The Biggest Difference Between Chicken Pot Pie And Cobbler

TikTok's viral chicken cobbler continues to fascinate the culinary world. Ever since Matthew Bounds' original recipe took the internet by storm, many people have pointed out its similarities to chicken pot pie: a classic baked dish with shared ingredients and a beautiful, flaky crust. 

Some TikTokers have gone as far as to call the two recipes the same, but, in reality, they couldn't be any more different. In fact, the biggest thing that sets chicken pot pie and cobbler apart are their crusts, which are strategically placed in different spots to give them a different shape.

Chicken pot pie features a firm, flaky crust that completely envelops the bottom and sides of the filling. This allows the pie to not only hold its shape after it's removed from the baking tray, but also helps keep the structure after it's cut and served. Some recipes call for the entire top to get covered by dough, while others omit this step. Pennsylvania-style chicken pot pies are the exception, as they don't have any dough and resemble soup more closely.

On the other hand, chicken cobblers only feature a crumbly top that covers the savory filling. Since there's no pastry bottom that holds everything in place, this dish has a crumbly, almost messy appearance when portioned onto a plate. Still, dough placement isn't the only thing that separates apart cobblers from pot pies.

While a traditional cobbler was originally made with pastry dough, most modern versions are made with biscuit batter instead. This gives the top crust a spongier texture that complements the creamy ingredients below. Meanwhile, most chicken pot pies use pastry dough to create the crisp, crunchy crust that contrasts with the soft fillings inside. These small differences in crust batter give the two dishes wildly different mouthfeels, even if their insides (pieces of poultry, veggies, and a creamy soup) are almost identical.

Chicken cobblers also look much different from pot pies. The former are usually cooked in a casserole dish, a large, rectangular container usually made of either ceramic or glass, while the latter gets primarily made in a round baking pan. This not only affects the shape of the final product, but the visual appearance of the serving portions as well. Chicken cobblers are plopped down onto a plate like a blob of food, while pot pies are usually cut into neat, uniform wedges like their name implies.

Cooking time also marks a big difference between the two dishes. While chicken cobbler can usually be whipped up in about an hour, chicken pot pie takes much longer to prep — especially if you're making the pastry dough from scratch or getting ornate with its crust.

For a quick, effortless weeknight meal, you're always better off going with chicken cobbler. Unless you're roasting your own rotisserie from scratch, creator Matthew Bound's original recipe usually takes no longer than an hour. You can also make chicken cobbler with just two dishes as well: the casserole tray for the main meal, and a mixing bowl to separately whip up the biscuit batter. It's also ideal for a regular weeknight meal since the recipe uses store-bought rotisserie poultry, canned soup, and boxed biscuit mix, which are all common grocery store or pantry items that take no time to prepare.

Chicken pot pies are better left off for special occasions, however, as they take much more time to whip up and master. The quickest version of this recipe will take up at least 75 minutes of your evening time; besides, you want to take your time with it, as many of the tips that elevate chicken pot pie will ask you to carefully select, cook, and decorate every ingredient from scratch. Both are still excellent choices at the end of the day, so pick the one that best suits your schedule and enjoy.