Chicken Cobbler

By Mark Bittman

Updated March 3, 2025

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
5(1,709)
Comments
Read comments

Chicken potpie, like so many other dishes, was a created as way to stretch chicken by encasing it in less expensive, more filling dough. In restaurants, the dish has gone through something of a renaissance, but not many people make it at home, maybe because it seems like too much work. This version is different, using a far simpler procedure. It is a chicken potpie reimagined as a cobbler, with less dough and more vegetables. The idea here is to do much of the cooking in one pot and skip the most finicky part, the crust, in favor of a simple biscuit topping. In about 45 minutes, you can have a hearty, savory cobbler that is, I’m almost sorry to say, as easy as pie.

Featured in: How to Top Chicken Pot Pie

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 leek, well washed and chopped

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 2 cups quartered button mushrooms

  • 1 ½ cups chicken stock

  • 1 rosemary sprig

  • 2 medium carrots, cut into coins

  • 2 boneless chicken thighs, diced

  • 1 cup peas, frozen or fresh

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder

  • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

  • ½ cup buttermilk (see note)

  • 1 egg

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

31 grams carbs; 105 milligrams cholesterol; 416 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 24 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 635 milligrams sodium; 18 grams protein; 6 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Add oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the leek, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid has released and evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add stock and rosemary; bring to a boil, and let bubble for a minute or two, then add carrots and chicken and reduce heat so the liquid simmers. Cook until carrots are almost tender and chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Add peas and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are brightly colored and just tender, another minute or so; remove rosemary stem and discard.

  3. Step 3

    In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with a few tablespoons of water to make a slurry. Add slurry to pot and stir until liquid thickens slightly. Transfer everything to an ovenproof dish and set aside.

  4. Step 4

    Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put flour in a food processor with baking powder, soda and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add butter and process until mixture resembles small peas, no more than 30 seconds. (You can also do this by hand, using two knives, a fork, your fingers or a pastry cutter). Transfer mixture to a bowl and mix in buttermilk and egg until it just comes together; it should be sticky.

  5. Step 5

    Drop spoonfuls of batter on top of vegetables and chicken and smooth with a knife, covering as much surface area as possible but leaving a few gaps for steam to escape. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until golden on top and bubbly underneath. Scoop into bowls and serve immediately.

Tip

  • If you don’t have buttermilk, gently warm milk until it’s about 100 degrees; stir in a couple of teaspoons of vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,709 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Tim

If you're like me, you see a recipe like this and ask yourself, "do I want to buy buttermilk of which I certainly will waste most, or do I wanna risk doing the warmed milk/vinegar thing? Maybe I shouldn't make this at all?" And that, my friends, is where dried buttermilk powder comes in. Keeps in the pantry indefinitely. Mix with milk or water exactly the amount you need, easy peasy, no waste. Excellent product. And I was not compensated by the dried buttermilk industry for this comment.

bonnie

Home Cooked chicken, fresh vegetables sautéed, one cheat - bisquick topping. Great.

Margaux Laskey, Associate Editor, New York Times Cooking

Thank you for flagging! You are so right, and this is a pet peeve of mine as well. Updated!

Elaine G

And I use bisquick and milk to make my dumplings…or grands biscuits. Both are excellent and are FAR less work and cleanup.

Alyssa Kapnik Samuel

I absolutely love this recipe. I add leeks with the onions and do carrots and white mushrooms. I cook it down the vegetables for much longer than it says (probably 30 minutes), to make sure it will be as buttery soft as possible. Then I add 1.5 cups of broth and 10 chicken legs. I let this all cook for 90 minutes. It comes out exceptionally delicious. I could eat it every day.

Don

For me this was just okay. I added salt to the topping, and probably could have added even more because it was kind of bland. As for the chicken & vegetable mix, the sauce was also rather bland. I think making a nice béchamel sauce using milk would improve the flavor.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.