Hey folks,

If you’ve been avoiding chicken pot pie since going gluten free because you assumed the crust situation was just too complicated — same. For a long time I either bought the sad frozen version or just made chicken soup and told myself it was basically the same thing. (It’s not.) Then I started doing drop biscuits on top instead of a rolled crust, and honestly, I think I actually like this version better than anything I made before going gluten free. The biscuits puff up golden and craggly on top, they soak into the creamy filling just a little at the bottom, and they don’t require any chilling, rolling, or hoping the dough doesn’t crack when you transfer it. You just drop them. That’s it.

The filling is the other thing I want to talk about, because a lot of gluten free chicken pot pie recipes either use a canned gluten free cream of chicken soup (which I find way too salty and gluey) or they skip thickening altogether and you end up with soup. This one makes its own roux with a good Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and it comes out thick, velvety, and actually tastes like something your grandma would make. Let’s get into it.

Why It Works

The reason this gluten free chicken pot pie turns out so well comes down to two things: the roux and the biscuit hydration.

When you cook GF flour in butter before adding liquid — which is what a roux is — you get rid of that raw, gritty starch flavor that plagues a lot of gluten free gravies and sauces. According to Bob’s Red Mill’s guide to gluten-free baking, GF flour blends that contain xanthan gum behave a lot like all-purpose flour in cooked applications, especially sauces and gravies, as long as you give the starch time to fully hydrate and thicken. That’s why you cook the flour in butter for a full two minutes before adding anything liquid. Don’t skip that step. Two minutes, stirring constantly, until it smells faintly nutty.

The drop biscuit topping works because GF biscuit dough doesn’t need structure the way rolled pie dough does. Gluten is what gives rolled dough its strength and stretch — without it, you’re fighting a losing battle every time you try to roll and transfer. But drop biscuits? They don’t care. The high ratio of baking powder and cold butter is what makes them rise, not gluten development. So GF flour actually performs really well here.

One more thing: shredding your chicken instead of cubing it makes a huge difference. The filling clings to shredded meat in a way it just doesn’t with big chunks. I use rotisserie chicken most of the time — three cups comes out to roughly one whole rotisserie bird once you pull all the meat. Works every time.

Ingredients

For the filling, you need real butter and whole milk here. This is a gluten free chicken pot pie, not a dairy-free one, and the fat content from both is what gives the sauce that rich, unctuous texture. Don’t swap the milk for broth — I tried that once and ended up with something thin and vaguely sad. Not worth it.

The vegetables are flexible. Carrots, peas, celery, and onion are the classic combination, and I genuinely don’t think you need to mess with it. If you want to add diced potato, do it — just cut them small (about half-inch cubes) and throw them in with the carrots so they have time to soften. Mushrooms also work great here, and when you add them you get something close to a wheat free chicken pot pie with a whole other flavor dimension going on.

For the biscuit topping, the cheddar is optional but I really recommend it. It adds a savory, slightly sharp contrast to the creamy filling and it helps the tops brown up nicely. You can leave it out if you want a more neutral biscuit. And if you’ve been wondering about a gluten free chicken pot pie with almond flour crust — you can absolutely swap half the GF flour in the biscuit topping with fine almond flour. It makes the biscuits slightly denser and richer with a subtle nuttiness. Not traditional, but genuinely delicious, especially if you like that slightly heartier bite.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F. If you’re using a 10- or 12-inch oven-safe skillet (cast iron is ideal), you can build the whole thing in one pan. If not, have a 9x13-inch baking dish ready.

2. Cook the aromatics. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in your skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the carrots have started to soften. Add the garlic and thyme and cook another 60 seconds.

3. Make the roux. Sprinkle the ⅓ cup of GF flour over the vegetables and stir to coat everything. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 full minutes. It’ll look pasty and thick. That’s right. Don’t rush this step — it’s what stops the filling from tasting starchy.

4. Add the liquids. Pour in the chicken broth slowly, stirring as you go to prevent lumps. Then add the milk. Bring everything to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens — about 4–5 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon.

5. Add chicken and peas. Stir in the shredded chicken, frozen peas, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Taste it. Adjust seasoning. If you’re transferring to a baking dish, do that now — pour the filling in and spread it out evenly.

6. Make the drop biscuit dough. In a bowl, whisk together the GF flour, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder. Add the cold cubed butter and cut it in with a fork or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse sand with some pea-sized butter chunks. (Those chunks are good — they steam up and create flaky layers.) Add the milk and cheddar and stir until just combined. Don’t overwork it.

7. Drop the biscuits. Using a large spoon or a ¼-cup scoop, drop the biscuit dough in mounds over the filling. You should get about 8–10 biscuits. They don’t need to cover every inch — leave a little space between them so steam can escape and they can brown properly.

8. Bake. Slide the skillet or baking dish into the oven and bake at 425°F for 18–22 minutes, until the biscuits are golden on top and the filling is bubbling at the edges. My oven runs a little hot so I pull it around the 18-minute mark and check. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving — the filling will tighten up slightly as it cools.

Tips & Substitutions

Can you use a rotisserie chicken? Yes, and honestly you should. It’s already cooked, already seasoned, and you can shred it in about five minutes. Three cups of shredded chicken is roughly one whole bird. This is the number one way to make this dish faster on a weeknight.

What about gluten free cream of chicken soup? Some recipes use a canned gluten free cream of chicken soup to shortcut the filling. You can do it — use one 10.5-oz can and reduce the broth by about half — but the homemade roux version in this recipe is genuinely better and doesn’t take much longer. Same goes for gluten free cream of mushroom soup if you want a more earthy, woodsy filling: swap the milk for a can of GF cream of mushroom and add 8 oz of sliced mushrooms with the carrots.

Easy gluten free chicken pot pie drop biscuit topping shortcut: If you’re really short on time, use a pre-made gluten free biscuit mix (Bob’s Red Mill makes a good one) for the topping. Just follow the package instructions and drop by spoonfuls. The flavor won’t be quite as good but it works in a pinch. That’s the beauty of the drop biscuit approach for this easy gluten free chicken pot pie drop biscuit topping — it’s endlessly adaptable.

Making it more like gluten free chicken and dumplings: Want something even more comforting? Instead of baking the biscuit topping, ladle the filling into a pot, bring it to a gentle simmer on the stovetop, and drop smaller spoonfuls of the biscuit dough (about 1 tablespoon each) directly onto the simmering liquid. Cover the pot tightly and cook for 15–18 minutes without lifting the lid. The biscuits steam into soft, pillowy dumplings. It’s a completely different texture — almost more like gluten free chicken and dumplings than a pot pie — and it’s fantastic on a cold night.

Egg substitute in the biscuits: The biscuit recipe above has no eggs, which means it’s already egg-free. If you need it dairy-free too, swap the butter for cold vegan butter and the milk for oat milk or full-fat coconut milk. The texture is slightly more dense but still totally good.

Make-ahead: The filling keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to eat, reheat it in the skillet, make fresh biscuit dough, drop and bake. Don’t make the biscuit dough ahead — GF baking powder loses its punch quickly once wet.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you thicken gluten free chicken pot pie? The best way is to make a roux with GF flour and butter before adding your liquid — cook the flour in melted butter for 2 minutes, then whisk in your broth and milk. This method gives you a smooth, creamy filling without any starchy taste. You can also use cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water, stirred in at the end), but the roux method gives better flavor and texture.

Can chicken pot pie be gluten free? Absolutely. The filling itself is naturally almost gluten free — it’s just the flour used to thicken it and the crust that need swapping. Use a gluten free 1-to-1 flour blend for the roux and either a GF pie crust or, even easier, a drop biscuit topping made with GF flour. The result is just as hearty and satisfying as the original.

Can I use leftover chicken for this recipe? Yes — this is actually one of the best leftover chicken recipes out there. Any cooked chicken works: rotisserie, roasted, poached, grilled. Avoid anything heavily seasoned or marinated, since those flavors will compete with the creamy filling. About 3 cups shredded is the sweet spot.

Can I make this ahead and freeze it? The filling freezes well for up to 3 months. Freeze it in an airtight container without the biscuit topping — the biscuits don’t hold up well after freezing. When you’re ready to serve, thaw the filling in the fridge overnight, reheat it in a skillet, make fresh biscuit dough, and bake as directed.

What can I use instead of milk in the filling? Whole milk gives the richest, creamiest filling. If you need a substitute, full-fat coconut milk or oat milk both work reasonably well. Avoid watery milks like rice milk — they make the sauce too thin. If you go with coconut milk, just know there’s a slight sweetness that actually works pretty nicely with the thyme and chicken.

The Bottom Line

This gluten free chicken pot pie has genuinely become one of the most-requested meals in my house. 🥧 The drop biscuit topping is easier than any crust I’ve ever tried to make, the filling is thick and creamy and packed with chicken, and the whole thing comes together in under an hour. Once you’ve made it with the homemade roux, you’ll never go back to the canned soup version. If you want to mix things up, try it with the dumpling variation on the stovetop — it scratches a completely different itch but uses the same base recipe.

Looking for more cozy weeknight dinners? Try our Gluten Free Chicken Soup or our Gluten Free Beef Stew — both use the same roux technique and are just as simple.