Leftover Turkey Pot Pie turns post-holiday turkey into a cozy classic: creamy veggie filling under a golden all-butter crust. It’s fast, flexible, and so satisfying. Bake one now and stash another for a future easy win.
If you’ve got more turkey to use, try my leftover turkey stew with mashed potato dumplings, weeknight-friendly ground turkey soup, or crispy-juicy air fryer turkey burgers.
Leftover Turkey Pot Pie Ingredients
- Butter: for sautéing and that classic, rich roux base.
- Onion, carrot, celery: the savory trio that builds depth fast.
- All-purpose flour: thickens into a creamy, spoonable filling.
- Turkey or chicken broth: use low-sodium so you control seasoning.
- Whole milk + cream or leftover gravy: creaminess and roast-dinner flavor.
- Black pepper + salt: simple, balanced seasoning.
- Russet potato: tender cubes make it hearty without heaviness.
- Frozen peas: pop of sweetness and color; no thawing needed.
- Leftover turkey: dark or white meat, chopped into bite-size pieces. Related: how to cook turkey.
- Parsley + mixed herbs: thyme, rosemary, sage—hello, Thanksgiving vibes.
- Pie crust: double for classic top + bottom, or single for an easy lid.
- Egg wash: shiny, deeply golden finish.
If I have any turkey gravy I’ll include that in the filling, too!
Full quantities listed in the recipe card below.
How to Make Leftover Turkey Pot Pie: An Easy Guide
Simple steps, big comfort. Cool the filling before assembly for the flakiest crust.
Make the Filling
Melt butter; soften onion, carrot, and celery about 7 minutes. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute. Whisk in broth, milk, and cream or gravy. Simmer, then season with pepper and salt. Add diced potato; cover and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.
Finish & Cool
Stir in peas, turkey, parsley, and herbs. Cool 30 minutes. Speed-cool option: spread on a sheet pan 10–15 minutes to protect the bottom crust from sog.
Assemble & Bake
Heat oven to 375ºF with a preheated baking sheet or pizza stone on the lowest rack. Line a 9×2-inch pie dish with bottom crust; freeze 10 minutes. Add cooled filling, top with the second crust, seal, cut vents with sharp scissors, and brush with egg wash. Bake ~35 minutes until golden and bubbling.
4 Common Mistakes When Making Turkey Pot Pie
Here are the most frequent mix-ups to avoid for a crisp crust and creamy filling:
- Hot filling in a cold crust melts butter layers and sogs the base—cool it to just warm.
- Skipping the freeze on the bottom crust; 10 minutes firms edges and improves flake.
- No heat under the pie means pale bottoms; preheat a sheet/stone on the lowest rack.
- Tiny steam vents trap steam and split seams; cut confident slits to keep the lid crisp.
Make Ahead and Storage
Cook once; enjoy easy dinners later.
Storing Leftovers
- Fridge Cool completely; store up to 4 days.
- Re-crisp Slices at 350ºF for 10–15 minutes; add a splash of broth if the filling tightened.
Freezing
- Unbaked Freeze solid, wrap well. Bake from frozen at 375ºF for 55–65 minutes (tent if over-browning).
- Baked Cool, wrap, and freeze up to 2 months. Reheat at 350ºF for 25–35 minutes.
Reheating Turkey Pot Pie
- Whole pie 325–350ºF until hot in the center.
- By the slice 350ºF 10–15 minutes on a sheet pan (best texture), or microwave gently then crisp in the oven.
Turkey Pot Pie Crust Recipe
Use a double all-butter crust for classic pot pie (or a single top for quick comfort).
Just 3 Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for your pie crust. It’s the base ingredient that holds everything together.
- Kosher Salt: Enhances the flavor of the crust. Salt also strengthens the gluten structure, providing a firmer texture.
- Unsalted Butter: Gives the crust its tender, flaky texture and rich flavor. It’s the key to achieving that coveted flaky crust.
Follow my step-by-step pie crust tutorial for flaky layers.
Puff pastry works, too—roll slightly thinner and vent well. Or use the topping + method from my chicken stew with biscuit topping to make a turkey pot pie with biscuits.
What to Serve with Turkey Pot Pie
Balance the rich, creamy filling with something bright and fresh.
- Air fryer broccoli or quick roasted green beans
- Simple lemony arugula salad
- Mashed potatoes if you’re feeding extra-hungry people
FAQs About Leftover Turkey Pot Pie
Yes. Rotisserie chicken swaps 1:1 for leftover turkey with no change to timing. It’s a great option when the turkey’s gone but you still want pot pie.
No. A single top crust is faster and still crispy. For the classic double crust, freeze the bottom shell 10 minutes to keep it flaky.
Cool the filling, chill the lined pie shell briefly, and bake on a preheated sheet or stone on the lowest rack for strong bottom heat.
Thyme and parsley are classic. Add rosemary and sage for holiday flavor, or tarragon for a fresh, anise note.
Yes. Divide filling among ramekins, top with pastry, vent, and bake 20–25 minutes at 400ºF until bubbling and golden.
Cover loosely with foil and warm at 325–350ºF until hot, then uncover for 5 minutes to re-crisp the crust. Add a splash of broth if needed.
Yes. Keep it cold, roll slightly thinner than package thickness, and cut generous steam vents. Bake until deeply golden.
Other Savory Pie Recipes
Turkey Pot Pie (with All-Butter Pie Crust)
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion cut in 1/2″ dice
- 1 medium carrot peeled, cut in 1/2″ dice
- 1 medium stalk celery cut in 1/2″ dice
- 2 tsp kosher salt divided, more to taste
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups turkey or chicken broth
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Up to 1 cup leftover gravy (OPTIONAL)
- ¼ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
- ½ large russet potato peeled, cut in 1/2″ dice
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 2 cups coarsely chopped leftover cooked turkey or rotisserie chicken
- 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- 1 heaped tbsp minced fresh herbs sage, rosemary, thyme or a mix
- 1 double pie crust
- 1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp water for egg wash
Instructions
- Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion, carrot and celery with 1 tsp salt until soft, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle vegetables with flour and stir to coat. Cook, stirring, for a minute, then add the broth, milk and cream (and leftover gravy, if you have it!). Bring to a simmer, add pepper and 1 tsp more salt. Add potato, cover, and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in frozen peas, leftover turkey and herbs.Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.Let cool for 30 minutes (or see notes for quick-cool method).
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375ºF with a baking sheet or pizza stone placed on the lowest oven rack. Roll out bottom pie crust (if using) to about 12" and gently transfer to a 9×2" pie dish. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes. When filling has cooled and oven is hot, pour filling into frozen pie crust. Roll out top crust slightly larger than the pie plate and drape it over the filling, pinching it together with bottom crust. Cut a few slits for steam vents and brush with egg wash. Bake on preheated baking sheet/stone for about 35 minutes, until crust is golden and filling is bubbling out.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe makes a great tasting chicken/turkey pot pie. I used it as a reminder for ingredient quantities/ratio’s as I had left over turkey breast, gravy and pan broth. Chefs Kiss to you for a classic recipe and perfect recommendations to include ingredient leftovers. I also made a double all butter pie dough to use for 6 top and bottom crust pot pies. Deeeelish!