Easy low-carb chicken pot pie (2024)

Homemade chicken pot pie is easy to make, easy to cleanup and ready to serve in 30 minutes when you cook it in a cast iron skillet! It is absolutely delicious!

Carbs in low-carb chicken pot pie - 15g

You need just one-pan to make this savory meat pie full of chicken, peas and carrots in delicious gravy, topped with a flaky pie crust baked until golden-brown.

This easy meal is one of my family's favorite recipes. It's perfect for a weeknight dinner. Since I count carbs, I needed a recipe that can satisfy all of our appetites as well as my personal carb budget. This low-carb version of a cosy, comfort food classic has only 15 grams of carbs per serving.

Ingredients:

pre-cooked chicken

This recipe calls for shredded chicken. I used a whole shredded rotisserie chicken. A single one and a half pound cooked chicken will yield about 4 cups of meat.

Let it cool to the touch before pulling the meat from the carcass. Be sure to include the tasty, browned meat juices that collect at the bottom of the package. This will boost the flavor and color of the pot pie gravy. Don’t include the skin and be sure to remove all bones. You can use your fingers to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. This is my personal preference since I can feel if there are any bones in the meat, and shredded meat soaks up more gravy.

You may also use skinless chicken breasts or leftover chicken.

butter and flour

To thicken the pot pie gravy this recipe calls for a 1:1 ratio of fat and flour to make a golden brown roux, which is the base thickener for the gravy.

onions and celery

These aromatic vegetables flavor the gravy for the pot pie. I love the aroma and flavor of freshly chopped onions and celery sautéed in butter.

chicken broth

This recipe calls for chicken broth, instead of cream, to make the pot pie gravy. Classic pot pies are often high in salt. When you make your own pot pie at home you can control the amount of salt in the recipe. You can adjust or omit the salt in this recipe. If you are on a sodium-restricted diet feel free to use sodium-free broth. Other “easy” pot pie recipes call for canned soup, which contain very high amounts of sodium.

frozen peas and carrots

Peas and carrots are a favorite ingredient in classic chicken pot pie. Add these at the end of cooking the filling so that they retain their freshness and color. You can also use an equal amount of mixed frozen vegetables or broccoli for variation. Broccoli will reduce the carb count.

pie crust

Use frozen pre-made pie crust to save time. Most pie crusts require time to thaw out before they can be handled, otherwise they break apart. Check the package instructions for thawing. Plan ahead and give the pie crust enough time to thaw. Don't get impatient and handle the crust before it fully thaws. In the event that the pie crust breaks apart anyway, it is not the end of the world. Just arrange the pieces over the filling and bake. Or, if you have extra time, shape it into a ball and roll it back out with a rolling pin or wine bottle.

egg wash

Using egg wash is optional, but highly recommended. Applying an egg wash before baking is the best way to achieve an appetizing, glossy, golden-brown crust. If you are allergic to eggs, you can use heavy cream or half and half for a wash. If you want to make this recipe dairy-free you can brush the crust with vegan butter, coconut oil or almond milk, or skip this step altogether for a bare crust. This recipe calls for 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream beaten together. You’ll only need about a tablespoon of this mixture. Save the rest for scrambled eggs or an omelette later.

Equipment you’ll need

Cast-iron skillet

A cast iron skillet can go from stovetop to oven, cutting down on cook time and cleanup.

It also has to be a good fit for a pre-made 9" pie crust. I recommend a 10” cast iron deep skillet. If you don't have a cast iron skillet then use a 10" oven-safe skillet with deep sides. The pan must be deep enough to hold 2 quarts of filling.

Note: If you only own a larger skillet, you can work with it as long as you don’t mind that the crust won't completely cover the filling.If you want to use a pie pan, you will have more filling than you need. A 9" pie pan can hold half the amount of filling that this recipe yields. You will need to make the filling on the stovetop in a separate pan and transfer the filling to the pie pan before baking.

How to make

Here's the overview. Jump to the recipe card for the full recipe.

1. Prepare a roux over medium heat.
2. Add broth to make a gravy.
3. Add chicken and vegetables.
4. Cover with pie crust.
5. Bake until pie crust is cooked through. Since the filling is fully cooked, this won't take long.
6. Serve immediately.

Substitutions

• Substitute chicken with leftover turkey or a meat substitute in the chicken mixture
• You may use canned biscuits, just pay attention to the carb counts
• You may use puff pastry, just pay attention to the carb counts
• You can easily make this recipe dairy-free or lower in saturated fats by using an equal amount of olive oil or grape seed oil, instead of butter when cooking the roux.Do not reduce the amount of fat in the recipe.
• If you don’t feel like prepping vegetables, suitable substitutes are an equal amount of frozen pearl onions or a ½ teaspoon of onion powder for chopped onions
• To substitute celery you can use a ½ teaspoon of ground celery seeds

Variations

• Add your favorite cooked vegetable such as broccoli or cauliflower
• Add your favorite herbs and spices such as fresh thyme
• Use whole milk in the gravy

Make ahead

You can make this ahead of time and keep it, covered and chilled in the skillet, for up to 3 days until ready to serve. Reheat pie by placing the skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat for 5 minutes to warm the filling, then crisp the crust by transferring to a pre-heated 450°F oven for 10-15 minutes.

Storage

Cool slightly then transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Try this keto Spinach chicken casserole from my friend Sara Nelson over at Real Balanced.