Chicken Cobbler

Name: Chicken Cobbler
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 leek, well washed and chopped; Salt and black pepper; 2 cups quartered button mushrooms; 1 1/2 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; 3/4 teaspoon baking powder; 1/8 teaspoon baking soda; 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed; 1/2 cup buttermilk (see note); 1 egg

By Mark Bittman

Updated March 4, 2025

Chicken Cobbler — Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Rating: 5(1,175)
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

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

3tablespoons olive oil
1leek, well washed and chopped
Salt and black pepper
2cups quartered button mushrooms
1½cups chicken stock
1rosemary sprig
2medium carrots, cut into coins
2boneless chicken thighs, diced
1cup peas, frozen or fresh
2tablespoons cornstarch
1cup all-purpose flour
¾teaspoon baking powder
⅛teaspoon baking soda
2 to 3tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
½cup buttermilk (see note)
1egg

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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Ratings

5 out of 5

1,175 user ratings

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Comments

Tim6 months ago

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.

bonnie5 years ago

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

Margaux Laskey, Associate Editor, New York Times Cooking6 months ago

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

NancyB1 day ago

I made this mostly according to the recipe, although I browned the chicken cubes with the carrots before adding the stock. I increased the peas bcz my granddaughter (age 1.5) loves them. The results were so good compared to the effort involved! This was a huge hit with the whole fam. I would make this for company, (doubled) because it tastes just as good reheated on day 2, so it can easily be made ahead. Next time I will add thyme or sage to the chicken and some sharp cheddar to the biscuit dough. Totally a keeper!

Denice1 week ago

Used 1 1/2 lb. chicken breast poached in stock and herbs. Used pearl onions. Simmered carrots in stock with fresh rosemary and used that stock for recipe. Double amounts of stock (3 c.) for a 9 x 13 inch pan. Doubled the recipe for the biscuits. Used yogurt thinned with milk and 6 T. butter. Placed in the dish and drizzled 1/2 & 1/2 over the top to whiten sauce. Dropped biscuits - not seeing how the original amount of biscuit batter works. Well received but sauce needs to be improved.

Elizabeth1 week ago

Fabulous comfort food. Used 1/2 cup of milk with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice- worked great as buttermilk! I used a 9x13 lasagne pan and cooked for the longer amount of time unintentionally- biscuit topping was well browned as well as some of the chicken and vegetables. Delicious!

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