My chicken hand pies are savory pockets full of yum! I nestle a perfect single serving of creamy chicken pot pie filling into a pocket of crispy store-bought pie crust. It’s the ultimate comfort food! I don’t know what could be better than a handheld chicken pot pie.
Top Reader Review
Fantastic recipe. I plan to make it often.
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Handheld Chicken Pot Pie Pockets
I love traditional chicken pot pie, but everything tastes a little better in pocket form if you ask me! These chicken pot pie hand pies are the perfect thing to munch on whether I’m having company over for game day or need a hearty handheld snack. Inside the flaky golden pie crust is a creamy chicken and veggie filling that takes me to comfort food heaven! Plus, they’re made with just 10 ingredients–talk about easy!
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Pie Crust Pockets
I make the pie crust rounds for these chicken pot pie pockets the same size as empanadas. Just grab a bowl with a 6-inch diameter (most standard cereal or single-serving bowls), and cut around the perimeter. You can prep these ahead of time and store them in the fridge, separated by layers of parchment paper to prevent sticking. I recommend using pie crust vs puff pastry, because pie crusts are much sturdier and will be better at holding in all the filling.
Chicken Hand Pies Recipe
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick)
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1¼ cups whole milk
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots (*)
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (**)
- 14 ounces refrigerated rolled pie crusts (standard 2-pack***)
- 1 large egg (+ 1 teaspoon water, beaten)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Make the Filling:
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté 2-3 minutes, or until translucent.¼ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup diced yellow onion
- Add the flour, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the flour mixture begins to brown.¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth, then the milk, whisking constantly until smooth. Allow it to simmer for 3 minutes.1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, 1¼ cups whole milk
- Then stir in the peas and carrots, and chicken. Continue to simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened; then remove from the heat and allow it to cool. It will thicken more as it cools.1 cup frozen peas and carrots, 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
Make the Crusts:
- While the chicken filling cools, make the pie crust rounds. Remove the pie crusts from the packaging. Unroll one crust on a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll it flat, but do not thin it out.14 ounces refrigerated rolled pie crusts
- Use a bowl with a 6-inch round opening to cut out 6 circles of dough, rerolling the scraps as needed but keeping the dough the same thickness.
Assemble:
- Place the crust circles onto a work surface, and place a ⅓ cup-sized scoop of filling into the center of the circle.
- Brush a bit of the egg wash around the edge of the circle.1 large egg
- Then fold the crust in half to form a half circle. Press down lightly, ensuring the filling remains inside.
- Use a fork or your fingers to crimp and seal the edges. Place the pie on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough circles.
Bake:
- Brush the pies with the egg wash. Use the tines of a fork to poke a few venting holes in the top of the pies.
- Bake for 15-16 minutes, or until the pies are golden brown and the crust is crispy.
Notes
- Be sure to cook the filling until it is thick and gooey. Watery filling will lead to soggy hand pies.
- Take care not to thin the pie crust when you roll it out, as this could lead to split or soggy pies.
- Don’t overfill the pies, because too much filling will cause them to pop open.
- Don’t skip the egg wash. It helps seal the dough together and give it that golden brown sheen.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
Avoid a Soggy Bottom!
As Mary Berry would say, nobody likes a soggy bottom! My best tricks for avoiding an undercooked hand pie are:
- Make sure the filling is nice and thick. If the filling is at all watery or runny, it will seep into the crust as it bakes, preventing it from fully cooking through.
- Make sure the crust is thick enough. If the crust is too thin, it could break open or absorb too much moisture too quickly.
- Avoid overstuffing the pies. If the pies are overstuffed, they can break open in the oven, spilling filling everywhere and making the whole tray soggy.
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Hand Pies Step by Step
Prep: Gather the list of ingredients for these hand pies, preheat your oven to 450°F, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Dice the onion and cooked chicken.
Sauté the Onions: In a medium saucepan or skillet, melt ¼ cup of unsalted butter over medium heat. Then add ½ cup of diced yellow onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent. Next, add ¼ cup of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon of dried thyme, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the flour mixture begins to brown.
Add the Liquid Ingredients: To the flour mixture, slowly pour in 1 cup of chicken broth, then 1¼ cups of whole milk, and whisk constantly until the mixture is smooth. Allow it to simmer for 3 minutes.
Add the Chicken and Veggies: Next, stir in 1 cup of frozen peas and carrots, and 2 cups of diced or shredded cooked chicken. Continue to simmer the filling for 4-5 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool while you work on the pie crusts. Keep in mind that the filling will continue to thicken as it cools, so don’t worry about adding more flour.
Roll Out the Pie Crust: While the chicken filling cools, make the pie crust pieces. Remove the refrigerated pie crusts from the packaging, unroll one crust on a lightly floured surface, and use a rolling pin to roll it flat. Do not roll it out too thin–it needs to be thick enough to hold the filling.
Make 6 Pie Crust Pieces: Use a bowl with a 6-inch round opening to cut out 6 circles of dough for the individual hand pies. Re-roll the scraps as needed, but be sure to make the dough pieces the same thickness. Place the crust circles onto a clean work surface.
Add the Filling: Working one hand pie at a time, place a ⅓ cup-sized scoop of the chicken pot filling into the center of the dough circle.
Brush with Egg Wash: Beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush a bit of the egg wash around the edge of the dough circle, then fold the crust in half over the filling to form a half circle. Press down lightly to ensure the filling remains inside.
Crimp the Pie Crust: Next, use a fork to crimp the edges of the hand pie, and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
Finish Assembling the Pies: Repeat the steps with the remaining dough circles and the rest of the chicken filling, to make 6 hand pies. Then brush the tops of the pies with the rest of the egg wash. Use the tines of a fork to poke a few venting holes in the top of each one. This allows steam to exit the pies while they bake, so the filling won’t burst out through the crust.
Bake the Pies: Bake chicken pot pie hand pies for 15-16 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and crispy.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover chicken hand pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat at 350°F for 7-10 minutes from the fridge, or 30-35 minutes from the freezer, until warmed through.
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