This article was updated on 8th September 2023 for freshness and to incorporate new insights.
If you’ve got a load of chicken pot pie leftover (or any pot pie for that matter), you might be wondering if you can reheat it and bring back its former, flakey pastry and creamy delicious filling. In a rush?
The best way to reheat chicken pot pie is in the oven low and slow. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) and cover the pie with foil to stop it overbrowning. Heat slices for 10-15 minutes, and whole pies for 30-40 minutes.
Last weekend I made some mouth-watering chicken pot pies and kept some back to serve for dinner later on in the week.
When the time came to warm them up, I experimented with four different methods. The techniques I tried included:
To check if your pie is warmed to its center, insert the tip of a knife into the middle and feel how warm it is when you pull it out. If it’s warm, the pie is done.
Note: I used chicken pot pie in my experiments, but you can use these methods for any type of pot pie.
Time: 10-15 minutes per slice
Rating: 9/10
Covering your pie with foil prevents it from over browning, and keeping the heat lowish helps the filling to warm up before the pastry starts drying out.
To reduce reheating time, zap your pie in the microwave for 30 seconds before placing it in the oven. Room temperature pie will also warm up faster than a pie straight out of the fridge.
If the pie you’re reheating has a sturdy casing, you can rest it on a wire rack to get rid of any soggy bottom. But only do this if you’re sure the pie wont start sinking through the gaps in the wires.
Results: This was my favorite method and the one I would recommend. My pie crust was golden and crispy, and the filling was delicious, flavorful, and moist. The downside of this method is how long it takes, but the result is well worth the wait.
Time: 2-3 minutes
Rating: 5/10
Never put a pot pie in a metal or foil tray in the microwave. Mixing metals and microwaves is a fire hazard.
In the microwave, it’s best to heat single portions at a time to ensure they warm up evenly. The larger the piece of pie, the more likely you’ll end up with cold or overcooked spots. And be mindful of biting straight into a piping hot pie. Steam will build up on the inside and could burn your mouth.
Results: This wasn’t my favorite method because it turned the pie crust soggy. It’s an okay way to warm up pie if you’re in a rush and it’s just for yourself, but I wouldn’t recommend using the microwave for guests.
Time: 5 minutes
Rating: 4/10
This method is only recommended for pies encased in pastry and not those that only have a pastry topping. It’s also better for smaller portions or small, individual pot pies rather than sharing pies.
Covering your pie with a lid while heating it traps heat and warms the pie from all angles. If your filling spills out in the pan, keep a close eye to ensure it doesn’t burn.
Results: I tested this method because I saw it on another site, but I wasn’t a fan because my chicken filling was spilling out into the pan. It would be better suited to sturdier, sweet pies like pumpkin or apple pie
Time: 3-5 minutes
Rating: 7/10
Because of how air fryers work (by blowing hot air around a small space), the pastry will start to feel very hot very quickly but this doesn’t mean the inside is hot!
Make sure to use the knife trick I explained above to test the filling temperature before you turn off the air fryer.
Results: Overall, the air fryer was effective, fast, and convenient, but it’s not suitable for bigger portions (like in the oven). My pastry was lovely and crispy, but if your pastry is already on the overdone side, the air fryer might make it worse.
The easiest way to store leftover pot pie is to keep it in the dish or tray it was baked in and cover it tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Alternatively, you can transfer your leftover pie into airtight containers. Store the pot pie in the fridge and eat it within 3-4 days.
Before storing your pot pies, allow them to cool to room temperature. This prevents a build-up of condensation in their containers which may turn the pastry soggy.
You may also want to portion your pie into slices before storing, to make it easy to grab a single portion to reheat when you’re ready (although be wary of losing any filling!).
Pot pies freeze really well and retain their best quality for up to 6 months, depending on their fillings. You can freeze your pies with cooked or uncooked pastry to reheat or bake when needed.
I like to freeze my pies uncovered first because they freeze quicker that way. And the quicker something freezes, the better the texture will be once you defrost it.
If you want to portion your leftover pie into slices, take it out of the freezer after around an hour. It should be soft enough to cut at this point but stiff enough not to fall apart. Then wrap each slice individually in foil or plastic wrap.
Psst… foil baking dishes are great for freezing pies.
There’s no need to thaw a frozen pie before reheating it.
To reheat a pot pie from frozen, cover it with foil and heat it in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 30 minutes, before turning the heat down to 325°F (160°C) and heating until piping hot all the way through. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking if you want to brown the top.
To speed up the reheating process, you can also defrost your frozen pies in the microwave before warming them in the oven.
