Can you cook frozen pot pie in the air fryer? Absolutely! This air fryer frozen chicken pot pie recipe also works for turkey pot pie and beef pot pie. You can make any of your favorite potpies in an air fryer, including Marie Callender and Banquet brand. You’ll love how easy weeknight dinners are when you use this one ingredient recipe!
TL; DR: Cover a 13.5-ounce pot pie with foil and bake for 45 minutes in the middle of an air fryer preheated to 375F (190C). Then uncover the pot pie and air fry for 4-5 minutes more on the top rack. Small pot pies may only take 25-35 minutes. Make sure the pie tin the pot pie is in is oven safe before trying this recipe. If you like easy air fryer ideas, subscribe to my Weekly Newsletter!
A few weeks ago, I got a little surprise in my grocery delivery. The rotisserie chicken I ordered was replaced with a chicken pot pie.
My husband suggested returning it (it wasn’t really a great substitution, after all). Instead, I decided to put the meat pie in the freezer and try air frying it for lunch later in the week.
And that, my friends, is how this air fryer chicken pot pie recipe was born. I just couldn’t see heating up the oven for one little pot pie.
Plus, let’s be honest here, I’ll try air frying just about any food at least once. Hahaha
Jump to:
📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
One Air Fryer Frozen Pot Pie has 720 calories, 63 grams net carbs, and 27 grams protein. This is for an entire 13.5 ounce (383g) Whole Foods White Meat Chicken Pot Pie. The exact nutrition information for your pot pie will depend on the brand and flavor you use, as well as your portion size.
⭐ Benefits
Why fix pot pie in an air fryer? Aside from having an overall obsession with air frying things (ha!), here are some of my reasons:
- Doesn’t heat up the house: If it’s hot outside, I know I don’t want to turn on the oven to make a pot pie. The air fryer doesn’t heat up the kitchen like an oven does.
- Easy weeknight dinner: Pot pies are a simple main dish option for busy weeknights. Add a veggie side dish or two and you’ve got yourself a complete meal.
- Crisp crust: You can cook pot pies much faster in the microwave, but the crust won’t crisp. Air fryer pot pies have a crispy crust with no soggy texture. (Also, you’d have to take your pot pie out of its metal pie man before microwaving, dirtying another pan.)
- Delicious: Pot pies are a family-friendly meal idea that many kids love. (I know I ate my fair share of pot pies as a child in the 80s!) This one will definitely take some adults on a trip down memory lane.
🥘 Ingredients
All you need for this recipe is a frozen pot pie. You can use frozen chicken pot pie, frozen turkey pot pie, frozen beef pot pie, or frozen veggie pot pie. (Basically, any pot pie your heart desires.)
I used a Whole Foods Chicken Pot Pie that was 13.5 ounces. This is a bit larger than many pot pie options, which means a longer cooking time. Here are some popular chicken pot pies with sizes and nutrition stats for one whole pot pie:
| Brand | Size | Calories | Net Carbs (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole Foods Chicken Pot Pie | 13.5 ounces (383 grams) | 720 | 63 | 27 |
| Marie Callender’s Chicken Pot Pie | 10 ounces (283 grams) | 600 | 57 | 17 |
| Banquet Chicken Pot Pie | 7 ounces (198 grams) | 350 | 33 | 11 |
| Stouffer's White Meat Chicken Pot Pie | 10 ounces (283 grams) | 670 | 61 | 18 |
| Blake’s Chicken Pot Pie | 8 ounces (227 grams) | 360 | 29 | 14 |
| Boomerang’s Chicken Classic Pot Pie | 6 ounces (170 grams) | 310 | 46 | 10 |
🍽 Equipment
I use a 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven for my air fryer recipes. If you're using a Ninja Foodi, Cosori, Philips, Pampered Chef Air Fryer, Actifry, Nuwave, Instant Vortex, Cuisinart, Power Air Fryer, or other air fryer, you may need to adjust the cook time. Your air fryer needs to be big enough to fit the pot pie inside (small air fryer baskets may not fit large pot pies).
In addition to the air fryer, you’ll also need foil and a meat thermometer. We want to make sure our pot pie is cooked properly. The best way to check is with a meat thermometer.
If the pot pie you’re using is not in an oven safe pie tin, you’ll need to put it in a small metal baking pan that fits in your air fryer. Most pot pies come in disposable aluminum pie tins that are air fryer safe. Plastic containers should not go in the air fryer.
🔪 How to Make Frozen Pot Pie in Air Fryer
Preheat the air fryer to 375F (190C) for 5 minutes. Remove any plastic packaging and plastic wrap from your pot pie.
You can leave it in its aluminum pie pan. I’m cooking a pot pie with a top crust only that’s in an aluminum pan. Keep in mind that your pot pie may cook differently if there is a bottom crust and if it’s in a paper pie plate.
There’s no need to slice vent holes in crust of the pot pie. Just put it on your hot air fryer tray or basket, and cover the top with foil.
I prefer to completely cover the top of the pot pie with foil, not just the edges of the crust. IMVHO, the finished cooked pot pie looks nicer when the whole pie is wrapped, with more even browning.
Put the pot pie in the air fryer. If you have an air fryer oven, position the pot pie in the middle of the oven.
️⏲ Cooking Time and Temperature
How long to cook frozen pot pie in an air fryer? What temp to cook pot pie in air fryer? Air fry frozen chicken pot pie for a total of 49-50 minutes in an air fryer preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190C).
You’re going to air fry the pot pie, covered in foil, in the middle of the air fryer for 45 minutes. Then remove the foil, move the pot pie to the top rack of the air fryer oven and bake 4-5 more minutes. This will help to you get a crisp and brown crust.
Remember that I cooked a relatively large frozen pot pie (13.5 ounces/383 grams). Check smaller pot pies after 25 minutes, adding more time if needed.
To ensure your pot pie is properly cooked, check its internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Poultry pot pies should be cooked to a minimum safe internal temp of 165F (74C). (Actually, I cook all frozen pot pies to this temperature.)
🥗 Side Dishes
What to serve with pot pie? I usually use bagged salad as a simple side dish for pot pies. Here are a few more pot pie side dish ideas:
- Frozen Vegetables in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Garlic Bread
- Smoked Mac and Cheese with Gouda and Caramelized Onions
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). Frozen pot pie from the store is an ultra-processed food and easy to overeat. The crust is typically made primarily of white flour and added fat. The creamy filling often has more added fat.
Additionally, like many other highly processed foods, pot pies are usually high in sodium. If you’re on a low-sodium diet, you’re probably going to be better off making a pot pie from scratch vs buying frozen.
The Whole Foods pot pie I purchased listed that it provided 3 servings on the nutrition panel. However, unless it’s a family-size pot pie, I think most of us enjoy a pot pie to ourselves. The nutrition information below is for the whole pot pie.
The major brands of frozen pot pies don’t offer keto, vegan, low carb, or gluten-free options. That means that you’ll be giving up frozen pot pies if you are following one of these special diets. One reason that many see success with diets such as keto is that they need to give up a lot of highly processed foods.
Though they’re delicious, foods like pot pies contain minimal protein and low-calorie veggies relative to their total calories. You might need to eat more calories in pot pies to feel full compared to if you chose a meal of lean protein and veggies. It can be easier to maintain the calorie deficit needed for weight loss if you choose the type of meals that help you to feel full on fewer calories.
Before adopting a diet such as vegan or keto for weight loss, why not try limiting (or eliminating) ultra-processed foods first? You might find that you can make good progress just limiting things like frozen pot pies and frozen taquitos.
FAQs
You can air fry leftover pot pie quickly if it has already been cooked. Preheat the air fryer to 375F (190C) and air fry the refrigerated pot pie for 5-10 minutes.
The best frozen pot pie depends on what you are looking for! For a lighter option, look for smaller pot pies that have a top crust only (no bottom crust). Blake’s Frozen Pot Pie has no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives and fits this criteria.
No, do not defrost pot pie before you air fry. You can air fry pot pie from frozen, just as you would bake a frozen pot pie in the oven.
👩🏻🍳 Other Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Recipes
Want more recipes that use frozen chicken in the air fryer? Try these:
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders
- Frozen Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer
You may also enjoy my Ultimate Guide on Cooking Microwave Meals in the Air Fryer.
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Frozen Pot Pie in Air Fryer (Chicken or Turkey!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pot pie frozen; I used a 13.5 ounce (383 g) chicken pot pie
- side dishes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C) for 5 minutes. Remove any plastic packaging and plastic wrap from the pot pie. You can leave the pot pie in its oven-safe aluminum pie tin.
- Completely cover the top of the pot pie with foil.
- Put the pot pie in the preheated air fryer. If you have an air fryer oven, position the pot pie in the middle of the oven.
- Air fry for 45 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Then remove the foil, move the pot pie to the top rack of the air fryer oven and air fry 4-5 more minutes. These directions are for a 13.5 ounce (383 gram) pot pie. Check smaller pot pies after 25 minutes, adding more time if needed.
- Check the cooked pot pie with a meat thermometer to ensure it reached a minimum safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Add more air fryer cooking time if needed. Serve with side dishes of your choice.
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