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Healthy Chicken Pot Pie

Liz DellaCroce Avatar

LIZ DELLA CROCE

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Full of fresh herbs and topped with a light and flaky phyllo crust, this healthy chicken pot pie is loaded with vegetables, but does not contain any cream, butter, or milk.

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prep time10 minutes

Who doesn’t love chicken pot pie? Like a big warm hug, I can’t think of anything more “comfort food” for dinner. However, we all know I’ve never made a pie crust in my life, so making this dish at our house looks a little different. Instead, I’ve created my own version that is a bit lighter and made without any butter or cream. In fact, this Healthy Chicken Pot Pie is completely dairy-free!

Ingredients

  • Carrots: Rich in fiber and loaded with vitamins, carrots have an earthy, sweet taste.
  • Parsnip: While they may resemble a carrot, they don’t taste like them. They are a bit sweeter, like sweet potatoes, and are a great source of fiber and antioxidants.
  • Onion: I use a white onion as it’s mild in flavor but still adds great flavor to
  • Garlic: A little bit nutty and pungent in flavor, it pairs with the onion to help flavor the rest of the veggies.
  • Fresh herbs: I think using fresh sage and thyme adds such a poweful punch of flavor to this dish, but if dried is all you have, they’ll still work!
  • Poultry seasoning: These may vary depending on the brand, but usually it includes bits of salt, pepper, marjoram, sage, thyme, rosemary, and nutmeg.
  • All Purpose Flour: Used as a thickening agent for the gravy-like sauce.
  • Chicken broth: Creates a delicious, creamy sauce when paired with the herbs and spices, and thickened with the flour.
  • Green peas: I use frozen peas as I use them so often in cooking, I always have some in the freezer. But you could use fresh or canned!
  • Rotisserie chicken: You could always cook some chicken breast and shred it, but I like the time saving that a rotisserie chicken gives me for this meal.
  • Phyllo dough: Also called filo dough, it’s a light and flaky pastry dough that is similar to pie crust.
  • Olive oil: Used in place of butter, it’s a heart healthy oil that keeps this dish dairy-free.

How to Make Healthy Chicken Pot Pie

Start your healthy chicken pot pie by preparing your produce. Chop your carrots, parsnip, and onion, and mince your fresh sage and thyme.

I also like to get my rotisserie chicken shredded, but you can cook and shred your own chicken breasts as well!

Then in a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray, add the onion, carrot, and parsnip and cook until softened. You could easily toss in some celery as well if you’d like!

Then use a microplane to freshly grate your garlic into the pan.

Once garlic has cooked to become aromatic, stir in your fresh herbs and season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.

Next sprinkle in the flour and stir until fully incorporated.

Stir in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze.

Then add your frozen peas.

And add your shredded chicken. Cook just until heated through and evenly mixed.

Then pour your chicken pot pie filling into a large casserole dish.

To finish, working one sheet at a time, use a brush to “paint” olive oil on phyllo dough. Continue until all eight sheets are added. Use a knife to poke a couple holes through the top, then throw in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Healthy chicken pot pie with phyllo crust.

Once crust is a golden brown, remove from the oven and enjoy your healthy chicken pot pie!

Easy substitutions

  • No parsnips? No problem! If you don’t have parsnips in your pantry I would recommend using small potatoes instead.
  • Thicken things up. If you like a thicker gravy you can add more flour to the dish to thicken the gravy up.
  • Make it gluten-free. Use your favorite gluten-free flour instead of the all purpose flour, and buy or make your own gluten-free phyllo dough, and this dish becomes not only dairy-free, but gluten-free as well!

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is Phyllo Dough?

Also called filo, phyllo is an unleavened bread that is used for pastries typically. It does not contain dairy unless you brush the layers with melted butter (I use olive oil instead).You can find phyllo in the refrigerated section at your local supermarket. It’s typically located near the pie crusts.

Is chicken pot pie healthy for you?

A classic chicken pot pie, while not necessarily unhealthy, isn’t super healthy either. But I remove the dairy and use a lighter crust that is lower in carbs, which makes it a healthier rendition.

Can chicken pot pie be prepared ahead?

Yes, this recipe is very freezer friendly. However, if you’ve prepared the pot pie ahead of time and froze it, I would double the cooking time to ensure it cooks through.

Healthy chicken pot pie.

More Healthy Dinners

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Liz eating healhty chicken pot pie.

Do yourself a favor and make a second healthy chicken pot pie to freeze. You’ll thank me later, I promise.

Your fork is waiting.

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Healthy Chicken Pot Pie?

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Healthy Chicken Pot Pie

Liz Della Croce
4.24 stars average
A healthy version of the traditional chicken pot pie loaded with vegetables but does not contain any cream, butter or milk (Dairy Free) .
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
CourseMain Dish
Serves8

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 carrots diced
  • 1 parsnip diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried poultry seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour or all purpose
  • 32 oz chicken broth low sodium
  • 2 cups frozen green peas
  • 1 rotisserie chicken skin removed & breast meat shredded. White or dark meat can be used.
  • 8 sheets phyllo dough thawed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions
 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Sauté carrots, parsnip, onions and garlic in a large sauce pan sprayed with non-stick spray heated on medium. Stir frequently until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
  3. While veggies are cooking, stir in thyme, sage, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.
  4. Add flour and stir to incorporate and cook out the flour flavor, about 60 seconds.
  5. Pour in chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. Stir in green peas and shredded chicken. Check for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper accordingly.
  7. Pour chicken and vegetable mixture into a large baking dish.
  8. Add olive oil to a small bowl. Working one sheet at a time, use a brush to "paint" olive oil on phyllo dough. After each layer is brushed with oil, add on top of the baking dish to form a top crust. Continue until all eight sheets are added making sure to paint the top of the last sheet with oil.
  9. Use a knife to poke 2-3 slits in the phyllo crust then bake for 25-30 minutes or until phyllo is browned.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 1020mg | Potassium: 331mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2908IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg

Have you tried my


Healthy Chicken Pot Pie?

Leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how you liked it in the 📝 comments and share it on Instagram, Facebook & Pinterest.

We love hearing from you! This helps us continue to provide free, high-quality recipes.


4.24 from 104 votes (89 ratings without comment)

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61 responses to “Healthy Chicken Pot Pie”

  1. Julia Chesney Avatar
    Julia Chesney

    Hi Liz,

    I plan on making this for Christmas (again) this year. Last year I made everything all at once. Could I make the filling the day before to save some time?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Yes, you definitely can! I would add to the bake time in the oven to ensure that the whole thing is heated through, or reheat the filling before baking.

  2. Bill in Houston Avatar
    Bill in Houston

    I have a question about serving size. You say that your “large baking pan” serves four people and is 327 calories per serving. Are you sure that isn’t EIGHT servings? Eight layers of phyllo dough is 456 calories all by itself (57 calories per layer).

    My wife made your recipe for turkey pot pie (Thanksgiving leftovers, and no parsnips, so we used a potato) and it was in a 9″ x 14″ dish. I’m a big guy and I had one big serving that was about one-eighth of the pan!

    Would you please check that?

    Great recipe, though!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      GREAT catch Bill! Just revised the recipe to make it easier to understand and hopefully a bit more accurate!! Changed the servings to 8 and specified how many cups of chicken as well as verified the nutrition facts for the phyllo. :)

      1. Bill in Houston Avatar
        Bill in Houston

        Thanks, Liz.

        By the way, I had the pot pie for lunch the next day and it was still great after reheating!

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          Oh i’m so glad to hear that Bill!!!

  3. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    Great chicken pot pie! I did not put my filo dough out to come to room temperature in time so I made cauliflower mashed “potatoes” & topped it with those & grated cheese. Big hit with my family!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I’m so happy you enjoyed it!

  4. Nova @ The High Strung Avatar
    Nova @ The High Strung

    Love chicken pot pie- one of my most favourite comfort foods! Love the flaky filo topping- so delish! Can’t wait to try the recipe, thanks for sharing…

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I hope you love it!!

  5. Kate Berkey Avatar
    Kate Berkey

    I was looking for an awesome recipe for the whole family and I stumbled on this article. I read and followed the instructions carefully and I made this chicken pot pie deliciously! Every member of my family is so happy! Thanks for this!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      That makes me so happy!!

  6. Paula Avatar
    Paula

    If I freeze the recipe prior to covering it with phyllo dough, how long do I need to defrost? Or how much cooking time would I add if I put it in the oven frozen? My family absolutely LOVES this pot pie! And it’s so easy, you can easily make it during the week! I have extra turkey from Thanksgiving and want to save the pot pie for later next month when they aren’t so tired of turkey!!!!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I would double the cook time if starting frozen! Enjoy!!

  7. Georgina Avatar
    Georgina

    Hello! I’m thinking of making this for my bunco group later this month, so need to scale to feed 12 women(!). If I were to double the recipe, do you think it would fill a 9×13 baking dish? That would feed 8 based on the serving size, so I’d need to quadruple the recipe :)

    Thanks!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Yes that would be perfect!! Great idea!

  8. Robin Avatar
    Robin

    Looks like this has been posted for a while, but I just found it today. Made it for dinner, using leftover roasted chicken, potato instead of parsnip. Oh my gosh, DELICIOUS!! Thank you for sharing!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      So happy you found it Robin!!!! One of my favorites!

  9. Sadye Avatar
    Sadye

    Made this last night but with Pillsbury crescent roll dough instead (grocery store didn’t have phyllo dough) and it turned out delicious! The friend and boyfriend I fed couldn’t stop raving about it. Took a bit of time to prep but well-worth it, especially since I froze it (minus the dough) and then just pulled it out for mini-dinner party without any stress.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      So glad you enjoyed it Sadye!!!

    2. LEE VITELLO Avatar
      LEE VITELLO

      I also was wondering if I could use my crescent rolls. Did you keep the dough in tack and just lay it on the chicken mixture and did you change the cooking time?

      1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
        Liz DellaCroce

        Yes I bet that would work perfectly!

  10. Jamie Avatar
    Jamie

    Made this tonight. All I can say is wow! A wonder array of flavor with a light crust. Family loved it!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! I need to make this for my family again!

  11. Jackie Avatar
    Jackie

    Hello! Do you think I could use this recipe but with lobster instead of chicken? I am making lobster pot pies for a dinner party but one guest is lactose intolerant.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Yes absolutely! Great idea!

  12. The Naked Coconut Avatar
    The Naked Coconut

    This is definitely a new favourite in my household- I made this twice this past month and it’s definitely been a hit! Thanks for the recipe<3

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh I’m so thrilled you enjoy it!!

  13. Ellen Avatar
    Ellen

    Made this last night. Delicious and easy! My son thought there were too many peas, so I will likely decrease those next time. My daughter didn’t love the phyllo, so I might try a less-light version with puff pastry or pie crust.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I’m glad you enjoyed it!! So funny my boys ate almost a bag of frozen peas last night. Kids are funny. :)

  14. Crystal Avatar
    Crystal

    Made this today and it came out delicious! Especially wonderful since hubs and I are lactose intolerant.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      So thrilled to hear it!!

  15. Martha Dayton Avatar
    Martha Dayton

    Question: I can’t wait to make this recipe since I’m snowed in today and have three juicy baked chicken breasts just waiting to go into a pot pie. I only have puff pastry in my freezer and not a single parsnip in sight but plenty of carrots.
    No potatoes are mentioned in the recipe so I’m guessing I can use at least one.
    Maybe two small potatoes?
    Could you tell me what size pie dish is in the photo? It looks gorgeous!
    I Iust discovered your Lemon Bowl recipes and will read many more.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Hi Martha! You can absolutely swap out two small potatoes for the parsnips. Feel free to alter it using whatever you have on hand! The dish used in the recipe is actually a single serve ramekin but this would be perfect for a larger pan as well. Let me know how it turns out!!!

  16. Ashley | CenterCutCook Avatar
    Ashley | CenterCutCook

    I’m sort of ashamed to admit this, but I’ve never attempted to make chicken pot pie before. I love your lightened up version, not only because I don’t have to fuss with making pie crust, but because I won’t feel the guilt! This is beautiful Liz! Pinning and sharing on my Facebook page! :)

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I am all about no fuss!! Thank you so much for your sweet words- it truly was a hit and perfect this time of year!!

  17. Frani Avatar
    Frani

    Liz, I have little 8 LaCruset baking dishes with lids. I have never used them and was wondering if this recipe would lend itself to the little 5 ” round dishes. And would the FILO still work?what about timing? Do I use the lids?
    Thank you, Frani

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      This would definitely work on a smaller level!! I would just cut the phyllo into smaller squares to fit the 5″ rounds As for baking time, should be about the same but definitely monitor it. Good luck!

  18. Carol Avatar
    Carol

    At what point can this dish be frozen? I’m assuming you freeze the filling before you put the crust on top. I definitely intend to make one (who am I kidding–TWO) of these this weekend. It looks and sounds mouth-watering!!!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Yes exactly – freeze the filling before you put the crust on top! ENJOY!!

  19. barb Avatar
    barb

    I have used your recipe a few times. Loved the idea of using phyllo dough better than a regular pastry crust……even husband loves it. I took the veggies potatoes, carrots, onions a step further and roasted them first. Just gives a different depth of flavor.

    thanks

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Thank you so much! I’m a huge fan of phyllo and don’t use it enough!

  20. Anna Avatar
    Anna

    Love this recipe! I stumbled upon it last winter and now it’s a seasonal staple!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Thank you so much Anna! It’s one of my favorites too!! Enjoy!

  21. Anna Avatar
    Anna

    I hardly ever cook but I had a bunch of chicken left over from a dinner party and I needed a recipe to use it up. This recipe was easy, pretty fast (considering I am not the swiftest around the kitchen) and so tasty. I had never used phyllo dough before so I took a guess of how to unwrap it from the box and layer it on the chicken. It all worked out great. Many thanks ..Anna.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      That is music to my ears Anna! I’m so glad it worked out!! It is one of my favorite comfort foods and I haven’t made it in awhile..time to remedy that!

  22. Yum Avatar
    Yum

    Have To thank you for this recipe. It inspired me to make a variation, but your nondairy version helped a lot. My lactose intolerant hubby is in heaven.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh I’m so glad!! I hope you enjoyed it!

  23. Julia Avatar
    Julia

    That looks delicious! But doesn’t phyllo dough have butter in it?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      No it only has dairy if you brush the layers with melted butter. Olive oil is used instead so no dairy!!

  24. Sheena Avatar
    Sheena

    Can you make this ahead of time and freeze it?

  25. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
    Liz DellaCroce

    Thank you so much Stefanie! :)

  26. Jaci Avatar
    Jaci

    Hello! Thank you for the recipe. i made this last night. It definitely took me a lot longer to make it but it was very good. My husband was a huge fan and it just felt like you were eating a yummy bowl of veggies full of amazing flavor. It wasn’t as thick as I would have liked but I guess that’s what made it healthy. i will definitely be making again and doing my prep work beforehand (shredding the chicken alone took me 10 mins). I also might have used too much oil on the phyllo- a light brushing is fine. Thanks for the recipe!!!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed it!! If you want a thicker gravy, you can always add more flour next time. Great idea on shredding the chicken in advance! You could even chop the veggies earlier in the week. :-)

  27. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
    Liz DellaCroce

    I’m so glad you liked that chicken soup!! Isn’t it tasty?? My mom always made it growing up – so good!

  28. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
    Liz DellaCroce

    You’ve gotta try this sista!! Honestly, I wish I had made a second to freeze – I’m already craving it again – haha.

  29. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
    Liz DellaCroce

    You would love this, Dara!! No cream or butter and honestly, I didn’t miss it!! It was nice to eat such a satisfying dinner without the heavy feeling. I know you agree. ;-)

  30. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
    Liz DellaCroce

    Thank you friend!! It was really fresh and light but still cozy and comforting like chicken pot pie should be. :)

  31. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
    Liz DellaCroce

    Thank you friend!! Photography is not my forte so I appreciate the kind words – xoxo.

  32. Sarah Beth Avatar
    Sarah Beth

    YUM! I am so making this dish this week! The picture is making my mouth water! :p

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Please do – I just know you’ll love it!!! I made it for my family recently and everyone had seconds!! Who needs cream? :)