A chicken pot pie reheats well at 350°F to 375°F until the filling reaches 165°F and the crust stays flaky.
If you’re reheating chicken pot pie in oven, the target is plain: hot filling, crisp pastry, no burnt rim, no cold patch in the middle. The oven handles that better than the microwave because it warms the pie with steady heat while drying the crust just enough to bring back its snap.
That steady heat also gives you room to steer the result. You can shield the edges with foil, pull the cover off near the end, and check the middle before the top gets too dark. With chicken pot pie, that little bit of control makes a big difference because the gravy filling heats slower than the crust browns.
Reheating Chicken Pot Pie In Oven After Fridge Storage
For a chilled pie, 350°F is a good starting point for a whole pie, while 375°F works well for slices and small pot pies. Lower heat gives the middle more time to catch up. Slightly higher heat brings back a crisper top on thinner portions.
Take the pie out of the fridge while the oven heats. Ten to 15 minutes on the counter helps cut the chill, which leads to more even reheating. Set the pie on a baking sheet so any bubbling sauce lands on the tray instead of the oven floor.
What To Do Before It Goes In
- Loosely tent foil over the top if the crust already looks brown.
- Leave a little space under the foil so steam can drift out.
- Place the pie on the center rack for steadier heat.
- Use a food thermometer for the filling, not the crust color, as your finish line.
Step-By-Step Oven Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F for a whole pie or 375°F for slices.
- Set the pie on a sheet pan.
- Cover loosely with foil for the first half if the crust darkens fast.
- Reheat until the center of the filling reaches 165°F.
- Rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving so the filling thickens again.
That 165°F finish is the part that matters most for leftovers. The USDA leftovers rule says reheated leftovers should hit 165°F. The FDA safe food handling page also says cooked perishables belong in the fridge within two hours, so a good reheat starts with good storage.
How Long A Chicken Pot Pie Usually Takes
Time changes with size, depth, dish material, and starting temperature. A single slice warms faster because heat can move in from the cut sides. A whole pie takes longer because the center sits under a thick layer of filling and crust.
Use the clock as a rough marker, not the final call. Pot pie can look done on top while the middle still lags. That’s why the oven method works so well: you can slow down the crust with foil while the filling keeps warming.
Frozen pie changes the timing again. A pie thawed overnight in the fridge gives you a shorter reheat and a better crust. Straight-from-frozen reheating still works, but it needs more patience and more edge shielding.
| Pie Setup | Oven Heat | Usual Time To 165°F |
|---|---|---|
| Whole pie, chilled, 8 to 9 inch | 350°F | 35 to 50 minutes |
| Whole deep-dish pie, chilled | 350°F | 45 to 60 minutes |
| Single slice, chilled | 375°F | 15 to 25 minutes |
| Two slices side by side | 375°F | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Individual pot pie, chilled | 375°F | 25 to 35 minutes |
| Whole pie, thawed from freezer | 350°F | 40 to 55 minutes |
| Whole pie, straight from freezer | 350°F | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Mini pie, frozen | 375°F | 35 to 45 minutes |
Those ranges assume the pie was stored within the usual leftover window. The federal Cold food storage chart lists most cooked leftovers at three to four days in the fridge, which fits homemade and store-bought chicken pot pie once it has been cooked and chilled.
How To Keep The Crust Flaky While The Filling Heats
The trick is cover first, uncover later. If the top already has good color, shield it loosely at the start. Then remove the foil for the last stretch so the crust can dry and crisp back up. If you keep the pie sealed the whole time, trapped steam turns the top soft.
Rack position matters too. The center rack gives the pie balanced heat from above and below. A low rack can harden the bottom before the center warms through, while a high rack can push the top too far before the gravy is hot.
Small Moves That Pay Off
- Wrap only the rim if the edges darken faster than the center warms.
- Reheat slices on parchment for a cleaner, less soggy bottom.
- Let a frozen pie thaw in the fridge overnight when you can.
- Cut a whole pie after reheating, not before, so the filling stays tucked in.
Whole Pie Vs Slice
A slice can handle 375°F because it has less mass and more exposed surface. A whole pie does better at 350°F because the middle needs extra time. That lower heat gives the filling room to warm without racing the crust toward an overdone finish.
If your pie has a biscuit-style topping instead of pastry, skip the foil unless the top starts browning too fast. Biscuit tops hold moisture differently and can lose their texture under a tent.
From Frozen Without Drying It Out
Start a frozen pie at 350°F and cover it loosely for the first half. Check the color late rather than opening the oven every few minutes. Once the center is close, remove the foil and give the top 5 to 10 minutes uncovered so the pastry can firm up.
| Problem | Why It Happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Crust burns before filling is hot | Oven runs hot or pie starts too close to top heat | Use loose foil early and keep the pie on the center rack |
| Center stays cold | Whole pie needs more time than the top suggests | Lower to 350°F and check with a thermometer |
| Bottom crust turns soggy | Steam gets trapped under the pie | Reheat on a preheated sheet pan or use parchment for slices |
| Filling leaks over the edge | Pie was overfilled or reheated too hard | Use a sheet pan and avoid blasting it at high heat |
| Top stays pale | Foil stayed on too long | Uncover for the last 5 to 10 minutes |
| Pie dries out | Reheated too long after reaching serving temp | Pull it once the center hits 165°F and rest it |
When To Skip Reheating And Toss The Pie
If the pie sat out for more than two hours, has a sour smell, shows mold, or has been in the fridge longer than the usual leftover window, don’t try to save it with more heat. Reheating can warm food thoroughly, but it can’t rewind poor storage.
Chicken pot pie can hide spoilage under the crust, so age matters as much as smell. If the storage date is fuzzy, it’s smarter to toss it and start fresh.
A Simple Oven Routine That Works
For most chilled pies, go with 350°F, use foil early if the crust is already dark, then finish uncovered. For slices, 375°F works nicely and trims the wait. In both cases, the center temperature decides when dinner is ready, not the color of the crust.
That routine gives you the texture people want from pot pie: flaky top, hot gravy, tender chicken, and no icy bite in the middle. Once you get the foil timing and oven temperature dialed in, reheated pie tastes close to fresh-baked instead of like leftovers that were just warmed through.
References & Sources
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.“Leftovers and Food Safety.”States that reheated leftovers should reach 165°F and gives storage guidance for chilled and frozen leftovers.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration.“Safe Food Handling.”Covers prompt refrigeration of cooked perishables and basic handling rules for reducing foodborne risk.
- FoodSafety.gov.“Cold Food Storage Chart.”Lists recommended refrigerator and freezer storage times for cooked leftovers.

