The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (2024)

Published . By Alyssa Brantley 302 Comments

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Our Paleo Chicken Pot Pie tastes just like the classic everyone loves! With almost 100 five-star reviews, this is the gluten-free chicken pot pie you must make!

The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (5)

Paleo Chicken Pot Pie

I love a good pot pie, who doesn’t though? It is the ultimate cold-weather comfort food.

A few winters ago, I started perfecting my gluten-free and paleo-friendly version of classic pot pie. I tested the recipe with both leftover Thanksgiving turkey and rotisserie chicken and both worked out just fine. I also tried parsnips instead of potatoes and they were somewhat interchangeable (spoiler: I prefer the potatoes).

But the crust was just an issue – I wasn’t 100% happy with it. By the end of the season, I retired my ideas and decided to come back to it this year.

Now that it’s been cold for a couple of weeks, I figured there was no better time to get back into the kitchen to experiment with pot pie dough. I used my savory paleo pie crust as a base recipe and just keep tweaking until I got it where I wanted it.

This final version is gluten-free chicken pot pie PERFECTION. Don’t believe me? There are over 100 5-star reviews on this recipe!

A rich and creamy savory pot pie filling that is topped with a light and flaky grain-free crust. My family could not believe that it was gluten-free, grain-free and paleo-friendly.

They also couldn’t believe I didn’t use any type of thickener for the sauce.

To say that this recipe was a success would be an understatement. As my husband said, “Baby, you hit it out of the park with this one! When are you making it again?”

I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Ingredients

Crust Ingredients:

Filling:

  • Pastured Butter or Ghee
  • Yellow Onion
  • Russet Potatoes
  • Chicken Broth
  • Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk
  • Carrots
  • Kosher Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Cooked Chicken or Turkey Meat
  • Frozen Peas
  • Fresh Thyme
  • Fresh Rosemary

Are Potatoes, Peas and Butter Paleo?

Before we dive into how to actually make this paleo chicken pot pie, let’s address the potato, pea, butter, and elephant in the room.

There used to be some controversy about white potatoes in the paleo diet but that has largely been rebuked many years ago. If you want to avoid white potatoes when making this chicken pot pie, you could substitute cubed Japanese sweet potatoes (that would be my first choice as the starch will help make the sauce) or peeled and cubed parsnip (will be much sweeter).

Many people who eat a mostly Paleo-diet occasionally eat green peas. If that doesn’t work for you, you can substitute cut up green beans.

As for the pastured butter, this is another area of contention. Many mostly-Paleo eaters include high-quality pastured butter in their cooking. If you cannot have butter and can tolerate Ghee, this is a great substitute. Many readers have successfully made this paleo chicken pot pie using frozen Ghee in place of pastured butter.

If all dairy is out, you can use hardened coconut oil, lard or high-quality vegetable shortening (that is chilled) but know that the taste will slightly change.

How to Make Paleo Chicken Pot Pie

It’s important to note that this chicken pot pie is not a quick recipe. It takes a bit of time to put it all together but it’s SOOOO totally worth it! This paleo chicken pot pie tastes like classic chicken pot pie and you know what’s even better? The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th time you make it – it goes super fast. Plus, once you get the hang of it, you can double or triple the filling and freeze in batches for future meals!

  1. Combine flours and spices in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a couple of times to get rid of any lumps. (Picture #1)
  2. Use a cheese grater to grate the cold butter into the flour mixture. (Picture #2)
  3. Add egg and pulse a few times. (Picture #3)
  4. Add cold water and use a spatula to mix in until incorporated. (Picture #4) The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (6)
  5. Transfer dough to a bowl or piece of parchment or wax paper. Place in freezer to harden.The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (7)
  6. Prepare onions, potatoes, carrots, and fresh herbs.
  7. Heat a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add butter and then onions. (Picture #5)
  8. Add 1/2 lb of chopped potatoes and chicken broth. (Picture #6)
  9. Use a slotted spoon to transfer potato chunks from skillet to a blender or food processor. (Picture #7)
  10. Add the coconut milk to the potatoes in the blender and process until smooth and creamy. (Picture #8)The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (8)
  11. Add carrots and remaining potatoes to broth in skillet along with salt and pepper. (Picture #9)
  12. Add cubed chicken, frozen peas and chopped herbs. (Picture #10)
  13. Slowly stir in creamy potato and coconut milk mixture. Remove from heat and set aside. (Pictures #11 and #12) The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (9)
  14. Remove dough from freezer. It should be hard and not sticky. Place between two pieces of parchment or wax paper and roll out to the desired size. (Picture #13)
  15. Once you have the shape you need, leave the dough between the parchment paper, place on a flat dish or tray to keep its shape and place back in the freezer for an additional 30 to 45 minutes or until ready to use. (Picture #14)
  16. Grab a baking dish and pour in filling mixture. (Picture #15)
  17. Remove rolled out dough from freezer and gently remove from parchment paper one side at a time letting the dough fall onto the pot pie. (Picture #16)The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (10)
  18. Scrape the edges a little so that there isn’t too much overhang, remove the excess dough from the baking sheet and discard. Use a small knife to cut 2 to 3 slits (if making one big pot pie or 1 slit per individual pot pie) to allow some steam to escape while cooking.
  19. Bake uncovered for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until crust is beginning to brown all over. The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (11)
  20. If you are using individual baking crocks, you may need to decrease the time.
  21. Allow to rest for 10 minutes, serve and Enjoy!

Get the full detailed instructions on the printable recipe card below.

Tips for the Best Gluten-Free Pot Pie

  • Almond meal(ground raw almonds with their skins on)andblanched almond flour(finely ground blanched and skinless almonds) are different. This paleo chicken pot pie uses blanched almond flour and will not work as well with almond meal.
  • Your butter or Gheehas to be ice cold if you want a flaky crust!
  • I used rotisserie chicken meat but cubed turkey also works so this is perfect for using up leftover Thanksgiving turkey!
  • You can make both the filling and dough ahead of time and freeze. I do recommend freezing them separately and placing the dough on the pot pie right before baking. You may need to adjust your baking time slightly (longer).
  • This gluten-free chicken pot pie can be made in individual ramekins. You will need to slightly reduce the cooking time so that the crust doesn’t burn.
  • While I haven’t tried it, some readers (in the comments) have doubled the crust recipe and made another layer under the pot pie filling. I suggest par-cooking the crust before filling it to try and keep it as crispy as possible.
  • Please note that the nutrition information generated is for the exact recipe as written. If you make any modifications, you will need to recalculate the nutritional information for it to be considered accurate.

The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (12)

Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!

Paleo Chicken Pot Pie

Prep Time:1 hr

Cook Time:1 hr 10 mins

Crust Freezing Time:1 hr 10 mins

Total Time:3 hrs 20 mins

Our Paleo Chicken Pot Pie tastes like the classic everyone loves! This is a well-loved and well-tested recipe with dozens of 5-star reviews.

Course:Mains

Cuisine:American

Keyword:best gluten-free chicken pot pie recipe, healthy pot pie recipe, how to make gluten-free pot pie, paleo pot pie

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 384 kcal

Author: Alyssa Brantley

Ingredients

CRUST:

  • 1cupblanched almond flour
  • 3/4cuptapioca starch
  • 1/2teaspoonpaprika
  • 1/2teaspoonfinely ground sea salt
  • 1/4teaspoonbaking powder(gluten free or grain free)
  • 1/8teaspoonground white pepper
  • 1/4cuppastured butter OR Gheefrozen
  • 1largeegg
  • 3Tablespoonsice cold water

FILLING:

  • 1.5Tablespoonspastured butter or Ghee
  • 1largeyellow onionfinely chopped
  • 1poundrusset potatoesdivided, (1/2 lb peeled and and cut into 1/2" dice, 1/2 lb peeled and roughly chopped)
  • 1cupchicken broth
  • 1/3cupfull fat canned coconut milk
  • 2mediumcarrotspeeled and cut into 1/2" dice
  • 2teaspoonskosher salt
  • 1/4teaspoonsfreshly ground black pepper
  • 1poundboneless, skinless, cooked chicken meatcubed
  • 2/3cupfrozen English peas
  • 1teaspoonfresh thyme leavesfinely chopped
  • 1/2teaspoonfresh rosemary leavesfinely chopped

Instructions

CRUST:

  1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine almond flour, tapioca flour, paprika, salt, baking powder and white pepper. Pulse a couple of times to get rid of any lumps.

    Using a cheese grater, grate cold butter or Ghee into flour and spice mixture.

  2. Add egg. Pulse 5 to 6 times so butter and egg are just incorporated. Don't over-mix.

  3. Add cold water and use a spatula to mix in until incorporated.

  4. Transfer dough to a bowl or piece of parchment or wax paper. Place in freezer for 1/2 hour.

  5. Remove dough from freezer. It should be hard and not sticky. Place between two pieces of parchment or wax paper and roll out to desired size. You can also use your fingers to push into shape you want.

    Once you have the shape(s) you need, leave the dough between the parchment paper, place on a flat dish or tray to keep its shape and place back in the freezer for an additional 30 to 45 minutes or until ready to use.

FILLING PREP:

  1. Finely chop onion.
    Peel potatoes, dice 1/2 lb into 1/2" cubes. Roughly chop the other 1/2 lb.

    TIP: Soak your potatoes in cold water until ready to use. Make sure to drain thoroughly before using!

    Peel carrots and cut into 1/2" dice.

    Finely chop thyme and rosemary leaves and measure 1 tsp thyme and 1/2 tsp rosemary - combine and set aside.

COOK:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Heat a large skillet (12") over medium heat until hot. Add butter and then onions. Saute 10 to 12 minutes until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.

  2. Add 1/2 lb of roughly chopped potatoes (thoroughly drained!) and chicken broth. Raise heat to high until broth is boiling. Immediately lower to a simmer and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until potatoes are just fork tender but still somewhat firm in the middle.

  3. Use a slotted spoon to transfer potato chunks from skillet to a blender or food processor. It's OK to get a little broth and/or onion in there so don't stress about it.

  4. Add the coconut milk to the potatoes in the blender and process until smooth and creamy.Transfer to a measuring cup or bowl and set aside.

  5. Add carrots and remaining potatoes (cut into 1/2" dice) to remaining broth in skillet along with salt, and pepper. Raise heat to medium and cook for 8 to 10 minutes till vegetables are just starting to soften.

  6. Add cubed chicken, frozen peas and chopped thyme and rosemary leaves. Cook 1 to 2 minutes to heat through.

  7. Slowly stir in creamy potato and coconut milk mixture. Remove from heat and set aside.

  8. Grab baking dish(es) and pour in filling mixture. I used a glass Pyrex style casserole dish as shown.

  9. Remove rolled out dough from freezer and gently remove from parchment paper one side at a time letting the dough fall onto the pot pie.

  10. Scrape the edges a little so that there isn't too much overhang, remove the excess dough from the baking sheet and discard.

    Use a small knife to cut 2 to 3 slits (if making one big pot pie or 1 slit per individual pot pie) to allow some steam to escape while cooking.

  11. Bake uncovered for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until crust is beginning to brown all over.

    If you are using individual baking crocks, you may need to decrease the time.

    Allow to rest for 10 minutes, serve and Enjoy!

NOTES:

  • Butter is a controversial ingredient in the Paleo community. Some freely eat high quality butter and others feel it isn't compliant. You can substitute Ghee (which is also Whole30 approved) for butter in this recipe if you fall into the second camp. Make sure that they Ghee is frozen and follow the same directions.
  • Peas are another controversial ingredient. Many people eat them and consider them an acceptable part of their Paleo diet plan. We fall into that camp. If you don't, you can substitute chopped green beans.
  • Almond meal(ground raw almonds with their skins on)andblanched almond flour(finely ground blanched and skinless almonds) are different. This pot pie uses blanched almond flour and will not work as well with almond meal.
  • Your butter or Gheehas to be ice cold if you want a flaky crust!
  • I used rotisserie chicken meat but cubed turkey would also work.
  • You can make both the filling and dough ahead of time and freeze. I do recommend freezing them separately and placing the dough on right before baking. You may need to adjust your baking time slightly (longer).
  • Please note the the nutrition information generated is for the exact recipe as written. If you make any modifications, you will need to recalculate the nutritional information for it to be considered accurate.

Nutrition Facts

Paleo Chicken Pot Pie

Amount Per Serving (0.125 g)

Calories 384Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 95mg32%

Sodium 972mg42%

Potassium 559mg16%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 24g48%

Vitamin A 3007IU60%

Vitamin C 13mg16%

Calcium 72mg7%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.

UPDATE NOTES: This Paleo Chicken Pot Pie was originally published in November 2014 and was updated in August 2019 with step-by-step photos and instructions and answers to common questions.

EverydayMaven.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (14)Shelley Bailey says

    Can you use arrowroot flour in place of tapioca starch? If yes, would it be the same measurment?

    Reply

    • The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (15)Alyssa Brantley says

      Hi Shelley, Usually you can sub arrowroot for tapioca 1:1 so it “should” work but arrowroot is a bit dryer so the crust may fall apart quicker. If you experiment and try it, come back and let me know how it turns out (if you can). Thanks and Happy New Year!

      Reply

  2. The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (16)vicki says

    This recipe sounds fabulous and I’d love to try it. I’m avoiding eggs, though. Any chance something could be subbed for the egg in the crust?

    Reply

    • The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (17)Paige says

      Yes-I have always used flax egg in this recipe. It is amazing.

      Reply

  3. The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (18)Kate says

    This is THE BEST chicken pot pie. A little labor intensive but definitely worth the work. Thank you for the awesome recipe!

    Reply

    • The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (19)Alyssa Brantley says

      Hi Kate!! I agree – it is a bit labor intensive (especially the first time) but SOOOOO worth it! glad you loved it <3

      Reply

  4. The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (20)Emily says

    Hi! What size baking dish did you use?

    Reply

  5. The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (21)Rhiannon Allison says

    Can I make the crust the night before?

    Reply

    • The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (22)Alyssa Brantley says

      Hi Rhiannon!
      Yes – I have made the crust the night before and kept it refrigerated or even frozen until ready to use!

      Reply

  6. The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (23)Tiffany Walsh-Paxson says

    I was going to try this, but “your videos” is taking up half my screen and I can’t close it…

    Reply

    • The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (24)Alyssa Brantley says

      Hi Tiffany, Thanks for letting me know! I will go and check the settings. I also really HATE excessive ads. Appreciate the heads up 🙂

      Reply

  7. The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (25)Holly says

    Hi,
    I am wanting to make this recipe for my family but we dont do potatoes, will this turn out okay without them? Would anything need to be adjusted?

    Reply

    • The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (26)Alyssa Brantley says

      Hi Holly, Unfortunately, potatoes are a critical ingredient to make the creamy sauce for this chicken pot pie as written. I would suggest looking for a potato-less recipe. thanks and good luck!

      Reply

    • The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (27)Emily says

      I made this about 7 years ago and used 1 cup cauliflower purée (steamed cauliflower blended with a little ghee) instead of the puréed potatoes. Instead of adding coconut milk to the cauliflower purée, I added it to the pan with the chicken stock (and I used just the thick coconut cream that had come from the can). I also used taro root in place of the potato pieces. Using the taro root made it extra starchy so I had to use extra chicken stock.

      Reply

      • The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (28)Alyssa Brantley says

        So glad those subs work – thank you for sharing with the community!!

        Reply

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The Best Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Why does my gluten free pie crust fall apart? ›

Common reasons why gluten-free pie crust fall apart include choice of flour and hydration levels.

Why do you not use a bottom crust on chicken pot pie? ›

I only gave my pot pie a top crust, because I feel like the bottom crust always gets soggy. If you do want to add a bottom crust, I suggest blind baking it. What does blind baking mean? It's when you bake your pie crust without a filling in order to crisp it up.

What is the sauce made of in chicken pot pie? ›

The sauce in chicken pot pie is typically a gravy. I use a seasoned white gravy made from scratch with flavor-building ingredients, chicken broth, and half-and-half.

How do you keep chicken pie from getting soggy on the bottom? ›

How to Prevent a Soggy Bottom Pie Crust
  1. Blind Bake the Crust.
  2. Choose the Right Rack in the Oven.
  3. Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White.
  4. Put the Pie on a Hot Cookie Sheet.
  5. Make a Thicker Crust.
  6. Add a Layer.
  7. Consider a Metal Pie Pan.
Mar 18, 2024

How do you keep gluten-free dough from crumbling? ›

Mix the Additives in Before the Wet Ingredients

Without it, gluten-free products can be dry and crumbly. There is a way to compensate for this however — use xanthan gum. Some bakers also use gelatin or agar. If you're using additives, mix them thoroughly with the dry ingredients before adding the wet.

Why is my gluten free pie crust so hard? ›

Too much flour in pie crust makes it tough and, for gluten-free, gritty.

Should you prebake the bottom crust of a chicken pot pie? ›

Pot pies can be double-crust pies with the filling completely enclosed in pastry crust, or they can simply baked with the crust on top. Double crust pies should be blind-baked (pre-baked) for a few minutes to keep the bottom crust from getting soggy.

Should you prebake bottom pie crust? ›

You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.

What makes chicken pot pie unhealthy? ›

Most of the fat and calories in pot pie comes from that crust. And don't worry, we wouldn't ask you to give up it -- just make some changes. Crusts made with shortening, lard or puff pastry are overloaded with artery-clogging saturated and trans fats.

What is in Cracker Barrel pot pie? ›

Our new recipe for a fresh-baked comfort food favorite, with slow-simmered chicken, peas, carrots, celery, potatoes, and onions in a creamy sauce topped with flaky pastry crust. Comes with your choice of hand-rolled Buttermilk Biscuits or Corn Muffins.

What do you use to thicken chicken pot pie? ›

Unfortunately, the filling relies on flour for thickening. However, you can substitute it to make it truly gluten free a few ways. You can dissolve cornstarch in the COLD milk before pouring it into the skillet. You can use a one-for-one gluten free flour substitution, or you can use arrowroot!

How can I thicken up my chicken pot pie? ›

If for some reason your sauce is not as thick as you want it to be, you can always use cornstarch as a thickener. Start with about a tablespoon, and dissolve it in a bit of water, and add it to the sauce. Cook over medium heat until your sauce begins to quickly thicken.

Should I egg wash the bottom pie crust? ›

You've spent time and effort putting the pastry together, so don't sell yourself short by skipping the final step—the egg wash for the pie crust. The truth is that cream and egg washes are a simple but vital step to improving the appearance and flavor of pies and other baked goods.

How do you get a crispy crust on the bottom of a pie? ›

Getting a brown, flaky/crispy bottom crust on your pie is all about quick and effective heat transfer. That's why aluminum or aluminum/steel pans — rather than glass or stoneware — are your best choice for baking pie. Metal, especially aluminum, transfers heat quickly and efficiently from oven to pie crust.

Why is my chicken pie so watery? ›

Why is my chicken potpie so watery? Follow our recipe for Classic Chicken Potpie and your pie should not be watery. A watery potpie may be the result of not cooking the filling for long enough or adding too much liquid to the filling.

How do you fix a pie crust that keeps falling apart? ›

If it's too crumbly, add a little more water. Once your pastry has come together, don't then ruin it when rolling it out. It's always tempting to shovel loads of flour onto a work surface when rolling out pastry.

How do you keep pie crust from crumbling? ›

Again, this is usually a result of fat being worked in too much, which can easily happen if the ingredients weren't cold enough. (Refrigerate those dry ingredients before you start!) If it's too late and the pie dough is crumbling as you roll it out, try adding more water AND more flour.

Why is gluten-free baking crumbly? ›

The Gluten Free Cake is Dry or Crumbly:

If your cake is dry, most likely you didn't use enough liquid ingredients (or you had too much flour.) See above for gluten free flour measuring tips. Another cause of a dry cake is overbaking. If you bake your cake too long, moisture is baked out of the cake.

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