Easy Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
If you’re craving classic comfort food but don’t want to spend hours rolling homemade pastry dough, this easy skillet chicken pot pie with biscuits is about to become your new favorite family dinner. With shredded rotisserie chicken, sweet tender vegetables, a velvety herb-infused gravy, and golden flaky buttermilk biscuits baked right on top, it delivers all the hearty nostalgia of a traditional pot pie in just about 35 minutes. Everything comes together in one oven-safe skillet, meaning less cleanup and more time around the table.
Why You’ll Love This Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
- One-Pan Simplicity: The entire filling cooks on the stovetop in a single cast iron skillet, and then moves straight into the oven with the biscuits on top. Minimal dishes to wash!
- Quick Weeknight Shortcut: Using pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and refrigerated canned biscuits cuts your prep time down to just 15 minutes without sacrificing an ounce of flavor.
- No Soggy Bottom Crust: Traditional double-crust pot pies often suffer from a pale, undercooked bottom layer. By baking flaky biscuits directly over the hot filling, every single bite has a crisp, buttery top and a soft, pillowy underside.
- Customizable Comfort: Easily swap in leftover roast turkey after Thanksgiving, toss in seasonal mushrooms or potatoes, or lighten it up with half-and-half.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
This crowd-pleasing skillet dinner relies on simple, wholesome pantry and refrigerator staples:
- Cooked Chicken: Store-bought rotisserie chicken is the ultimate weeknight time-saver. You can also use poached chicken breasts, leftover roasted chicken, or even holiday turkey.
- The Veggie Mirepoix: Diced yellow onions, carrots, and celery form the aromatic foundation of the dish. Thawed frozen peas added near the end provide bursts of sweetness and vibrant green color.
- All-Purpose Flour & Butter: Used to build a simple roux that thickens our chicken broth and heavy cream into a luscious, silky gravy.
- Chicken Broth: Go with low-sodium chicken broth so you can control the salt level. Rich homemade bone broth is also fantastic here.
- Heavy Cream: A splash of heavy cream adds that classic diner-style richness. You can substitute whole milk or evaporated milk for a lighter version.
- Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits: A standard 8-count tube of refrigerated flaky biscuits (like Pillsbury Grands) works wonderfully. Buttermilk or honey butter varieties complement the savory gravy beautifully.
- Herbs & Seasonings: Fresh thyme, garlic, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper infuse the creamy sauce with cozy autumn warmth.
How to Make Easy Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
Making this dinner is easy, fast, and satisfying. Here are the step-by-step instructions:
- Sauté the Vegetables: Melt butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet or deep oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery for about 6 to 8 minutes until softened and fragrant. Stir in minced garlic during the last minute.
- Build the Gravy: Sprinkle flour over the cooked vegetables, stirring for about 90 seconds to cook off the flour taste. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking continuously to ensure no lumps form. Stir in the heavy cream, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer until thickened.
- Fold in Chicken and Peas: Stir in your shredded cooked chicken and sweet peas until heated through. Turn off the heat.
- Top with Biscuits: Pop open your tube of canned biscuits and arrange the rounds evenly across the top of the steaming skillet filling. Brush the tops with melted butter.
- Bake to Golden Perfection: Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 to 25 minutes. You want the biscuits puffed and deeply golden on top, with the creamy chicken filling bubbling lazily around the edges.
Pro Tips for the Best Biscuit Pot Pie
Make Sure the Filling is Hot: Placing biscuits onto a hot filling allows the bottom of the biscuits to begin cooking immediately when they hit the oven, ensuring they cook all the way through without turning doughy.
Use an Oven-Safe Skillet: A seasoned 12-inch cast-iron skillet holds heat evenly and gives this recipe its rustic charm. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, simply cook the filling on the stovetop, pour it into a 9×13-inch baking dish, top with biscuits, and bake.
Watch the Biscuit Tops: If the biscuit tops start browning too quickly before the centers finish baking (usually around the 18-minute mark), tent a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the skillet for the remainder of the cooking time.
Delicious Variations to Try
- Cheddar Herb Biscuits: Cut each raw biscuit in half or quarters, toss with garlic powder, chopped chives, and shredded sharp cheddar before scattering them over the top.
- Post-Holiday Turkey Pot Pie: Use up your leftover Thanksgiving turkey by swapping the chicken 1:1. You can even stir in a spoonful of cranberry sauce or stuffing!
- Add More Veggies: Sliced cremini mushrooms, sweet corn kernels, diced potatoes, or baby green beans all fit right into this versatile skillet filling.
Storage, Reheating, and Make-Ahead Tips
Storage: Allow the pot pie to cool completely, then transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheating: For the best texture, reheat individual portions in an oven or toaster oven at 350°F for 10-12 minutes until warmed through and the biscuits re-crisp. You can also microwave it for 1-2 minutes, though the biscuits will be softer.
Make-Ahead: You can prepare the chicken pot pie filling up to 2 days in advance and keep it chilled in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, reheat the filling in your skillet until hot, top with fresh biscuits, and bake as directed!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use homemade drop biscuits instead of canned biscuits?
Yes, absolutely! If you prefer homemade from scratch, mix up a quick buttermilk drop biscuit dough and scoop mounds directly onto the simmering chicken filling. Bake at 375°F for 22 to 25 minutes until cooked through and golden.
How do I prevent the bottom of the biscuits from becoming soggy?
The secret is to ensure the filling is bubbling hot when the biscuits are added, and to bake on the center rack of a well-preheated oven. The initial heat of the filling starts cooking the underside of the biscuit immediately, preventing excess liquid absorption.
Can I freeze skillet chicken pot pie?
We recommend freezing the chicken filling on its own (without biscuits) for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw the filling overnight in the fridge, warm it in your skillet on the stove, add fresh biscuits on top, and bake fresh.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Position the oven rack in the center position.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large 12-inch oven-safe skillet (cast iron works best) over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 6-8 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables and stir continuously for 1 to 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Stir in the heavy cream, fresh thyme, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens into a rich gravy.
- Stir in the shredded cooked chicken and peas. Let everything heat through for 1-2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Open the can of biscuits. Arrange the raw biscuit rounds evenly across the top of the hot chicken filling in the skillet.
- Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and lightly brush over the tops of the biscuits. (Optional: sprinkle with a pinch of coarse sea salt and thyme).
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until the biscuits are puffed, deep golden brown, and cooked through in the center, and the pot pie gravy is bubbling around the edges.
- Carefully remove from the oven and let stand for 5-10 minutes to settle before spooning into bowls. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve hot!
