What temperature should I cook frozen pot pies at in an air fryer?

Cook frozen pot pies at 350 °F (177 °C). The lower temperature is intentional — at 400 °F the exterior sets before the centre thaws and warms through.

How long do frozen pot pies take in an air fryer?

Frozen pot pies take 25 minutes at 350 °F (177 °C) with no flipping. Cook from frozen in a single layer for the convection air to reach every side.

Do you need to flip frozen pot pies in an air fryer?

No — the convection air reaches all sides simultaneously, and the product is delicate enough that a flip mid-cook would break it apart. The two-stage technique (thaw briefly, season, finish) is the safer alternative to flipping.

Do you need to thaw frozen pot pies first?

No — cook frozen pot pies directly from frozen. Surface moisture from a thawed product is the enemy of crispness; the air fryer flash-evaporates the freezer glaze and crisps the surface in one pass. Thawing first usually makes the result limp.

Do you need to preheat the air fryer for frozen pot pies?

Preheating is optional. Most modern air fryers reach temperature in under 2 minutes and the total cook time already accounts for the ramp. If you do preheat, drop the total time by 1–2 minutes and check earlier than usual.

Can you stack frozen pot pies in the basket?

No — keep frozen pot pies in a single layer with space between pieces. Stacked or overlapping pieces steam each other rather than crisping; the bottom layer stays pale and the centre stays cold. Work in batches if your basket cannot hold the whole bag in one layer.

Which brand of frozen pot pies has the best air fryer timing?

Frozen pot pies are calibrated per product because cut size, breading and pre-fry process vary by brand. We cover 5 brands on this page — Marie Callender's, Stouffer's, Banquet and more — each with its own temp, time and flip moment. Use the brand row that matches your bag rather than the generic baseline above.

Frozen · straight from the bag

How long to cook frozen pot pies in an air fryer

Name: Frozen Pot Pies in an Air Fryer
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 1 pot pie per person in an oven-safe ceramic or glass ramekin; a 5-qt basket fits 2 pies side by side.
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pot pie per person in an oven-safe ceramic or glass ramekin; a 5-qt basket fits 2 pies side by side.

At 350 °F (177 °C) for 25 minutes.

Temperature: 350 °F; 177 °C
Total time: 25 min; from frozen
Flipping: Not needed
Brands covered: 5; with per-brand timing

Frozen pot pies cook in 25 minutes at 350 °F (177 °C) with no flip — faster than the 35–45 minutes the oven needs, and with a crisper crust. The two keys are transferring the pie from its foil tray to a ceramic or glass ramekin (the foil tray is the main reason air-fryer pot pies disappoint) and using a foil tent for the first 18 minutes so the filling warms through before the crust browns. Always probe the filling to 165 °F; the gravy mass heats more slowly than the surrounding crust and can look done while still being cold in the middle. Brand timing varies mainly by portion size — the 7-oz Banquet finishes at 20 minutes, Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry and Amy's at 22, and the 10-oz Marie Callender's and Stouffer's at the full 25.

Technique

Do not thaw. Pop the frozen pie out of its metal foil tray and set it in an oven-safe ceramic or glass ramekin — the foil tray reflects hot air and produces a pale, unevenly warmed pie. Tent loosely with foil, set to 350 °F (177 °C), and cook 25 minutes with no flip. At 18 minutes, remove the foil tent and let the crust brown for the remaining 7 minutes. At the end, press an instant-read thermometer through the top crust into the centre of the filling — target 165 °F (74 °C). If it reads lower, return uncovered for 2–3 more minutes and re-probe. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry pies ship in their own oven-safe foil cups and cook without a tent so the pastry can puff.

Serving size: 1 pot pie per person in an oven-safe ceramic or glass ramekin; a 5-qt basket fits 2 pies side by side.
Oil spray: No oil needed — pot-pie crust is already rich in butter or shortening and browns on its own under convection heat. Tent the pie loosely with a 6-inch square of heavy-duty foil for the first 18 minutes, then remove it for the final 7 so the crust can brown. Do not press the foil against the crust; it will stick and tear.

Brand-specific timings

The generic baseline above works for most major brands. The rows below are calibrated per product where the cut, breading or pre-fry process meaningfully changes the cook.

Marie Callender's
Chicken Pot Pie (10 oz, single-serve)
Temp
350 °F
Time
25 min
Flip
—
The benchmark single-serve pot pie. Transfer from foil tray to a 10–12 oz ceramic ramekin, tent for 18 minutes, uncover for 7, and probe filling to 165 °F. Beef, Turkey, and Chicken & Broccoli variants follow the same timing — same crust thickness and 10-oz geometry. The 38-oz family-size does not fit a standard basket and is oven-only.
Stouffer's
Chicken Pot Pie (10 oz, single-serve)
Temp
350 °F
Time
25 min
Flip
—
Same 10-oz geometry and shortening-rich crust as Marie Callender's — the timing is identical (foil tent 18 min / uncover 7 min). The filling skews slightly creamier. The family-size 36-oz variant is oven-only.
Banquet
Chicken Pot Pie (7 oz, single-serve budget-SKU)
Temp
350 °F
Time
20 min
Flip
—
Smaller portion finishes 5 minutes faster — foil tent for 14 minutes, then uncover for the final 6. Transfer to a small ceramic ramekin (7–8 oz size fits well). Beef and Turkey variants follow the same 20-minute profile.
Pepperidge Farm
Puff Pastry Pot Pie (10 oz, single-serve)
Temp
350 °F
Time
22 min
Flip
—
Puff pastry needs open air from the start to rise and flake — skip the foil tent entirely. These pies ship in oven-safe foil cups, so no ramekin transfer is needed; just check that the cup fits your basket. Cooks 3 minutes faster than the shortcrust brands because puff pastry browns more quickly.
Amy's
Organic Pot Pie (7.5 oz, single-serve)
Temp
350 °F
Time
22 min
Flip
—
Similar portion to Banquet but with a slightly thicker crust — foil tent for 16 minutes, then uncover for 6. Transfer from foil tray to a small ramekin before cooking. Vegetable, Tofu Vegetable, and Shepherd's Pie variants follow the same 22-minute profile.

How to tell it’s done

Top crust is evenly golden-brown and steam wisps from the vent holes. When you cut in, the gravy is thick and glossy — not thin and watery — and the filling holds together at the spoon. Pale crust means it needs more time uncovered; burnt edges with a cold centre means the foil tent was skipped.

Watch out for

Transfer from the metal foil tray to a ceramic or glass ramekin before cooking. The foil tray reflects convection air and produces pale, patchy crust and a cold spot in the filling centre.
Use the foil tent: loosely cover for the first 18 minutes (14 minutes for 7-oz Banquet, 16 for 7.5-oz Amy's), then uncover for the final browning. Skip it and the crust edges scorch before the filling warms through. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry pies skip the tent entirely — puff pastry needs open air from the start.
Probe the filling to 165 °F through the top crust. The crust turns golden-brown well before the gravy mass reaches temperature, so colour alone is not a reliable doneness check.
Keep the temperature at 350 °F. Higher heat scorches the crust before the filling centre comes up to temperature.

FAQ about frozen pot pies in an air fryer

What temperature should I cook frozen pot pies at in an air fryer?: Cook frozen pot pies at 350 °F (177 °C). The lower temperature is intentional — at 400 °F the exterior sets before the centre thaws and warms through.
How long do frozen pot pies take in an air fryer?: Frozen pot pies take 25 minutes at 350 °F (177 °C) with no flipping. Cook from frozen in a single layer for the convection air to reach every side.
Do you need to flip frozen pot pies in an air fryer?: No — the convection air reaches all sides simultaneously, and the product is delicate enough that a flip mid-cook would break it apart. The two-stage technique (thaw briefly, season, finish) is the safer alternative to flipping.
Do you need to thaw frozen pot pies first?: No — cook frozen pot pies directly from frozen. Surface moisture from a thawed product is the enemy of crispness; the air fryer flash-evaporates the freezer glaze and crisps the surface in one pass. Thawing first usually makes the result limp.
Do you need to preheat the air fryer for frozen pot pies?: Preheating is optional. Most modern air fryers reach temperature in under 2 minutes and the total cook time already accounts for the ramp. If you do preheat, drop the total time by 1–2 minutes and check earlier than usual.
Can you stack frozen pot pies in the basket?: No — keep frozen pot pies in a single layer with space between pieces. Stacked or overlapping pieces steam each other rather than crisping; the bottom layer stays pale and the centre stays cold. Work in batches if your basket cannot hold the whole bag in one layer.
Which brand of frozen pot pies has the best air fryer timing?: Frozen pot pies are calibrated per product because cut size, breading and pre-fry process vary by brand. We cover 5 brands on this page — Marie Callender's, Stouffer's, Banquet and more — each with its own temp, time and flip moment. Use the brand row that matches your bag rather than the generic baseline above.

Print this card