Easy Air Fryer Chicken Pot Pie {Eat Now or Freeze}
Air Fryer Chicken Pot Pie Freezer Meal
Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Chicken Pot Pie
Air fryer chicken pot pie is the ultimate cozy comfort meal—with the bonus that it can be made fresh OR prepped ahead as a freezer meal. This hearty dish is packed with tender chicken, vibrant veggies, and a creamy homemade sauce, all wrapped in a golden, flaky crust. Perfect for busy weeknights, make-ahead meal prep, or lazy Sundays when you want something warm and satisfying without turning on the oven.
The air fryer helps crisp the crust perfectly and makes this classic meal faster and easier than ever. You’ll also love that you can bake it directly from frozen, making dinnertime totally stress-free.
Ingredients and Supplies for Air Fryer Chicken Pot Pie
Filling
- Chicken (cooked and shredded)
- Low-sodium chicken broth
- Olive oil
- Onion, carrots, celery, frozen peas
- Butter, all-purpose flour, milk
- Salt & pepper
Crust Options
- Refrigerated pie crust
- Homemade pie crust (see below)
- Puff pastry or biscuit dough for variation
Supplies
- Stock pot, cutting board, rolling pin
- Air fryer cake barrel or small pie tins
- Foil, plastic wrap for freezing
How to Make a Homemade Pie Crust
Make your own crust with this easy recipe: Combine 2½ cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 sticks cold butter, and 1/2 Tbsp sugar. Add 7 Tbsp ice water until dough forms. Chill for 30 mins, then roll out.
You can also use pre-made crust or puff pastry for a shortcut. If using a bottom crust, pre-bake it slightly to avoid sogginess.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Pot Pie (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Prep Veggies
Sauté chopped onion, carrots, celery, and peas in olive oil until tender. Season lightly. Set aside.
Step 2: Cook and Shred Chicken
- Use precooked chicken like a Costco rotisserie chicken, or make it fresh in the air fryer, Instant Pot, or slow cooker.
Step 3: Make the Sauce
In a stock pot, melt butter and whisk in flour. Slowly add broth and milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Add cooked chicken and veggies to the sauce.
Step 4: Assemble the Pot Pie
Place filling in your air fryer-safe dish or foil pan. Top with crust, crimp edges, and slice vent holes. Brush with egg wash if desired.
Step 5: Air Fry
Air fry at 350°F for 20–25 minutes or until golden brown. If the crust is browning too fast, cover edges with foil.
How to Freeze & Cook Chicken Pot Pie from Frozen
To Freeze:
- Assemble in foil pans
- Wrap in plastic wrap and foil
- Label and freeze up to 2 months
To Cook from Frozen:
- Thaw overnight
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F
- Unwrap, slice vents, brush with egg, and air fry 30–35 minutes
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a bottom crust?
No, but you can add one. If so, pre-bake slightly to avoid sogginess.
Can I use turkey instead of chicken?
Absolutely! Leftover turkey works great in this recipe.
Will the filling thicken as it cools?
Yes, the starches will continue to set as the pie cools.
Final Thoughts
This air fryer chicken pot pie is easy, delicious, and flexible. Whether you serve it fresh or from the freezer, it’s a family favorite that’s hearty, satisfying, and packed with real ingredients. Customize it with your favorite veggies, make it ahead for busy nights, and enjoy a classic comfort dish with modern convenience.
Let us know how it turns out in the comments, and be sure to explore more of our favorite chicken and freezer meal recipes below!
More Freezer-Friendly Recipes:
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes:
Freezer Meal Recipes: Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Equipment
- 2 9" Pie Containers
- 2-3 Disposable aluminum pans (depends on the size and depth)
Ingredients
Chicken and Filling:
- 1 ½ pounds chicken
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for cooking
- 1 onion chopped fine (about 1 cup)
- 4-5 carrots peeled and sliced (about 1.5 cup)
- 2-3 large stalks celery chopped (about 1 cup)
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
The Rest:
- 2 boxes refrigerated pre-made pie crust 4 crusts
- 1 large egg for brushing on crust prior to baking
Instructions
Chicken
- Cook the chicken using your preferred method (stovetop, slow cooker, or Instant Pot). Shred or chop the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Make the Filling
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and peas. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
- In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and milk, and simmer until the sauce thickens (about 5 minutes).
- Stir in the cooked chicken and vegetables.
Chill the Filling
- If freezing, let the filling cool completely before assembling the pies.
Prepare the Crust
- Roll out the pie crust and cut it to fit the size of your air fryer pan. Place the filling in a disposable aluminum pan or air fryer oven-safe dish.
- Top with the crust and use a fork to seal the edges. Cut 3 steam vents in the crust.
To Assemble:
- Divide mixture among the number of disposable aluminum loaf pans you have. Top with pastry and use fork to seal edges.
Cooking in the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (175°C).
- Place the assembled pot pie into the air fryer basket. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and filling is heated through. If the crust begins to brown too quickly, cover the edges with foil.
Freezing the Pie
- Wrap each assembled pie in two layers of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil. Label and freeze for up to 2 months.
Cooking from Frozen
- Thaw the pie in the refrigerator overnight.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (175°C).
- Unwrap the pie, brush the top with beaten egg, and cook for 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.
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Can you explain what you mean by glueing 2 crusts together? Do you mean put them end to end, or put one crust on top of another?
Brush some beaten egg over the surface of one crust, then place the other crust on top. So, the crust is double thick. 🙂
Why do you do that? It looks like you are making a total of 6 pot pies and in the picture I only see a total of 6 shells but you need 12 for top & bottom of 6 pies don’t you?
You can actually read in this article why it is better to make the crust thicker than the store-bought ones – https://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/recipe-bootcamp/2012/02/shaping-up-freezer-chicken-pot-pie/
There isn’t a crust on the bottom of these pies, just the top. Hope this helps answer your questions, Allison!
What oven temp and baking time would you use if you are not freezing it first?
I would bake at the same temp (400) and reduce the covered baking time, until the filling is warmed through. The uncovered baking time should stay the same.
Great recipe! Made them a couple of weeks ago, froze ’em, and enjoying the first one hot out of the oven right now. Thanks so much for the great recipe.
Silly question: given that these bake for more than an hour at 400 degrees — obviously boiling the interior for most of the time — why bother cooking the chicken ahead of time? I can understand sweating the veg, but it’s not like we’re caramelizing the chicken or something like that; all we end up doing is cooking it twice. Is it just a question of safety?
You know what, I’m not sure. If you went that route with raw chicken, you would probably need to bake the pie longer to ensure that the chicken is done enough. You know, for safety reasons. 🙂 Also, I wonder if the chicken might release liquid while baking in the pie, possibly making the pie more runny.
Glad you like the recipe, Scott! Thanks!
LOVE your recipes. Being a senior, I buy a LOT of frozen bagged vegis and can use exactly what we 2 need. I use a bag of frozen mixed vegis in the chicken pot pie recipe. My hubs loves the variety of vegis! I use a packet of chicken gravy seasoning as it thickens everything and seasons it just right. I have also used Pillsbury crescents for the crusts. These are a few short cuts I use. BTW…if we have left over roast, I sometimes sub the beef for the chicken for beef pot pies!!! Keep up your excellent website!
Yum! Great ideas, Linda. Thanks.
Do you add the chicken gravy to the flour mixture or just make the chicken gravy instead??
I’m guessing she skips the flour mixture and just makes the chicken gravy according to the packet directions, then adds the chicken and veggies to it. 🙂
I’ve always made my chicken pot pie with a crust on the bottom and the top. Would that be ok for the frozen version?
I haven’t tried it that way before so I am not sure. Let me know how it turns out if you try it, Michelle! I love a good crust and more of it, if possible!
I just reheated this recipe with a pie crust I use from my Laura Secord cookbook and it came out great! I baked it for the 40 minutes at 400 and then for 29 minutes uncovered but then I reduced the heat to 350 for another probably 15-20 minutes until the top crust looked golden to me. The only change I would make it making a thicker sauce because of the added moisture when freezing it but it still was delicious and I’m definitely making this again!!
Thanks for the review — and that is a fab tip on thicker sauce when freezing. We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I was do happy when I saw that you are not a pea person either lol. I loathe them myself. Your pot pie looks good enough to eat through the picture, so I imagine it’s really scrumptious I’m person. I can’t wait to try this recipe out sometime. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks! I hope you try it soon and love it! (sans peas, of course) 😉
Thank you for this recipe..could you clarify something for me please? Do I cook the top crust before I freeze it or? I will be using puff pastry for the top and no bottom crust. Thanks you!
Hi, Vikki! I do not cook the crust before freezing. Hope it turns out well for you!
Love this so much. I have made it several times now for home and our church dinners. Wednesday we will be making 54 of these for a church dinner. I don’t freeze them though. Just make them the day we want them. LOL.
You go girl! So glad to hear you love this recipe!
I tripled this recipe and it came out great! Just added in some garlic and lots more salt, and some parsley at the end. I feel like this is a great basic pot pie recipe that can benefit from a lot of deviation and personalization.
I’m glad it turned out great with your adaptations, Kelly! Sounds delicious! Thank you for the review.
you can also use Puff Pastry instead of pie dough 🙂 also brush the puff pastry with an egg wash before baking!
Great idea! Thanks, Shelley!
Because I have to be gluten free I was wondering if I could use gf stuffing mix on the top instead of pie crust. Actually putting it on top when ready to bake. Thanks for your help on this.
Great question, Darlynn. I haven’t tried that before, so I can’t say for sure. That idea reminds me of this recipe though: https://fabulesslyfrugal.com/recipes/chicken-pot-pie-crumble-recipe/ Same filling, but different topping. If you already have a great gf flour substitute, then maybe the pot pie crumble recipe is the way to go!
I know this is an older post but I wondered how this would work in a bigger pan? I ask because I have bigger pans and would like to use them. I’m also making this for a family of 6. Thanks
I haven’t tried it this way before, but I think it might work! Please let us know how it goes if you try it!
Amazing recipe! I just finished making the filling and took a taste! Wow! This recipe is a winner!
The only difference for me was this: I cooked the chicken covered in the slow cooker with the 2 cups chicken broth on high for 3 hours as instructed. When I put the broth from the slow cooker through the sieve I found I had just under one cup left which makes sense. I made the gravy as instructed but it was super thick so I ended up adding an additional 1 cup of chicken broth bringing the total cups of chicken broth to 3.
I will definitely be making this again.
Also, the Perdue perfect portion chicken breasts that come in a bag are 1.5 pounds and are cut thin. The chicken was cooked just right and easy to shred and cut due to the size of the breasts.
Excellent, Danette! Thank you for sharing what worked for you and for your great review!
What would your thoughts be on a smaller serving size than a 9 inch pan? Would it just be reduced cooking time? (I’m thinking more of an individual serving, or better suited for 2 people)
Hi, I would adjust the time down, and be checking for sage internal temp to pull it out. Hope this helps!
I have made this recipe 3 times now. It is so delicious!!! It makes 5 small bread loaf pan pot pies for me. I use more chicken broth than called for which is great as it adds to the final amount. I leave out the celery and increase the carrots and peas as I don’t care for cooked celery. I have passed this recipe onto others and it is always a hit. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
We are so glad you love it, and appreciate your notes on how you modified it and your yield— and THANK YOU for sharing the recipe with others.
What are the oven instructions for cooking right away and for freezing? I can’t find them anywhere..
For baking in the oven: Cook at 400° for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. You may need to cover the top with aluminum foil to prevent it from burning.
To freeze: Wrap the assembled pie in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Bake the frozen pie at 400° for 40-50 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil for the first half of baking. And then remove the foil to brown the top.