Hearty Chicken Pot Pie Burgers Recipe

When a beloved comfort food meets a burger, you know it can only end with fireworks of the culinary kind. In these chicken pot pie burgers, a fusion of two American classics, you get your fill of familiar comforting flavors in a fun and innovative handheld package.

According to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, combining familiar flavors in unexpected ways is the key to this dish's success. This chicken pot pie burger expertly merges the creamy, savory filling of a curry-tinged traditional pot pie with the convenience and portability of a burger. Like our chicken pot pie pasta, the result is a satisfying meal that manages to taste both wholly familiar and excitingly new.

And the best part is, thanks to skipping over making the dough topping, this pot pie version is remarkably easy to make, making a quick, 25-minute meal without any extra steps. Perfect for busy weeknights, these burgers provide a comforting twist on two classic dishes.

To make this crossover comfort dish, you'll need canola oil for frying, and boneless, skinless chicken breasts for making the chicken filling. The seasonings we will use are salt, black pepper, curry powder, and fresh parsley. To make the rest of the filling, grab butter, onions, and frozen mixed vegetables (we love the classic combo of peas, carrots, corn and green beans). To make the roux that makes the filling creamy, you'll need more butter, all-purpose flour, low-sodium chicken broth, and milk. And finally, to package everything, burger buns. 

Heat the canola oil in a large nonstick pan.

Pat chicken breasts dry and season with salt and pepper.

Pan-fry chicken breasts until cooked through.

Remove the chicken from the pan and shred or chop into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and the onions, cooking until the onions are softened.

Add frozen vegetable mix and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, make a roux by melting the remaining 2 tablespoons butter then whisking in flour and curry powder for 1 to 2 minutes.

Gradually whisk in chicken broth and milk. Simmer until thickened.

Pour the roux into the pan with the vegetables and stir to combine.

Add in shredded chicken, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

Toast the burger buns.

Spoon chicken pot pie filling over bottom buns.

Top with remaining bun halves and serve.

It's actually deceptively easy to adapt this chicken pot pie burger recipe to be dairy-free or gluten-free. For a dairy-free version, replace the butter with a plant-based alternative like coconut oil or vegan butter, both of which will give your roux the necessary body. Instead of milk, use unsweetened almond milk or oat milk for the closest flavor and creaminess. 

To make the recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free all-purpose flour or cornstarch as a thickener for the roux (cornstarch has a particular flavor and it will make your filling look more glossy). Be sure to choose gluten-free burger buns or serve the filling over gluten-free bread, corn tortillas, or even ditch the bun for eggplant for a special twist. When using store-bought frozen vegetable mixes or chicken broth, always check the labels to ensure they are gluten-free, as some may contain hidden sources of gluten.

You are certainly not locked down to using chicken breasts for making this pot pie burger filling. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs make for an excellent substitute, as they have more flavor and moisture due to their higher fat content. They will thus result in a richer, more flavorful filling for your burger, though they will also take longer to cook. Ground chicken also works well, albeit the resulting filling will be drier and more akin to traditional beef pot pie. If using ground chicken, cook it thoroughly before adding the vegetables and proceeding with the recipe as directed. 

Finally, for the ultimate time-saving hack, use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, which also has more flavor than breasts. Simply skip the chicken cooking, shred or chop the meat to use it in the filling, and then proceed with a short cook in the sauce to prevent the filling from being dry and gummy.