon to blend and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Once all the broth or stock is added, bring to a simmer and remove from heat.
Step 5
Remove the bones and skin from the chicken and shred the meat and skin (discard any skin that is too thick or rubbery) into bite-size pieces or, alternatively, cut it with a knife and fork into bite-size pieces. (If you discover at this stage any pieces of chicken that are not completely cooked through, don’t worry; they will finish cooking in the oven.) Add the peas, parsley and chicken and season once more with salt and pepper.
Step 6
Carefully unfold the puff pastry and working quickly, place it on top of the skillet (do not worry about it being a perfect circle), letting some of the dough hang off the sides (this will keep it from shrinking too much).
Step 7
Whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon of water and brush onto the top of the puff pastry. Cut three 2½-inch slits, about 1-inch apart and place the skillet on top of the sheet pan to catch any drips in the oven.
Step 8
Bake until puff pastry is golden brown on top and filling is starting to bubble up, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees and continue to cook until puff pastry is baked through all the way and filling has thickened considerably, another 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 9
Remove from heat and let cool slightly before eating.

Ratings

5 out of 5

3,159 user ratings

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Comments

Erin7 years ago

What is the parchment paper lined sheet pan for?

Tulio Treviño5 years ago

We made this for the Super Bowl. The pie was very tasty, but it did not deliver a win for our team, the 49ers. In fact, it may be responsible for them blowing a 10 point lead in the fourth quarter. I sincerely hope the writer can fix this in other sports friendly recipes or at least include some ingredients or steps to ensure positive outcomes in the future.

Elizabeth McFadden7 years ago

This was terrific! Made this tonight. Some minor substitutions ... used bacon fat instead of olive oil, shallot instead of onion, and a mix of boneless skinless breasts and thighs. But general process was as written, save this ... I could NOT work 3 cups of stock into it! It was getting discernibly watery at 2 cups, so I stopped there. It thickened while cooking but only to a normal pot-pie consistency. That said, this was easy, delicious, and used things I *ALWAYS* have on hand.

Marci1 week ago

Delicious as is! If you’re pressed for time, sauté a rotisserie chicken in olive oil and saute the vegetables as directed. Adding 1/2 stick of butter before the flour and a splash of cream after adding the broth adds a bit f decadence!

Dede1 month ago

Can you make this ahead?

ellie1 month ago

this was SO good. some alterations: i swapped the onion for leeks, nixed the celery, added some chopped mushroom and yukon potato. a bit of crushed red pepper, coriander, minced garlic, and finely chopped fresh oregano & rosemary for seasoning. delightful.

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