Easy Turkey Pot Pie — Wondering what to do with that leftover turkey from the holidays? Make this easy turkey pot pie recipe! It’s hearty, creamy, comforting, perfect for chilly weather, and EASY to make!
Use leftover shredded TURKEY OR CHICKEN in this homemade pot pie recipe loaded with potatoes, carrots, celery, peas, and juicy chunks of meat. Use store bought refrigerated pie crust and a shredded rotisserie chicken to save even more time!
Leftover Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
There’s nothing like a homemade pot pie baking in the oven to make your house smell delightful.
Between the buttery flaky pie crust, the aroma of the turkey, and the fragrant thyme, garlic, and onions, this is comfort food at its finest.
My from-scratch turkey pot pie recipe will help you make use of any Thanksgiving or Christmas leftover turkey you may have on hand.
There is thick, creamy, and savory gravy, along with tender carrots, celery, peas, and corn, and of course the juicy turkey all combined under one flaky roof of a pie crust.
‘Tis the season to indulge and enjoy in this classic and traditional turkey pot pie. Even better, it’ll take some leftovers off your hands!
Ingredients in Turkey Pot Pie
For my homemade turkey pot pie, you’ll need the following easy to find fridge and pantry ingredients.
Chances are, you may have leftover turkey on hand if you’re making this after Thanksgiving or Christmas, so you’re one step closer!
Take out the following ingredients:
- Potatoes
- Water
- Butter – salted or unsalted
- Carrots
- Onion – white or yellow
- Celery
- Garlic
- All-purpose flour
- Turkey or chicken broth (I use low or reduced-sodium varieties)
- Thyme – fresh or dried
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Milk
- Peas
- Corn
- Leftover turkey OR leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken
- Store-bought refrigerated pie crust OR homemade pie crust
How to Make Turkey Pot Pie
To make a homemade turkey pot pie, you’ll follow these basic steps.
Make sure to scroll down to the actual recipe card for full and detailed instructions:
- Add diced potatoes to a microwave-safe bowl with water, and cook for 5 minutes to give them a headstart.
- Meanwhile simmer together the carrots, onions, celery with melted butter and garlic.
- Sprinkle with flour which adds a thickening agent and flavor booster.
- Add the broth, potatoes, thyme, salt, pepper, and simmer over medium heat until tender.
- Add the milk, peas, corn, and simmer
- Roll out the bottom pie crust and add it to the pie plate
- Stir in your shredded turkey to the simmering mixture and spoon this into the pie plate.
- Cut slits in the second (top) pie crust for steam to escape and then place it on the pie plate and crimp the edges
- Bake in a preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes but start checking at 25 minutes and tent with foil if the crust appears to be browning too quickly.
- Serve immediately.
Can I Substitute Chicken for Turkey in This Pot Pie?
Absolutely! You can definitely substitute chicken instead of turkey. If you have leftover chicken on hand, this is a perfect recipe to use it up.
If you’d like to make this comforting pot pie recipe but don’t have plans to roast and a turkey, nor want to make chicken for it, a deli rotisserie chicken is your new best friend. Shred it and you’re all set.
Alternatively, if you have leftover chicken and it’ll be easier for you to just dice, cube, or haphazardly chop the chicken instead of shredding it, go right ahead.
How to Store Turkey Pot Pie
Leftover turkey pot pie with its wonderful flaky crust will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. However, take note that the crust won’t stay light and flaky sealed in a container for days in your fridge, but that’s just the nature of leftovers.
Can You Freeze Pot Pie?
Yes! It will also keep airtight in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You could also make the pie from start to finish, and then freeze it. I would allow it to cool properly, and then portion it out into individual sized servings in freezer-safe containers, and freeze it.
Some comfort food batch cooking at play for sure if this is your plan.
Tips for the Best Turkey or Chicken Pot Pie
In order to set you up for success with the best turkey pot pie, or chicken pot pie, here are my final pieces of advice:
- When you’re simmering together the various ingredients, take note that the simmering temperatures decrease throughout the recipe as you move through it. I have noted in the recipe card in bold to make it easier for you to see. Especially after you’ve added the milk, make sure it’s not simmering too rapidly. Dairy doesn’t love being boiled harshly.
- Make sure to cut slits in the top pie crust for steam to escape before draping it over the top.
- I go the extra mile and prick a half dozen holes in the top crust, too, after it’s been draped over and crimped together with the bottom crust.
- Use a cookie sheet underneath your pie plate to catch any overflow or bubble-over. Nothing worse than cleaning the bottom of your oven with super baked-on residue.
- Start checking your turkey pot pie early because if the crust is browning too quickly, you can tent the whole thing with foil or carefully place strips of foil around the edges to prevent over-browning.
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Turkey Pot Pie
Turkey Pot Pie - Hearty, creamy, comforting, perfect for chilly weather, and EASY to make! Use leftover shredded TURKEY OR CHICKEN in this homemade pot pie recipe loaded with potatoes, carrots, celery, peas, and juicy chunks of meat. Use store bought refrigerated pie crust and a shredded rotisserie chicken to save even more time!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup potatoes, peeled and diced in 1/2-inch cubes* (See Notes)
- 1 tablespoon water
- â…“ cup butter (salted or unsalted)
- ½ cup carrots, peeled and diced small
- â…“ cup white or yellow onion, diced
- â…“ cup celery, diced small
- 2 to 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- â…“ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup turkey or chicken broth (I use low-salt or no-salt added versions, may need to increase the salt quantity)
- ½ teaspoon thyme** (See Notes)
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup milk (2% or whole recommended)*** (See Notes)
- ½ cup peas, frozen or canned**** (See Notes)
- ½ cup corn, frozen or canned**** (See Notes)
- 1 refrigerated double crust pie crust OR homemade double pie crust
- 2 cups cooked turkey, shredded (chicken may be substituted; shredded rotisserie or diced/shredded leftover chicken)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F and spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray; set aside.
- Peel and cube the potatoes, place them in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with 1 tablespoon water, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Tip - This allows the potatoes to head start on cooking before placing them in the pie with the other ingredients which are faster cooking.
- While the potatoes are microwaving, to a large skillet, add the butter, carrots, onion, celery, and sauté over medium-high heat for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften; stir frequently.
- Add the garlic, stir to combine, and sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant; stir constantly.
- Evenly sprinkle the flour and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the flour is well toasted since it will combine with the butter to give a foundational level of flavor to the pot pie, meaning you want it browned a bit.
- Add the broth, microwaved potatoes (drain any excess water before adding them), thyme, salt, pepper, stir to combine, and allow the mixture to simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.
- Add the milk, peas, corn, and simmer over medium-low heat until the gravy thickens while you prepare the crust.
- Roll out the store bought or homemade pie crust to fit your 9-inch pie pan.
- To place the crust in the pie pan use a lightly floured rolling pin and roll the pie crust onto the rolling pin, place over the 9 inch pie pan and unroll the rolling pin so that the crust is centered over the pie pan; set aside.
- Remove the skillet that's been simmering from the heat and add the shredded leftover turkey, chicken, rotisserie chicken, etc. Stir to combine.
- Taste the mixture and if you think it needs more salt, pepper, thyme, etc. add it now, to taste.
- Gently spoon the mixture into the pie plate on top of the pie crust.
- Now you will prepare to place the top pie crust over the top but first cut out 4 to 5 small slits into the top of the pie dough with a sharp knife so the steam can be released as the pie cooks. A star-shape is what I did for this pot pie.
- Place the top pie crust over the top and crimp the edges of the pie dough by pinching the top and bottom of the dough together between your fingers, and repeat all along the edges of the pie to seal. Tip - For good measure as a steam valve, prick the very center 5 or 8 times with the very tip of a sharp paring or small knife.
- Place the pie dish on a baking sheet, and put the whole thing in the oven. Tip - The baking sheet will catch any bubble-overs that occur as the pie bakes so it doesn't burn on the bottom of your oven (less potential cleanup for you).
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown, and the filling is bubbling (you will be able to see it because of the slits you made in the top crust). Check pie at 25 minutes and if it seems that the crust is browning too quickly, either drape a sheet of foil loosely over the top (tenting the pan) or carefully apply strips of foil around the edges of the crust only to shield it from browning.
- Serve immediately. Pie will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months, noting that the crust of the leftovers will not be as flaky and light.
Notes
*Almost any kind of potato is fine including Russet, Yukon Gold, baby Yukon gold, red, baby red, etc.
**I used 1/2 teaspoon fresh. Dried may be substituted and normally you use half the amount of dried as you do fresh, so 1/4 teaspoon although a bit more if you'd like is fine, to taste.
***I recommend 2% or whole milk for the recipe. I don't recommend skim (too thin) nor cream (too thick) although half-and-half is probably fine. I've never used a plant-based milk but if trying one, I would look for something thicker like a cashew or oat milk rather than a rice milk.
****I prefer frozen to canned vegetables. If using frozen, they don't have to be totally thawed before adding them to the mixture. If using canned, be sure to drain well, and rinse if desired. Chances are if you're making a pot pie, it's the fall or winter, and fresh corn and peas are not in season. However, fresh is great, although likely hard and impractical to source.
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My chicken/turkey pot pie has long been a favorite of my family (extended!). This year I used your recipe and my husband has remarked every serving that “this is the best you have ever made!” Thank you! I am always excited to try one of your recipes and I appreciate the comments you include. Many many thanks!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad this has been a longtime favorite of yours and that your husband is especially happy with it!
This is the first time that I have ever commented on any blog post. I am a dedicated home cook, with over 400 recipes pinned to my Pinterest and Epicurious accounts. I followed your recipe exactly and can honestly say that this was the best pot pie recipe I have ever made! It was the best way to use up our Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for the 5 star review and I am glad to hear that it’s the best pot pie you’ve ever made and that it made you comment on a blog post for the first time ever! I truly appreciate both!
Thanks for all the great recipes!
I look forward to making the chicken pot pies, one of my husbands favorites!
Wonderful and hope you enjoy it!