Leftover Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
A double-crust holiday pot pie packed with tender turkey, carrots, celery, and peas in a rich gravy-infused or stock-based sauce. A gentle warm-stock soak keeps dry white meat succulent.
If you are starting from raw poultry rather than holiday leftovers, consult our classic Homemade Chicken Pot Pie for complete from-scratch all-butter pastry and filling techniques. For a fast weeknight dinner using refrigerated rolled dough, see our Easy Chicken Pot Pie. Feeding a crowd? Our Chicken Pot Pie Casserole bakes in a 9x13 dish under a golden crescent top, or warm up with a spoonable bowl of one-pot Easy Chicken Pot Pie Soup.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Transforms dry leftovers into luxury: A gentle 10-minute warm-stock soak rehydrates turkey breast before it enters the filling.
- Holiday flavor in every bite: Uses leftover turkey gravy and rich carcass stock, accented with fresh sage and poultry seasoning.
- A crisp, flaky bottom crust: Spreading the filling on a sheet pan to chill for 45 minutes protects raw butter pastry layers from turning soggy.
- Ultimate freezer meal: The filling freezes flat for up to 3 months, offering the best answer to an abundance of holiday bird.
Warm the turkey in warm stock for 10 minutes before it touches the sauce. Place cut turkey in a bowl, pour over 1/2 cup of warm stock, and let it rest while softening the vegetables.
Chilled cooked meat absorbs moisture when warmed gently in liquid, plumping the muscle fibers. Once turkey is encased in a thick roux and baked at 400°F, moisture only leaves—it never enters.
A brief 10-minute stock soak is the difference between turkey that squeaks and turkey that flakes tenderly with a fork.
Read Before You Start
Check the clock on your leftover turkey before you begin: USDA food safety guidelines recommend using cooked poultry within 3 to 4 days from the day it was originally roasted. If your turkey has been refrigerated longer than that, discard it rather than attempting to rescue it in a pie. If you are approaching that limit, assemble the filling today and freeze it flat immediately.
Taste your stock and gravy before adding any salt: Prepared gravy and carcass stocks already carry concentrated sodium. Hold off on adding salt until the sauce is assembled and tasted at the end.
Deep-dish pie plate required: A standard 9-inch deep-dish pie plate (at least 1.5 to 2 inches deep, holding 5 to 6 cups) is necessary for this generous holiday filling. Always place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom oven rack to catch any bubbling drips.
Ingredient Deep Dive & Notes
Cooked turkey (4 cups / ~570 g): A combination of white and dark meat cut into generous 3/4-inch pieces. Larger chunks hold their internal moisture during baking. If using breast meat only, the 10-minute stock-soak step is even more critical.
Leftover turkey gravy (1 cup / 240 ml, optional): The single biggest flavor booster, providing roasted drippings and fond. Because gravy already contains thickening starch, the flour is calibrated to 6 tablespoons. If omitting gravy, use 1 additional cup of stock plus 1/4 cup heavy cream, and increase the flour to 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons). Note: if avoiding alcohol, check that your holiday gravy was not deglazed with wine or sherry.
Turkey stock (2 1/2 cups / 600 ml, divided): Stock simmered from the holiday carcass with onion, carrot, celery, and herbs gives unparalleled depth. Quality low-sodium chicken stock or turkey broth from a carton is a reliable alternative.
Fresh sage (2 tsp chopped): The signature herb that distinguishes turkey pot pie from standard chicken pie. If substituting dried sage, use 3/4 teaspoon. A pinch of poultry seasoning adds classic holiday aroma.
All-purpose flour (6 tbsp / 45 g): Carefully sized to balance the pre-thickened gravy and stock. If making the pie without gravy, increase flour to 1/2 cup (60 g / 8 tablespoons).
Pastry crust (double crust): Homemade all-butter pastry is our default standard—follow our complete pastry rolling method in Homemade Chicken Pot Pie. If using refrigerated rolled crusts, blind bake the bottom shell for 8 minutes at 425°F with pie weights as taught in Easy Chicken Pot Pie to avoid a soggy bottom.
Don't substitute raw turkey: This recipe is calibrated specifically for pre-cooked poultry. Raw turkey will not cook through properly within the filling assembly.
Equipment Needed
- 9-inch deep-dish ceramic or glass pie plate (at least 1. 5 to 2 inches deep)
- Rimmed baking sheet (preheated on the lowest oven rack)
- Large skillet or Dutch oven (11 to 12 inches)
- Whisk and wooden spoon
- Rimmed sheet pan (for chilling filling)
- Instant-read food thermometer
Overhead view of leftover turkey pot pie ingredients including diced cooked turkey, gravy, broth, carrots, celery, peas, and fresh sage
Detailed Step-by-Step Cooking Guide
Warm the turkey in stock
Cook the aromatics
Diced onions, carrots, and celery softening in melted butter in a skillet
Cook out the roux
Build and simmer the sauce
Fold in turkey and frozen peas
Cool the filling
Thick creamy turkey pot pie filling spread across a rimmed sheet pan to chill
Assemble and bake
Rest before slicing
Getting a Turkey Pot Pie Right
How to avoid common texture, seasoning, and pastry pitfalls when making pot pie from leftover poultry.
The meat was boiled in the sauce or went in straight from the fridge without the warm stock soak. Keep the turkey out of active simmering and give it 10 minutes in warm broth first.
Adding salt out of habit before tasting. Leftover gravy and commercial broths already contain salt. Always wait until Step 5 to add kosher salt.
Pouring warm filling into raw dough, or omitting the preheated baking sheet. Chilling the filling for 45 minutes and baking on a hot lower-rack sheet ensures crisp pastry.
Leftover gravy thickness varies widely. If the filling looks like paste at Step 5, stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra stock before chilling.
The egg wash can brown ahead of the deep interior. Shield the rim loosely with a foil ring and use an instant-read thermometer to verify 165°F (74°C) in the center.
Close-up macro of a cut slice of turkey pot pie with flaky crust and tender turkey chunks in velvety sauce
What Else to Do With Leftover Turkey Filling
How to Serve, Store & Reheat
Rest the turkey pot pie 15 minutes, then cut and lift with a pie server. Pair with dressed bitter greens or pickled red onions to refresh the palate after rich holiday fare.
Refrigerate within 2 hours of baking. Per USDA food safety guidelines, cooked turkey is safe in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days from the day the turkey was originally cooked (not from when the pie was baked). Store leftovers covered in an airtight container or covered loosely with foil once chilled.
Reheat leftover slices on a baking sheet in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the filling reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C) per USDA guidelines and the crust crisps up. Avoid the microwave, which turns pastry soggy.
The filling freezes exceptionally well: freeze flat in freezer bags for up to 3 months. To freeze an unbaked whole pie, assemble in a freezer-safe metal pie pan without egg wash, freeze solid, and wrap tightly. Bake straight from frozen at 425°F for 30 minutes, then reduce to 375°F and bake 55 to 65 minutes until the center reaches 165°F (74°C), brushing with egg wash once the surface thaws. Baked pie can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Plated slice of leftover turkey pot pie beside a fresh green salad
Dietary Variations
Use a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour blend in place of all-purpose flour for the roux. Ensure your gravy was not thickened with wheat flour (or use all gluten-free stock and cream instead, increasing GF flour to 1/2 cup). Pair with a certified gluten-free rolled crust.
Replace unsalted butter with plant-based baking butter and substitute unsweetened plain oat milk for whole milk. Verify that your leftover gravy contains no added dairy or butter.
Omit the bottom crust and bake in a deep baking dish with only a vented pastry lid. This reduces fat and lowers calories by approximately 180 kcal per serving.
The secret to this pot pie is the combination of gravy reduction and gentle temperature management. Leftover gravy brings concentrated caramelized roasting drippings that a 6-minute roux cannot mimic.
Because gravy provides starch, we keep flour at 6 tablespoons. Pre-soaking the cold turkey in warm broth restores moisture to meat cells before the oven bake, ensuring every forkful is succulent.
Allergen Notice: This recipe contains wheat (crust and flour roux), dairy (butter and milk), and egg (egg wash). Leftover gravy may also contain wheat flour or trace dairy/alcohol. For food allergies, verify ingredients on store-bought broths, crusts, and homemade gravy components. This recipe guide does not replace professional medical or dietary advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Recipe Visual Gallery (6 Full Photos)
Recipe Card & Steps
Ingredients Checklist
Click an item to check it off as you prep
- 2 crustschilled 9-inch pie crusts (homemade all-butter dough or refrigerated pie crusts)
- 4 cups (570 g)cooked turkey, white and dark meat, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 2 1/2 cups (600 ml)turkey or chicken stock (homemade carcass stock or low-sodium broth), divided
- 6 tbsp (85 g)unsalted butter
- 1 mediumyellow onion, finely diced
- 2 mediumcarrots, diced
- 2 ribscelery, sliced
- 6 tbsp (45 g)all-purpose flour (increase to 1/2 cup / 60 g if omitting leftover gravy)
- 1 cup (240 ml)leftover turkey gravy (optional; or substitute 1 cup additional stock plus 1/4 cup heavy cream, increasing flour to 1/2 cup)
- 3/4 cup (180 ml)whole milk
- 1 cup (140 g)frozen peas
- 2 tspchopped fresh sage (or 3/4 tsp dried sage)
- 1/4 tsppoultry seasoning (optional)
- 1/2 tspfreshly ground black pepper
- kosher salt, to taste at the end (adjust based on saltiness of gravy and stock)
- 1 largeegg, beaten with 1 tsp water (for egg wash)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow along and mark each step complete as you cook
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rimmed baking sheet placed on the lowest oven rack.
Cut the cooked turkey into generous 3/4-inch pieces and place in a bowl. Pour over 1/2 cup of warm turkey or chicken stock and let sit for 10 minutes to absorb moisture while preparing the vegetables. Do not drain; the soaking stock will be folded into the filling.
Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and a carrot piece yields slightly to a knife tip while retaining slight bite.
Sprinkle the 6 tablespoons of all-purpose flour (or 1/2 cup if not using leftover gravy) evenly over the vegetables. Stir constantly for 2 full minutes to cook out raw flour starch; the roux should coat the vegetables like wet sand and smell lightly toasted.
Gradually whisk in the remaining 2 cups of stock in two additions, smoothing out any lumps. Whisk in the 1 cup leftover turkey gravy (or extra stock and cream) and the 3/4 cup whole milk. Simmer gently for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens enough that a spoon dragged across the pan bottom leaves a clear trail that stays open for 1 to 2 seconds. Stir in the fresh sage, black pepper, and poultry seasoning (if using). Taste the sauce before adding any salt, adjusting as needed based on the saltiness of your stock and gravy.
Remove the skillet from the heat completely. Fold in the soaked turkey along with its soaking stock and the frozen peas straight from the freezer. Stir gently until evenly incorporated; do not return the skillet to heat. Taste once more and make final seasoning adjustments with kosher salt.
Spread the hot filling evenly across a rimmed sheet pan and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 45 minutes. (Chilling the filling is essential to prevent melting the butter in the bottom crust before baking).
Ease the larger rolled pastry round into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate without stretching. Transfer the cold filling into the pie shell and level the top. Lay the second pastry round over the filling, trim to a 3/4-inch overhang, fold edges under, and crimp firmly to seal. Cut four 1-inch steam vents in the center and brush the top evenly with the beaten egg wash.
Place the pie directly onto the preheated baking sheet on the lowest oven rack. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes to set the bottom crust, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes (55 to 60 minutes total oven time). The pie is done when the crust is deep golden brown all over, the filling is visibly bubbling through the steam vents, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers at least 165°F (74°C). If the outer crimp browns quickly, shield the edges loosely with a foil ring.
Transfer the pie to a wire cooling rack and rest for 15 minutes before slicing. This allows the hot filling to set so wedges slice cleanly and hold their shape on the server.
Recipe Card Notes & Tips
- Timing breakdown: 25 minutes prep (dicing turkey, 10-minute warm-stock soak, chopping aromatics, assembling and crimping) + 75 minutes cook time (~16-17 minutes skillet roux and sauce simmer + 55-60 minutes oven bake) + 60 minutes rest time (45-minute filling chill + 15-minute post-bake rest) = 160 minutes (2 hours 40 minutes) total. If preparing homemade pastry from scratch, allow an additional 15 minutes prep and 1 hour dough chill (which runs concurrently with the filling chill, adding only ~15 minutes net time).
- Default vs. optional gravy and stock: Leftover turkey gravy and carcass stock provide roasted holiday depth, but are optional. If omitting gravy, replace with 1 cup extra stock plus 1/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk, and increase all-purpose flour from 6 tablespoons to 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) to compensate for the starch in prepared gravy.
- Store-bought crust swap: If using refrigerated store-bought pie crusts, blind bake the bottom crust for 8 minutes at 425°F with pie weights before filling, following the method in our Easy Chicken Pot Pie.
- Stuffing topping option: For a stuffing-topped pot pie, omit the top crust. Bake the pie with only the bottom crust and filling for 25 minutes at 400°F (200°C), scatter 3 cups crumbled leftover stuffing over the top, drizzle with 2 tablespoons melted butter, and bake for 15 minutes longer until crisp and browned.
- USDA leftovers & safety guidelines: Standard USDA food safety guidance specifies that cooked poultry is safe in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days from the day the turkey was originally roasted, not from when this pie is baked. Reheat leftover slices in a 350°F oven to an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C). If your leftover turkey is near the 3-to-4-day threshold, freeze the unbaked pie or cooled filling for up to 3 months.
Ratings & Reviews
Leave a Review
Made this recipe? Share your thoughts, tweaks, and honest rating with other home cooks!
Community Reviews (0)
You Might Also Enjoy
More delicious recipes in Main Dishes.
Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuit Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
Crispy Orange Chicken Recipe with Real Orange Sauce
