Easy Beef Pot Pie Recipe

Have you ever made pot pie from scratch? If not, you should really try this easy recipe! If you ask me, it doesn’t get much cozier than pot pies. They’re the ultimate cozy dinner idea.

Why You’ll Love This Beef Pot Pie Recipe

• Easy: While some pot pie recipes use top round, chuck steak, or other cuts of beef, this one’s extra easy and fast because it just uses good old ground beef, just like my mom used to make.
• Uses store-bought crust: Also, I like to use store-bought pie crusts for this pot pie. Making your own pastry isn’t super hard, but it can be a bit time-consuming. By just picking up a couple of store-bought crusts, you can bring this meal together in much less time and with much less effort!
• Freezes well: If you like, you can double this recipe and make one pie for now, and freeze one (unbaked) for later! All you need is an additional pie pan and a larger skillet! See the “Can I Freeze This?” section below for more details.

Want more ways to make pot pie? Try my turkey pot pie, chicken pot pie with biscuits, or these mini chicken pot pies.

What You’ll Need

This recipe is semi-from-scratch if you use a store-bought pie crust, or you can make the crust as well for a fully from scratch recipe! (Note: for the full recipe card with amounts and other info, scroll down to the bottom of this post.)

• Ground Beef: You can use ground chuck, sirloin, or whatever you prefer. Lean ground beef will be less greasy, but use whatever you like!
• Onion: I use about half of a large yellow onion, but you can substitute white, sweet, or red onion instead.
• Garlic: I think you get the brightest flavor from freshly minced garlic, but garlic powder is also great and arguably has a more intense garlic taste. 
• Herbs: My favorite are marjoram and thyme, but other options like parsley, basil, and oregano are also great choices.
• Salt and Pepper
• Peas: Canned or frozen are fine.1 cup peas, canned or frozen
• Corn Kernels: Again, you can use canned or frozen, whichever you prefer.
• Fresh Carrots: You want a small dice here, to go well with the peas and corn and to cook evenly.
• Celery: Dice the celery small as well.
• Potato: I usually use a large Russet potato, peeled and cubed into small pieces; if you want to use waxy red or yellow potatoes, that’s fine too. Between half a cup and one cup is about right.
• Tomatoes: To make my beef mixture extra-savory and colorful, I add one can of diced tomatoes.
• Pie Crusts: You’ll need a top and bottom pie crust, each about 9 inches. Again, store bought or homemade pie crust both are fine.
• Egg: Brushing the pastry with beaten egg ensures a pretty golden-brown color and a touch of richness when baked.

How to Make Beef Pot Pie

You’ll notice that I pre-cook my carrots and potatoes so that they are done at the same time as the faster-cooking peas, celery, etc. While I pre-cook in the microwave, you could also do this in a small saucepan on the stove. Easy!

• Prep the Oven. Before you get started, preheat the oven to 400°F, and make sure the rack is in the lower-middle position.

• Cook the Beef, Onions, Garlic, and Seasonings. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking it apart as you cook it. When the beef is about halfway done, add the diced onion, garlic, thyme, marjoram, salt, and pepper to the skillet, and let everything cook together for a few more minutes, until the meat is done and the onion is soft.
• Pre-Cook the Potatoes and Carrots. Place your diced carrots and potatoes with in a microwave-safe bowl or dish with a splash of water. Microwave on high for 5 minutes.
• Add Remaining Filling Ingredients to the Skillet. Stir the carrots, potatoes, diced tomatoes, peas, and corn into the beef mixture. Take the skillet off of the heat, and set it aside.

• Prep and Fill the Bottom Crust. Spray a 9-inch pie pan with nonstick spray. Then roll out the pie crusts, and lay one in the pan, using a lightly floured rolling pin to lift and center the crust over the pie plate without tearing it. Spoon the ground beef mixture into the prepared bottom crust. 
• Add the Top Crust and Seal. Place the second crust over the top of the pie, and crimp the edges of the crusts together by pinching the dough between your fingers. Repeat all along the edges to seal. Use a sharp knife to cut a few small slits in the top crust, so that the steam can escape as the pie bakes. 
• Brush with Egg Wash. Brush the top of the assembled pot pie with beaten egg, to give it an extra golden-brown color as it bakes.
• Bake. Then place the pie on a cookie sheet to catch any spills during the baking process, and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden-brown and the filling is bubbly. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the edges with foil to prevent burning.
• Serve! Remove the pie from the oven, and let it stand for 10 minutes to firm up before cutting and serving.

Tips for success

If you’ve never made pot pie before, you might feel a little overwhelmed by the number of steps and ingredients, but don’t be! Here are my top tips for making this recipe easy, even for “novices!”

• Read the entire recipe: I recommend that you read through the entire recipe before starting, so you’ll already be familiar with the process. It’s also a good idea to have your ingredients chopped and prepared beforehand.
• Ground beef options: While cooking the ground beef, I like to let it cook into large chunks rather than a fine crumble. Either is fine, though—whatever you think you would enjoy better in each bite of pie.
• Add extra flavor: If you love that extra beefy taste, try adding a tablespoon of beef base to your cooking beef. I like Better than Bouillon, beef flavor.
• Thicken the gravy: I don’t add any thickeners to my pot pie, but you definitely can if you want to! In fact, if you use ground beef that’s not too lean, you can sprinkle flour over the browned beef to absorb the fat. This will make its own gravy when you add the veggies and bake!

How to do you keep pot pie from getting soggy?

If you’re concerned about keeping the bottom crust of this pie flaky and un-soggy, I recommend giving it a quick blind-bake before filling. Just prick the bottom crust all over with a fork, and put empty it in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Take it out, fill it, and proceed with the rest of the recipe as written!

Serving Suggestions

Beef pot pie is a meal in and of itself! But if you want a side or two to serve along with it, here are some of our favorites. Each one is easy to make and full of flavor.

• Salad: Beef pot pie is a rich and cozy dish, so it goes really well with a crisp and crunchy salad. This Greek Salad is a great option!
• Asparagus: Another favorite green veggie, you should definitely try this Air Fried Asparagus version! It’s deep, flavorful, and super healthy.
• Fried Apples: You might think of Fried Apples as a dessert, but traditionally, they were considered a side dish! I love serving fried apples as a pleasant change of pace, something comforting and homespun.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Store in the fridge: To store leftover pot pie in the refrigerator, cover leftovers with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
• To reheat: Place the pot pie in an oven-proof dish and bake at 350°F until hot through.

Can I Freeze Pot Pie?

I don’t recommend freezing pot pie after it’s been baked, because the pastry can become very mushy when thawed and reheated. However, you can make the filling in advance! Place in airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months.

You can also assemble the entire pie, and freeze it unbaked for up to 3 months! Wrap it well in several layers of plastic wrap. When you’re ready to cook it, bake from frozen, adding 20 – 30 extra minutes to the bake time. 

More Comforting Dinner Recipes

• Tender Crockpot Pot Roast
• Homemade Hamburger Helper
• Best Creamy Homemade Alfredo Sauce
• Best Chicken and Dumplings
• Mexican Casserole
• Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta