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Biscuit-Topped Chicken Pot Pie

A biscuit topped chicken pot pie is an American style pot pie where soft buttermilk biscuit dough is dropped straight onto the hot filling and baked. The biscuits steam underneath and crisp on top, so there is no rolling, no chilling, and no pastry skills required.

By the chickenpie.net test kitchen · Published 4 August 2026

Prep
25 min
Cook
40 min
Yield
6 servings
Biscuit-Topped Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

  • 500g skinless chicken thighs, diced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 30g butter, for the filling
  • 30g plain flour, for the filling
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 100ml whole milk
  • 100g frozen peas
  • 250g self raising flour, for the biscuits
  • 60g cold butter, cubed, for the biscuits
  • 180ml buttermilk
  • 0.5 tsp fine salt

Method

  1. Melt the 30g butter in a 26cm ovenproof skillet, cook the onion and carrots for 6 minutes, then add the chicken and cook for 6 minutes.

  2. Stir in the 30g flour, cook for 1 minute, then gradually add the stock and milk, stirring to a thick sauce, and fold in the peas. Season and simmer for 3 minutes.

  3. Make the biscuit dough by rubbing the cold butter into the self raising flour and salt until crumbly, then stirring in the buttermilk until just combined. Do not overmix.

  4. Drop six rough mounds of dough onto the hot filling, leaving gaps between them for steam to escape.

  5. Bake at 200C (400F) for 20 to 22 minutes until the biscuits are risen, golden, and cooked through underneath.

  6. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve straight from the skillet.

Worth knowing

  • The filling must be hot and bubbling when the dough goes on, or the biscuit bottoms stay doughy.
  • Handle the biscuit dough as little as possible, overworking makes it tough instead of fluffy.

Common questions

I have no buttermilk. What can I use?

Stir 2 teaspoons of lemon juice into 180ml of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Plain yogurt thinned with a splash of milk also works well.

How do I know the biscuits are cooked underneath?

Lift one with a spatula after 20 minutes. The base should look set and dry, not wet and doughy. If it needs longer, bake 3 to 4 more minutes and check again.

Can I make this without an ovenproof skillet?

Yes. Make the filling in any pan, transfer it hot to a 1.5 litre baking dish, top with the dough mounds, and bake as directed. The key is that the filling is bubbling when it goes in the oven.