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.
This begs the question: what’s the best way to reheat your pot pie?
I tested four different reheating methods to find out what’s best at delivering a (nearly) good as new pie. With as little effort as possible.
Here’s what I found.
A note on my experiment
Last weekend I made some mouth-watering chicken pot pies and kept some back to serve for dinner later in the week.
When the time came to warm them up, I experimented with four different methods.
The techniques I tried included:
- In the oven (best method overall)
- In the microwave (fine if you’re in a rush)
- In a skillet (tricky and inconvenient)
- In the air fryer (great if you want crisp pastry)
The oven method was my favorite overall. My pies heated evenly with a crispy top, and I could do multiple portions at once.
The microwave is convenient but doesn’t do much for the pastry.
I also tried the skillet method (seen on another website), but I can’t say I see its point. The results were average, and it felt like more effort than it was worth.
The results from the air fryer were similar to those from the oven – delicious!
Note: I used chicken pot pie in my experiments, but you can use these methods for any type of pot pie.
Related: How To Reheat Sausage Rolls
Reheating pot pie in the oven
Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Place your pie (sliced or whole) in an oven-safe dish and cover the pastry with foil to prevent browning. You can also cover any cut edges with foil to avoid spillages. Heat your pie for 10-15 minutes per slice or up to 30 minutes for a complete pie.
Crisp up your pastry at the end of this process by switching on your broiler or turning up the heat to 400°F (200°C) – after removing the foil. Warm for a further few minutes.
How to reheat pot pies in the oven:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C).
- Place your pie or pie slice in an oven-safe dish.
- Cover the pastry with foil. Cover cut edges with foil, too, if reheating slices.
- Heat for 10 – 15 minutes or up to 30 minutes for a whole pie.
Optional (for extra crisp):
- Remove the foil.
- Switch on your broiler or turn up your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Warm for a few minutes until your pastry is crispy.
Covering your pie with foil prevents it from 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 60 seconds before placing it in the oven.
Room temperature pie will also warm up faster than a pie straight out of the fridge.
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.
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.
My verdict
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 that it takes a bit of time, but the result is well worth the wait.
It’s also perfect for reheating whole pies at once and not just portions (a downfall of some other methods).
Reheating pot pies in the microwave
Place a portion or slice of pie on a microwave-safe plate. Heat for one minute before checking how warm the center of your pie is. If needed, heat in further 30-second increments until warmed through. Let the pie rest for 60 seconds before serving.
Never warm up your pot pie in a metal or foil tray. Mixing metals and microwaves is a fire hazard.
How to reheat pot pies in the microwave:
- Place a piece of pie on a microwave-safe plate.
- Heat for one minute.
- Test the warmth of your filling with a knife or toothpick.
- Heat in further 30-second increments until warmed through.
- Let the pot pie rest for 60 seconds before serving.
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.
Be mindful of biting straight into a piping hot pie. Steam can build up on the inside and could burn your mouth.
My verdict
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.
Reheating pot pies on the stove
Set a pan over medium heat on your stove. If necessary, coat your pan lightly with non-stick spray. Place a slice or portion of your pie in the pan. Cover with a lid and warm for 5 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately.
Note: This method is only recommended for pies encased in pastry and not those that only have a pastry topping.
How to reheat pot pies on the stove:
- Place a pan on your stove over medium heat.
- If your pan is not non-stick, coat lightly with non-stick spray.
- Place a piece of your pie in the pan.
- Cover with a lid and warm for 5 minutes or until heated to the center.
- Serve immediately.
Covering your pie with a lid while heating it traps heat and warms the pie from all angles.
This method is better for smaller portions and small, individual pot pies encased in pastry.
Bigger portions and whole pies are unlikely to warm evenly and will not retain their crispy pastry (it will start to steam).
If your filling spills out in the pan, keep a close eye to ensure it doesn’t burn.
My verdict
I wasn’t a massive fan of this method.
I was using a slice of pie, which made it almost impossible to keep the filling from spilling out all over the pan.
Even with a whole pie, I think the pastry would start to sag.
I think this method is better suited to sturdier, sweet pies like pumpkin or apple pie.
Reheating pot pies in the air fryer
Set your air fryer to 300°F (150°C). Place your pie into the basket, covering any cut edges with foil to prevent the filling from spilling out. Heat the pot pie for 3-5 minutes or until the filling is hot. If you’re worried about the pastry burning, cover it with foil.
Using a small baking dish prevents too much mess (from sauce, crumbs, etc.) in the fryer basket itself.
How to reheat pot pies in the air fryer:
- Set your air fryer to 300°F (150°C).
- Place a portion of pot pie in a small baking dish. Stick to smaller portions because otherwise, you risk the pastry burning before the middle is hot.
- If applicable, cover the cut edges of the pie with foil to prevent filling spillage.
- Place the baking dish in your fryer basket.
- Heat for 3-5 minutes or until the filling is warmed to the center.
- Serve immediately.
If you don’t have an appropriately sized baking dish, you can line your fryer basket with parchment paper or foil instead.
This will stave off too much mess and make it easier to lift your pie out of the basket.
Before serving your pie, test the internal temperature of the filling with a knife or toothpick.
The pastry will heat up quickly and feel hot to the touch almost immediately, which can be misleading.
My verdict
This is an excellent method if you have an air fryer handy.
The pastry was lovely and crispy, but you do need to use lowish heat, or you’ll end up with a cold filling.
Overall, this method is effective, fast, and convenient but not suitable for bigger portions (like in the oven).
How to store pot pies
The easiest way to store a pot pie is to keep it in the dish or tray they were baked in and cover them tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Alternatively, you can transfer your leftover pie into airtight containers. You should store 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, making it easy to grab a single portion to reheat when you’re ready (although be wary of losing any filling!).
Can you freeze pot pies?
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/bake when needed. To store pot pies in the freezer, wrap them tightly in foil or plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn.
How to freeze pot pies:
- Cool your cooked pies or pie fillings to room temperature. This is important to prevent large ice crystals from forming in the mixture when you freeze it.
- Add your pastry topping if you’re freezing pot pies with uncooked pastry.
- Place the pot pie in the freezer (in its baking dish) uncovered for 2-3 hours until it’s frozen solid.
- Wrap your frozen pot pie tightly in foil or plastic wrap. Use two layers for adequate protection against freezer burn.
- For pre-sliced pies: wrap the slices individually in plastic wrap followed by foil.
- Place in the freezer and use within six months.
I like to freeze my pies uncovered first because they freeze quicker that way.
And the quicker something freezes, the less chance there is of anything ruining its textural integrity.
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.
You can then wrap each slice individually in foil or plastic wrap.
Top tip: foil baking dishes are great for freezing pies.
How to reheat frozen pot pies
There’s no need to thaw a frozen pie before reheating it.
For a frozen, unbaked pot pie, cover it with foil and heat it in a 400°F (200°C) oven for around 40 minutes. Remove the foil can continue baking until the pie crust is golden brown. For a pre-baked pie, follow the same instructions but shorten the ‘foil-free’ bake time to around 10 minutes.
Remember to cut steam slits in your unbaked pie crust before reheating it (if you haven’t already).
To speed up the reheating process, defrost your frozen pies in the microwave before warming them in the oven.
How to reheat a KFC pot pie
The best way to reheat a KFC pot pie is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Don’t remove the pie from its container, but instead rest the whole thing on a baking sheet. Cover the pie with foil, and warm it up for 20 minutes. Uncover for the last few minutes to crisp up the top.
You can also use your air fryer but be mindful not to burn your pie’s delicate topping.
Exactly How To Reheat A Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 1 portion pot pie whole
- 1 portion pot pie slice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C).Place your pie or pie slice in an oven-safe dish.Cover the pastry with foil. Cover cut edges with foil, too, if reheating slices.Heat for 10 – 15 minutes or up to 30 minutes for a whole pie.
- Optional (for extra crisp):Remove the foil.Switch on your broiler or turn up your oven to 400°F (200°C).Warm for a few minutes until your pastry is crispy.
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