Butter Chicken Pot Pie

Butter chicken pot pie transforms your favorite Indian takeout into a show-stopping one-pan dinner. Every bite has tender spiced chicken in a rich tomato-cream sauce, all topped with crispy, buttery pastry.

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Recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Butter Chicken Pot Pie

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: chicken

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Chicken marinade

• 1 pound chicken thighs cut into bite-sized chunks
• ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon oil

Pot pie

• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ medium onion diced
• 1 cup ½-inch diced sweet potato
• 1 jalapeno deseeded and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup tomato puree
• salt and pepper
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 1 puff pastry sheet
• egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water)
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Marinate chicken. Combine chicken with yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, salt, cayenne, and turmeric in a medium bowl. Mix until chicken is well coated. Let sit for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a cast-iron pan or large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and spread in an even layer. Cook until chicken is browned. Remove and set aside.
• In the same pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add chopped onion and sweet potato and saute until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno and saute for 1 more minute. Add flour, chili powder, cumin, and coriander, stirring to coat.
• Add water, heavy cream, and tomato puree to the pan, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer, reducee heat to low, and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and add chicken and peas.
• Lay puff pastry sheet on top of the butter chicken. Use a sharp knife to cut slits in the pastry. Brush with egg wash and bake pot pie for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove butter chicken pot pie from the oven and sprinkle chopped cilantro. Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve.

Notes

If you don't have a cast-iron or oven-safe pan, you can cook butter chicken and transfer it to a greased 11x7-inch baking dish.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Marinade chicken

Let's start with the chicken. Combine chicken thighs with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, and a blend of warm spices including garam masala, cumin, cayenne, and turmeric.

The yogurt tenderizes the chicken while helping all the spices stick to every piece. I prefer using Greek yogurt because it has a thicker consistency, but you can also use regular yogurt.

I recommend marinating for at least 30 minutes, but if you can plan ahead and let it sit overnight in the fridge, you'll be rewarded with even more flavor.

Don't skip this step, even if you're short on time. Those 30 minutes make a real difference.

Step 2: Cook chicken

Once your chicken is marinated, heat oil in a cast-iron pan or oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in an even layer and let it brown without moving it around too much.

You're not trying to cook the chicken all the way through at this stage. Since it'll cook again in the oven, you just want a nice golden exterior.

Overcooking now means dry chicken later, so pull it from the heat when it's browned but still slightly pink in the center. Set it aside while you build your sauce.

Step 3: Make butter chicken sauce

In the same pan, melt butter and saute diced onion and sweet potato until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. The sweet potato needs a head start since it takes longer to cook than everything else.

Add garlic and jalapeno for another minute, then stir in flour and spices to create a roux that'll thicken your sauce.

Pour in the water, heavy cream, and tomato puree, stirring everything together until smooth. Let this simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently so nothing sticks to the bottom.

The sauce should thicken up nicely, and the sweet potatoes should be just tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the browned chicken and frozen peas.

Step 4: Bake

Lay the thawed puff pastry sheet right over the top of your filling in the pan. Don't worry about being too precise-a rustic look is part of the charm.

Use a sharp knife to cut a few slits in the pastry to allow steam to escape and prevent it from getting soggy. Then, brush it with egg wash for that beautiful golden-brown finish. Pop the butter chicken pot pie in the oven and bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes.

You'll know it's done when the pastry is deeply golden and puffed up, and you can hear the filling bubbling underneath. If the pastry is browning too quickly but doesn't look fully cooked, tent it loosely with foil for the last few minutes.

Let it cool for just 5 minutes before serving to allow the filling to thicken slightly and make it easier to scoop. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and dig in while it's hot. Trust me, this butter chicken pot pie is the kind of dish that'll have everyone coming back for seconds.

Make-ahead and storage tips

• Make-ahead: You can make the butter chicken the day before and finish it in the oven the following day with the puff pastry. Add a splash of water if the sauce thickens too much as it cools.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refridgerator for up to 3 days.

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