Phyllo Topped Chicken Pot Pie

This homemade Phyllo Topped Chicken Pot Pie is topped with scrunched phyllo dough for a show-stopping presentation. Underneath the golden-crisp phyllo is a mouth-watering creamy and saucy stew for the ultimate comfort food!

Finally a traditional pot pie that doesn’t require rolling pastry dough! This easy pot pie is topped with phyllo dough which is crisp and airy with a buttery flaky crunch. Phyllo is quicker and easier to work with than pie dough and creates a much lighter pot pie saving a lot of calories. My family prefers this chicken pot pie made with phyllo dough.

The luscious thick stew filling which sits beneath a buttery, crispy phyllo crust is loaded with texture and flavour. The stew is made on the stove-top with shredded chicken, leeks, carrots, celery, peas, wine, broth, cream, goat cheese, thyme and seasonings. Assemble the pot pie by scrunching buttered phyllo sheets on top of the creamy stew then bake until hot, bubbly and crispy for the ultimate one-dish comfort food. This is what the best chicken pot pie with phyllo dough is all about!

What is a pot pie?

A pot pie is a baked savoury pie filled with a meat stew (typically chicken, turkey or beef) and vegetables. It’s traditionally made with a top and bottom pie crust, or just a top pie crust. Unlike the traditional version of pot pie, this recipe for chicken pot pie with phyllo dough doesn’t require fussing with pie dough but instead uses scrunched phyllo dough sheets as a topping.

Ingredients Needed

(Ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post)

• Chicken breasts – Use boneless skinless chicken breasts.
• Olive oil, butter – For coating chicken, sautéing the aromatics and extra butter for phyllo pastry.
• Salt, pepper, thyme – Seasonings to flavour the chicken and the stew.
• Cream and goat cheese – Adds richness and a little tanginess to the creamy stew.
• Leeks, celery, carrots, peas – Aromatics for the pot pie filling.
• Flour – For thickening the stew.
• White wine, chicken broth, cream – Liquids to create the creamy savoury gravy.
• Phyllo dough – Sometimes called phyllo pastry, filo pastry or filo dough – it is all the same.

How to make creamy chicken pot pie with phyllo dough

Cook the chicken

Coat chicken pieces with olive oil, salt, pepper and top with thyme sprigs. Place them on a foil lined baking tray and bake at 375 degrees F for 20 – 25 minutes until cooked, then cool chicken slightly.

Transfer the cooled chicken to a board and pull it with two forks to shred and set it aside in a bowl.

Make the stew filling

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and add leeks. Sauté until tender, about 2 minutes then add celery and carrots and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes.  

Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed leeks and stir to combine until the flour cooks out and is absorbed.

Add the wine, chicken broth and cream, season with salt pepper and thyme and bring to a light boil.

Add shredded chicken and peas and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the stew has thickened.

Assemble and Bake Phyllo Topped Chicken Pot Pie

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and transfer the hot stew to a baking dish greased with butter.

Unroll 10 thawed phyllo sheets and cover them completely with a lightly dampened kitchen towel.

Remove one phyllo sheet at a time to a work surface and brush the sheet with melted butter.

Scrunch the sheet to a 4” to 5” circle, place it on the stew and continue process with remaining sheets to cover the entire top, then brush top with remaining butter and salt.

The pie is ready for the oven once the phyllo sheets are all scrunched and cover the top of the stew.

The pot pie comes out of the oven with the phyllo topping golden-crisp and the stew beneath bubbling.

What is phyllo dough and tips for working with it

• Phyllo dough (also called Filo) is tissue-thin Middle Eastern dough used for sweet and savoury pastries. Brushing melted butter keeps it from drying out and allows it to become golden and crispy when baked.
• Phyllo comes in 454g size boxes (about 16 – 18 sheets) in the frozen section. When buying phyllo keep it chilled in a cooler on the way home to ensure it doesn’t start to thaw, and once home, immediately put it in the freezer.
• Plan ahead when working with phyllo; allow 8 – 24 hours to thaw it in the original package in the refrigerator. Not recommended to defrost at room temperature as it will thaw too quickly and condensation can build up which may cause the sheets to become gummy.
• It’s easier to work with thawed phyllo when it’s closer to room temperature. Remove the thawed phyllo (leave it in original package) from fridge 15 - 20 minutes before unrolling to use. Do not open package until everything needed for the recipe is ready.
• Unroll thawed phyllo sheets and place the stack between two very lightly dampened kitchen towels (spritz the towels with a spray bottle) ensuring they are completely covered. The cover will prevent sheets from drying out. Each time a sheet is removed, completely re-cover remaining ones.
• Work quickly; place one phyllo sheet at a time on a work surface and brush entire sheet lightly with butter, brushing from the centre to the edge.
• Don’t worry about any tears or cracks, the sheets are very forgiving and can be patched up easily with butter.
• Immediately re-roll any unused sheets in the original packaging ensuring a good seal, and re-freeze for another use

Variations and substitutions

• Use 3 cups shredded leftover cooked chicken or deli cooked rotisserie chicken.
• Use 3 cups shredded leftover cooked turkey to turn this into a Phyllo Topped Turkey Pot Pie.
• If desired replace the white wine with additional chicken broth.
• Replace heavy cream with light cream or milk and in that case add additional 1 tablespoon flour to the stew.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of white wine should I use?

Ideally a dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio or chardonnay are the best choice. Make sure to use a wine that you enjoy drinking as the wine is paramount to the flavour of the pot pie.

What can I serve with phyllo topped chicken pot pie?

There are many food groups in this pot pie so it can easily stand on its own as a one dish meal, but it’s equally nice served with a fresh green salad.

Can I make phyllo topped chicken pot pie in advance?

Yes you can! The pot pie can be assembled early in the day or one day in advance, refrigerated and baked when needed. In this case add 15 minutes to the baking time to allow for a cold pie.

Storage and Freezing Tips

• To store leftover phyllo chicken pot pie, transfer any leftovers to a glass storage dish covered tightly with a lid or food wrap. Reheat leftovers in a low oven for 20 minutes or in the microwave for a shorter time. The phyllo topping will soften slightly when the leftovers are stored and reheated but will still have the optimum taste!

• To freeze phyllo topped chicken pot pie, freeze the unbaked assembled pie in the baking dish covered with food wrap. Thaw unbaked pie in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed adding 10 - 12 minutes to the baking time. It’s a perfect dish to have on hand for dinner on a hectic week.

More comforting chicken dishes to explore:

• Coq au Vin
• Chicken Enchiladas
• Spaghetti Chicken Cacciatore
• Mexican Fiesta Chicken & Rice Skillet

Recipe