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5 from 1 review

Seafood Pot Pie

Posted by Jess Larson on November 30th, 2022 (Updated February 3, 2025)
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE SALES LINKS. PLEASE SEE MY FULL DISCLAIMER POLICY FOR DETAILS.
Few meals are more comforting than classic pot pie, but rich & creamy Seafood Pot Pie takes it to the next level! This seafood-loaded pot pie smothers frozen shrimp, scallops, & lobster in a chowder-inspired sauce with loads of veggies, potatoes, & white wine. Top it off with flaky, golden-brown store-bought puff pastry & bake in the oven until bubbling & golden.

A simple yet decadent seafood pot pie recipe & the BEST way to warm up on a chilly day! Equally perfect for weeknights & special occasions like holidays or date-nights.

Jump to Recipe
A finished seafood pot pie with a portion taken out fills a large white baking dish that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. The pot pie is garnished with flaky salt and fresh chopped herbs. A gold spoon rests atop of the baking dish for serving and the baking dish is surrounded by a black and white window pane linen napkin, a gold oven mitt, a small wooden pinch bowl filled with flaky salt, a small ceramic pinch bowl filled with fresh chopped herbs, and a small ceramic plate with a serving of seafood pot pie.
Photography by Kate Poskochil
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Serves: 8-10

Creamy and Cozy Seafood Comfort Food to Warm You Up from the Inside Out!

This seafood pot pie recipe is the epitome of comfort food, which, in my opinion, should do 2 things: warm up your body from the inside out and put you in a feel-good mood.

What does that better than layers of creamy chowder, tender seafood, and flaky puff pastry?! 😍

A close up and side angle shot of a portion of seafood pot pie is served atop a shallow white ceramic bowl that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A gold spoon rests atop of the bowl and the bowl is surrounded by a black and white window pane patterned linen napkin, a white baking dish filled with the seafood pot pie recipe, and a small ceramic pinch bowl filled with fresh chopped herbs. this Recipe for Later!
Nothing warms you up like a bowl of hearty seafood snuggled into a creamy pot pie with flaky puff pastry.

Seafood is truly the star of this extra-cozy pot pie. It’s made with plenty of tender lobster, scallops, and shrimp, which bake in a creamy sauce inspired by my mom’s killer seafood chowder loaded with vegetables and potatoes.

It might sound fancy, but you can keep this seafood pot pie recipe quick and easy using frozen seafood (which I do, here in Minnesota) and store-bought puff pastry (a low-effort way to get a flaky, golden-brown topping).

A humble yet fancy-feeling comfort food dinner, perfect for a brisk Sunday, date night, or any winter occasion. The coziness is next-level!

Seafood pot pie ingredients arranged atop a creamy white textured surface: jumbo sea scallops, medium shrimp, lobster meat, a sheet of puff pastry, egg wash, unsalted butter, carrot, celery, yellow onion, Russet potato, garlic, all-purpose flour, white wine, clam juice, half and half, lobster base, and frozen peas.
This easy seafood pot pie recipe uses staple pot pie ingredients like aromatic veggies, flaky puff pastry (frozen is great!), and a rich and creamy, chowder-inspired sauce.

The Best Seafood for Pot Pie (Fresh vs. Frozen)

This recipe calls for a combination of lobster, scallops, and shrimp, but it’s honestly quite flexible. Feel free to use whatever is freshest or most readily available where you are. You could easily substitute hearty white fish or crab meat into seafood pot pies, too!

Here in Minnesota, I typically turn to frozen seafood since it’s fresher than what’s traveled to our grocery seafood counters. Important Thawing Tip! ⇢  The fastest and safest way to thaw frozen seafood is to submerge the bag in cool water, allowing things to come up to room temperature slowly. See the Recipe Notes below for more guidance.

Have access to high-quality fresh seafood on the coasts? Use it! Since this seafood pot pie recipe is super versatile, you can easily adapt it over and over based on what your local fisherman is catching.

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How to Make Seafood Pot Pie (Filling and Crust!)

You’ll need to prepare 2 simple components before assembling your seafood pot pie: a golden and flaky puff pastry crust and the chowder-inspired pot pie sauce.

A finished seafood pot pie with a portion taken out fills a large white baking dish that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. The pot pie is garnished with flaky salt and fresh chopped herbs. A gold spoon rests atop of the baking dish for serving and the baking dish is surrounded by a black and white window pane linen napkin, a gold oven mitt, a small wooden pinch bowl filled with flaky salt, a small ceramic pinch bowl filled with fresh chopped herbs, and a small ceramic plate with a serving of seafood pot pie.
You’ll need to prepare two components for this seafood pot pie recipe: a flaky golden-brown crust and creamy homemade seafood pot pie sauce.

Preparing Flaky Puff Pastry

A good, flaky crust is arguably the most delicious part of any pot pie – but you don’t have to make it from scratch! Using frozen, store-bought puff pastry is an easy way to achieve that buttery, flaky pastry layer in way less time.

Since flaky pastry takes longer to cook than delicate seafood, partially baking it (aka, par-baking) ensures every element of the seafood pot pie is done cooking at the same time. It also prevents a soggy pastry!

1

Prepare the pastry for baking by rolling the dough out to the size of your baking dish to fully cover the pot pie filling. Cut a few slits down the middle to allow steam to escape as the seafood pot pie bakes.

2

Par-bake the pastry. Lightly whisk an egg and brush the surface with the egg wash. Then bake the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes, until golden.

Make the Creamy Seafood Pot Pie Sauce

While the puff pastry crust par-bakes, it’s the perfect window of time to make the creamy, chowder-inspired pot pie filling. It builds in one pot in about 5 minutes!

Diced carrot, yellow onion, celery, and Russet potato fill a large white double-handled braising pan. The pan sits atop a creamy white textured surface with a wooden spatula resting inside for stirring.
Cook the carrots, celery, onion, and potatoes in butter until soft, finishing with garlic and a sprinkle of flour.
Seafood pot pie sauce fills a large white double-handled pan that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A wooden spatula rests inside of the pan for stirring.
Deglaze the skillet with white wine and reduce, scraping up all the flavorful browned bits on the bottom. Stir in the clam juice, half and half, and lobster base, simmering until the sauce thickens.

Seafood Pot Pie Assembly and Baking

With each component ready, layer it all in a baking dish and let the seafood pot pie bubble away in the oven!

Seafood pot pie sauce is poured from a large white pan over a layer of seafood and frozen peas that rests inside of a large white baking dish that sits atop a creamy white textured surface.
Step 1: Coat the seafood in creamy pot pie sauce before covering with the par-baked puff pastry.
1

Pot pie assembly. Place the raw scallops, shrimp, lobster, and frozen peas in a baking dish, then pour the pot pie sauce over the top. There’s no need to pre-cook the seafood and peas because they’ll cook quickly in the oven! Finish by gently placing your par-baked puff pastry on top of the dish.

A par-baked sheet of puff pastry is placed overtop of an assembled seafood pot pie inside of a large white baking dish. The baking dish sits atop of a creamy white textured surface.
Step 2: Bake the seafood pot pie in the oven until golden.
2

Bake the seafood pot pie in a 375 degree F oven until the filling is bubbling, the seafood is tender, and the pastry is golden brown. It should take about 20 minutes – just enough time to clean up!

Serving Suggestions

A finished seafood pot pie fills a large white baking dish that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. The pot pie is garnished with flaky salt and fresh chopped herbs. A gold spoon rests atop of the baking dish for serving and the baking dish is surrounded by a black and white window pane linen napkin, a gold oven mitt, a small wooden pinch bowl filled with flaky salt, a small ceramic pinch bowl filled with fresh chopped herbs, and a stack of small ceramic bowls.
Your seafood pot pie should be bubbling and gorgeous once it comes out of the oven.

Be sure to let the seafood pot pie rest for at least 5 minutes before digging in. This gives the filling a chance to cool slightly, which makes it easier to serve.

This seafood pot pie is a simple but special way to cozy up with friends and family or enjoy on date night. Serve individual portions in bowls and finish with a sprinkling of fresh herbs for a pop of color. I also love a Fresh Mixed Greens Side Salad to round out the comforting meal.

An overhead shot of a portion of seafood pot pie is served atop a shallow white ceramic bowl that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A gold spoon rests atop of the bowl and the bowl is surrounded by a black and white window pane patterned linen napkin, a white baking dish filled with the seafood pot pie recipe, and a small ceramic pinch bowl filled with fresh chopped herbs.
This decadent seafood pot pie recipe is great for entertaining and impressing people you love (no one will ever guess how easy it was to make!)

I can’t wait for you to try this Seafood Pot Pie recipe! This rich and creamy, fancy-feeling dish is the ultimate cold-weather dinner (guaranteed to warm you up!).

If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about and seeing your PWWB creations!

Print
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A finished pot pie made with seafood with a portion taken out fills a large white baking dish that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. The pot pie is garnished with flaky salt and fresh chopped herbs. A gold spoon rests atop of the baking dish for serving and the baking dish is surrounded by a black and white window pane linen napkin, a gold oven mitt, a small wooden pinch bowl filled with flaky salt, a small ceramic pinch bowl filled with fresh chopped herbs, and a small ceramic plate with a serving of seafood pot pie.

Easy Seafood Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: serves 8–10 1x
  • Category: Main Dishes, Seafood Recipes
  • Method: Stovetop, Oven, Baked
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

Few meals are more comforting than classic pot pie, but rich and creamy Seafood Pot Pie takes it to the next level! This seafood-loaded pot pie smothers frozen shrimp, scallops, and lobster in a chowder-inspired sauce with loads of veggies, potatoes, and white wine.

Top it off with flaky, golden-brown store-bought puff pastry and bake in the oven until bubbling and golden.

A simple yet decadent seafood pot pie recipe and the BEST way to warm up on a chilly day! Equally perfect for weeknights and special occasions like holidays or date-nights.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 10 ounces jumbo sea scallops (U/20-30), thawed if frozen (see Recipe Notes)
  • 12 ounces medium shrimp (U/41-50), peeled and deveined, and thawed if frozen (see Recipe Notes)
  • 8 ounces lobster meat, raw or precooked and thawed if frozen (see Recipe Notes)
  • 1 sheet puff pastry (about 14 ounces), homemade or thawed from frozen (see Recipe Notes)
  • egg wash (1 large egg, whisked with 1 tablespoon water)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium carrot, diced
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • ½ medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 small Russet potato, peeled and diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • scant ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup dry, unoaked white wine
  • ¼ cup clam juice (see Recipe Notes)
  • 1 ¾ cups half and half
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lobster base (see Recipe Notes)
  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
  • for serving, as desired: finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. Lightly spray a 2.5-quart baking dish (e.g. 9x9x2-inches or 11x7x2-inches) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. If using frozen seafood, thaw (see Recipe Notes) and use paper towel to pat as dry as possible. Set aside. Gather and prep remaining ingredients (e.g. dice veggies, measure liquid ingredients, etc.) and set within an arm’s reach of the stovetop. Seafood pot pie ingredients arranged atop a creamy white textured surface: jumbo sea scallops, medium shrimp, lobster meat, a sheet of puff pastry, egg wash, unsalted butter, carrot, celery, yellow onion, Russet potato, garlic, all-purpose flour, white wine, clam juice, half & half, lobster base, and frozen peas.
  2. Par-bake the puff pastry: Unfold the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to gently roll the puff pastry out such that it will fit overtop your baking dish. Transfer to the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet. Cut 4-6 slits down the middle of the puff pastry, then brush the entire surface with egg wash. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned and puffy. Remove from the oven and set aside for seafood pot pie assembly. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Par-baked puff pastry rests atop a parchment lined baking sheet pan. The sheet pan sits atop a creamy white textured surface.
  3. Soften the veggies: Meanwhile, as the puff pastry par-bakes, prep the seafood pot pie filling. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the carrots, celery, onion, and potato. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until the veggies are softened and slightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.Diced carrot, yellow onion, celery, and Russet potato fill a large white double-handled braising pan. The pan sits atop a creamy white textured surface with a wooden spatula resting inside for stirring.
  4. Build the seafood pot pie sauce: Sprinkle the flour over the softened veggies and stir to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until deeply browned. While scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, slowly pour in the wine. It will bubble vigorously, almost cooking all the way down very quickly. Be sure to scrape up any brown bits that may have formed at the bottom of the skillet – that’s where the flavor is! While stirring constantly, slowly pour in the clam juice and half and half. Mix in the lobster base and season with ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with additional kosher salt or ground black pepper as desired, then remove from the heat. Seafood pot pie sauce fills a large white double-handled pan that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A wooden spatula rests inside of the pan for stirring.
  5. Seafood pot pie assembly: Layer the scallops, shrimp, lobster, and peas in the prepared baking dish. Pour in the seafood pot pie sauce and gently transfer the par-baked puff pastry over top.
  6. Bake the seafood pot pie: Place the assembled pot pie on a baking sheet and transfer to the 375 degree F oven. Bake 20 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes. A finished seafood pot pie recipe fills a large white baking dish that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. The pot pie is garnished with flaky salt and fresh chopped herbs. A gold spoon rests atop of the baking dish for serving and the baking dish is surrounded by a black and white window pane linen napkin, a gold oven mitt, a small wooden pinch bowl filled with flaky salt, a small ceramic pinch bowl filled with fresh chopped herbs, and a stack of small ceramic bowls.
  7. Serve the seafood pot pie: Portion the seafood pot pie into individual bowls, being sure to top each with plenty of golden brown pastry. Finish with a sprinkling of fresh parsley as desired. Enjoy!A finished pot pie made with seafood with a portion taken out fills a large white baking dish that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. The pot pie is garnished with flaky salt and fresh chopped herbs. A gold spoon rests atop of the baking dish for serving and the baking dish is surrounded by a black and white window pane linen napkin, a gold oven mitt, a small wooden pinch bowl filled with flaky salt, a small ceramic pinch bowl filled with fresh chopped herbs, and a small ceramic plate with a serving of seafood pot pie.

Equipment

Notes

  • Ingredient Notes: 
    • Seafood: The beauty of seafood pot pie is that it’s pretty versatile! While we like the combination of scallops, shrimp, and lobster meat, you can use whatever seafood you like most – provided it’s hearty enough to hold up to a 20-minute bake. Swap lobster for lump crab meat, swap scallops with 1-inch pieces of hearty white fish, etc. – have fun with it and use whatever looks best to you at the grocery store or fish market, aiming for about 2 lb seafood total. If you don’t live on the coasts, consider using frozen seafood, which is often fresher than what’s available at the seafood counter of a conventional grocery store. For this seafood pot pie, I use all frozen seafood (specifically, Luke’s Maine Lobster Meat is great, highly accessible frozen lobster!) – see below for thawing guidance. 
    • Thawing frozen seafood: The fastest and safest way to thaw frozen seafood is to place it in a zip-top bag and submerge in cool water. The steady, cool temperature of the water creates a really controlled environment for the frozen seafood to come up to room temperature. This is better from a food safety standpoint, since it limits bacterial growth. Refresh the water every 10 minutes or so, until the seafood is completely thawed – 25-30 minutes, tops!
    • Clam juice and lobster base: Aside from the seafood, the clam juice and lobster base are what give this pot pie its rich seafood flavor. Check your local fish market or purchase online (the brands we use are linked above). If you prefer to just use 1 instead of both, replace the clam juice with an equal amount of chicken stock/water and increase lobster base by 1 teaspoon. 
    • Puff pastry: While you can certainly make your own homemade puff pastry, this is an instance when store-bought options are just as good. Puff pastry is usually sold in the ‘dessert’ freezer section of the grocery store, next to bread dough and pie crusts. I really like the frozen puff pastry from Trader Joe’s. It’s really affordable, and 1 box contains 2 sheets. You will need 1 sheet for this seafood pot pie recipe. 
  • Storage, Reheating, and Freezing:
    • Seafood Pot Pie Storage and Reheating: Leftover seafood pot pie will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
    • Seafood Pot Pie Freezer Instructions: You can also freeze leftover seafood pot pie for an easy dinner down the road. Simply transfer leftover pot pie into a freezer container – I love using these freezer containers to freeze individual portions. Freeze up to 3 months. 
  • 15-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this seafood pot pie comes from prepping the veggies. Take care of this in advance – it takes 15 minutes, tops – and you can jump straight in to cooking during the week. Here’s what you’ll do:
    • Dice 1 medium carrot, 1 stalk of celery, and ½ medium yellow onion. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active)
    • Peel and dice 1 small Russet potato. Transfer to an airtight container, submerging the potato in water to prevent browning. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, refreshing the water every day. (<5 minutes active)

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Hi there, I'm Jess!

If there’s 1 thing to know about me, it’s this: I am head-over-heels in love with food. I’m on a mission to make weeknight cooking flavorful, fast, & fun for other foodies, & PWWB is where I share foolproof recipes that deliver major flavor with minimal effort. Other true loves: pretty shoes, puppies, Grey’s Anatomy, & my cozy kitchen in Minneapolis, MN.

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Comments

  1. 12.26.24
    Kristi D said:

    Used frozen scallops and shrimp and fresh crab. Added a bit of fennel, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, garlic salt, black pepper to taste. Rave reviews. So clever to par bake the puff pastry!

    Reply
    • 12.26.24
      Emma @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      So glad to hear it turned out great for you, Kristi! 🙂

      Reply
  2. 1.13.23
    Krista Lombardo said:

    Hi! I cannot find puff pastry ANYWHERE right now! Do you think phyllo dough would work? Or, if I made my own puff pastry and the recipe yields 1lb of dough, how much should I use for this recipe? Thank you!!

    Reply
    • 1.13.23
      Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      Hi Krista! Typically puff pastry will be found in the ‘dessert’ freezer section of most grocery stores. If you have a Trader Joe’s nearby, we really like their frozen puff pastry (it comes as a box of 2 sheets, you would only need one for this recipe & could save the other for another recipe).

      If you are still having trouble locating & would like to make your own we love this recipe. It will yield about 1 lb, as you mentioned, and typically 1 lb will yield about 2 sheets of dough. You’d just want to make sure to roll out a sheet & cut the puff pastry so that it would fit overtop of your baking dish (e.g. 9x9x2-inches or 11x7x2-inches works best!). Any leftover dough should be able to be frozen according to recipe directions. Hope that helps! Let us know if you have any additional questions!! 🙂

      Reply
  3. 1.8.23
    Beverly said:

    I am cooking this on Tuesday when my lobster base comes in; how do you feel about putting a pastry sheet on the bottom also?

    Reply
    • 1.9.23
      Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      Hi Beverly! Can’t wait for you to give this recipe a try! We’ve never tested with a puff pastry sheet on the bottom and we love the balance of having the warm, buttery pastry on top of the delicate seafood, so we can’t say for sure how it would turn out. If you do give it a try you’d likely want to parbake prior to assembling the pot pie with seafood, peas, and filling on top to avoid an underbaked or mushy bottom crust. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  4. 12.29.22
    kate said:

    Hey, hope you are having a good holiday season! This looks amazing and I am planning on bring it up to the cottage this weekend. Do you think it would work if I completed up to step 5 then just cooked it the next day when I get there?

    Reply
    • 1.4.23
      Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      Hi Kate! All of the veggies can be prepped in advance which can save a ton of prep time. We haven’t tested making this pot pie ahead of time but if you were to assemble prior to baking you would likely want to skip Step 2. Par-baking the puff pastry until just before baking as well to ensure the best flaky crust. Steps 3-5 could likely be completed in advance we just don’t know for sure if any of the textures of the seafood would be affected by sitting in the sauce overnight prior to being baked. If you do give it a try let us know how it goes!

      Reply