Spanakopita Chicken Bake
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Spanakopita Chicken Bake takes everything you love about the traditional Greek spinach pie and makes it into a full meal.
Made with spinach, feta, and orzo, this recipe will definitely make it into your weekly dinner rotation!
Greek food is one of my favorite cuisines. My Mediterranean Mezze Platter is a go-to of mine to serve when I have guests over.
What is spanakopita?
Spanakopita is a delicious Greek delicacy made with flaky phyllo dough and stuffed with spinach and feta cheese.
This spinach feta casserole recipe is a casserole version of spanakopita made with chicken and orzo and topped with phyllo dough to make it a filling meal.
Looking for more spinach recipes? Try my Spinach Lasagna Rolls next!
Feta Spinach Chicken Bake Recipe
Spinach feta chicken bake is a creamy casserole that’s packed with flavor and made in one dish. The rich spinach and cheese in each bite pairs perfectly with the lemony chicken.
Spinach feta casserole is great to serve for large gatherings, meal prep, or even weeknight dinners for the family. It truly is a satisfying and filling dish that everyone will love.
This Mediterranean Gluten Free Pasta Salad also is another one of my favorites to serve when I have guests!
Ingredients you will need
Chicken breasts: I used boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe but you can also shred up a rotisserie chicken if you’re short on time. If you prefer to use chicken thighs, you can use those instead!
Chicken broth: poaching the chicken in broth will add more flavor while keeping it from drying out. You can also use chicken bone broth if you prefer.
Vegetables: I used yellow onion, shallots, and garlic to add flavor and texture to the casserole.
Wet ingredients: unsalted butter will help cook the veggies, while white cooking wine and lemon juice will add a tangy flavor while bringing out the rest of the spices. You’ll also need some half and half to make the sauce more creamy.
Flour: you’ll need just a little bit of flour to thicken the liquid.
Feta cheese: crumbled feta cheese is essential in this spinach feta casserole. Make sure you look for a good quality block of feta in brine rather than purchasing feta that is already crumbled.
Spinach: I used frozen spinach in this recipe. Make sure it’s thawed and thoroughly drained before using. If you want to use fresh spinach, you’ll want to cook it first, then let it cool completely, and then drain before adding it to the casserole.
Spices: fresh thyme and fresh parsley go perfectly in this recipe. You could also include some fresh dill if you like!
Orzo: orzo pasta makes a great addition to this casserole, but you can use another short pasta you prefer!
Phyllo dough: topping the casserole with phyllo dough really ties everything together and makes it really similar to the traditional spanakopita we all know and love.
How to make this spinach feta casserole
1. Cook and shred the chicken. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place them in a large pot. Cover them with one inch of broth, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F. Remove the chicken breasts from the pot and allow to cool before shredding with two forks or your stand mixer.
2. Prepare the casserole. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the vegetables and sauté until the shallots begin to soften. Add the cooking wine, whisk in the flour, then the chicken broth, whisking frequently until thick and bubbly.
Whisk in the half and half then mix in the feta, spinach, thyme, parsley, and lemon juice. Fold in the chicken and orzo and cook on medium low heat for 2-3 minutes.
3. Bake the casserole. Transfer the mixture to a 9×13 baking dish and tear the phyllo dough and arrange it over the top of the mixture.
Lightly spritz the phyllo dough with olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes or until phyllo dough is brown and crispy and the chicken mixture is heated through. Remove from the oven, let it cool before serving, and enjoy!
Tip!
I like to sprinkle flaky salt over top before baking!
If you want to keep it all in one pan, you can use a 12″ cast iron skillet to make the chicken mixture on the stove and instead of transferring it to a baking dish, top it with the phyllo dough and place it right in the oven.
How to cook shredded chicken
In order to effectively shred chicken, you’ll need to cook it first. The best way to cook chicken before shredding is to boil it.
For this recipe, I recommend seasoning the chicken breasts with salt and pepper before cooking it and boiling the chicken in broth to really bring out the chicken flavor.
Simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F and feels ready to shred. I recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure that the chicken is fully cooked before shredding.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot and let it cool to room temperature before shredding. Use two forks to shred the chicken. An easier way to shred chicken is using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low speed.
I use this same method for everything from Chicken Fajita Nachos to cheddar bay biscuit casserole.
What to serve with spinach feta chicken
Spinach feta casserole is the perfect full dinner recipe but can be paired with a variety of side dishes to complement it. A nice salad or a side of veggies would go well with this dish without overpowering the flavor.
Chopped Vegetable Salad or Zucchini salad would add a nice crunch while inserting more veggies into your meal, making it ultra filling yet healthy. Red Wine Mushrooms or Air Fryer Asparagus make a simple dish to accompany this casserole without adding too much of a different flavor!
More easy chicken dinner recipes to try
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Baked Chicken Tacos
- Air Fryer Chicken And Broccoli
- Oven Baked Chicken Tenders
- Oven Baked Chicken and Cauliflower
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Spanakopita Chicken Bake
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon white cooking wine
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half
- 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 12 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1/2 of a lemon, juice
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- phyllo dough
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F.
- Season both chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place them in a pot. Cover with one inch of broth (about 1/4-1/2 cup) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F.
- When the chicken is finished cooking, remove from the pot and allow to cool before shredding with two forks or a mixer.
- While the chicken is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, shallots and garlic, and sauté for about two minutes or until the shallots begin to soften. Add the cooking wine, then whisk in the flour, and then 1 cup of the chicken broth. Cook, whisking frequently until thick and bubbly.
- Whisk in the half and half. Then mix in the feta, spinach, thyme, parsley, and lemon juice. Fold in the chicken and orzo and cook on medium low heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a 9X13 baking dish. Tear each layer of phyllo dough and arrange over top, spritzing with olive oil in between. I like to sprinkle with salt before baking. Lightly spritz with olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the phyllo dough is brown and crispy, and the chicken mixture is heated through.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- You can use your hand mixer or stand mixer to shred the chicken!
- If you want to keep it all in one pan, you can use a 12″ cast iron skillet to make the chicken mixture on the stove and instead of transferring it to a baking dish, top it with the phyllo dough and place it right in the oven.
