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About This Recipe
If you love the famous greek pie but crave something a bit heartier, this Spinach Feta Chicken Pie is perfect! Inspired by the classic Greek spanakopita, this recipe takes the beloved combination of spinach, feta, and herbs and adds tender, juicy chicken for an extra protein boost. The creamy chicken filling and spinach mixture is wrapped in layers of golden, crispy crust, delivering a satisfying crunch with every savory bite!
This chicken pie is a comforting family dinner or easy meal for the week. You can also easily prepare the ingredients in advance to make this an even quicker option to whip up on a busy weeknight. Serve this pie with a side of veggies like my roasted cauliflower and carrots, broccoli, or simple side salad.
For more greek-inspired recipes, try my Greek Turkey Burgers, Spinach Feta Meatballs, White Bean Dip, Chicken Gyros or Mediterranean Egg White Pizza!
Why You’ll Love This Spanakopita Pie
- Flaky crust: The golden, crispy phyllo dough layers make every bite satisfyingly crunchy.
- Comforting filling: A delicious mix of spinach, feta, and juicy chicken creates a perfect balance of textures and flavors.
- Protein packed: The combination of chicken, beans and cheese adds 26 grams of protein per serving.
- Easy to Make Ahead: You can easily prep your ingredients in advance to make assembled this pie super quick when ready to enjoy!
- Customizable: Swap the chicken for mushrooms or add extra herbs like dill and parsley for more flavor.
- Olive oil: Any neutral cooking oil works! Use olive oil, avocado oil, etc.
- Onion & garlic: Garlic and yellow onion add savory flavor to this pie! Frozen chopped onions and garlic cubes are great in this recipe to save time!
- Frozen spinach: Because of the amount of spinach needed for this recipe I’ve found it’s much easier to use frozen chopped spinach instead of fresh spinach. Baby spinach always reduces down so much you would need A LOT of spinach to try to make the 10oz so it’s just easier to grab the frozen kind. Just make sure to thaw and drain as much of the liquid from your frozen chopped spinach as possible so your pie doesn’t turn out liquidy!
- Light cream cheese: Make sure your cream cheese is softened to room temperature so it will mix well. I like to take my cream cheese out of the fridge 30 minutes-1 hour before using but if you forget you can pop your block of cream cheese in a bag and place in warm water for a few minutes so it softens quickly.
- White beans: I used great northern beans but any white bean will work fine!
- Chicken: Any type of cooked shredded chicken works! Use my basic shredded chicken recipe, rotisserie chicken, Target shredded chicken, Costco pulled chicken breasts, etc. If using leftover grilled chicken, just make sure to shred chicken so it will mix well with the rest of the ingredients.
- Cheese: For this pie, I used a combination of feta cheese and grated parmesan. I HIGHLY recommend using the block of feta cheese and freshly grated parmesan for the best flavor!!
- Fresh dill and lemon zest: The fresh chopped dill and lemon zest give this chicken pie an incredible fresh, Greek flavor! You could also sub the dill for fresh mint or parsley if you have those on hand.
- Frozen phyllo pastry sheets: Phyllo sheets can be found in the freezer section, usually where you’ll find regular pie crust and puff pastry. I love using phyllo sheets for this recipe because they’re thin and crispy and add the perfect amount of crunch to this pie. You can also use regular puff pastry but it will be richer, airer texture then the phyllo sheets. Make sure your frozen phyllo pastry sheets are thawed from frozen before using!
- Vegetarian: Sub the chicken for mushrooms or simply omit to make this a great vegetarian option.
- Spinach: Sub the spinach for kale for a fun twist.
- Fresh herbs: Add additional fresh herbs like fresh parsley or mint for additional flavor!
- Dairy-free: Use dairy-free cream cheese and cheese to make this a dairy-free option.
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Grease a 9×9-inch baking dish and set aside. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes, until more soft,
2. Then stir in the minced garlic, spinach and cream cheese. Turn off heat and stir until everything is mixed well, then transfer to a large bowl.
3. Add the beans, chicken, feta, parmesan, dill, lemon zest and pepper to the bowl; mix until well combined.
4. Unwrap phyllo pastry sheets from the package. Remove 8 sheets to use and store the leftover dough back in the freezer. Keeping all 8 sheets together, cut in half down the middle, making 16 half sheets.
5. Line the bottom of the greased dish with two half pastry sheets. Add remaining olive oil to a bowl. Gently brush the olive oil along the top and sides. Place two sheets on top, brush with more oil, then add another two sheets.
6. Add the spinach chicken mixture and spread out evenly.
7. Place two more sheets on top, and brush with more olive oil– repeat this until all the sheets are used. After the final layer, sprinkle a few drops of water on the top sheets of phyllo dough and brush with olive oil, making sure to coat the edges of the pastry and top completely. Score/cut spinach pie only part way through for a smoother cut after it’s baked– this pie serves about 6 people but you could cut it into 9, 12 or however many squares you prefer– or just cut later.
8. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the top layer crust is firm and crisp and the edges are golden brown. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before finishing slicing, serve and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
You can also freeze this spinach feta chicken pie for up to 3 months. Let cool completely then cut and wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Or, cover entire dish with tin foil and freeze. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed. You may need to allow for additional baking time if baking straight from the fridge to ensure the inside has enough time to warm through or until the internal temperature of the pie reaches 160°F.
Helpful Tips
- Prep in advance: If you wanted, you could prep many of the ingredients beforehand to make this recipe come together faster come cooking time. You can go ahead and chop the onion, shred your chicken (or prepare it if needed), thaw the spinach and squeeze it of liquid, and rinse and drain the beans. Store ingredients in the fridge until ready to use.
- Thaw phyllo dough: Make sure to thaw your phyllo dough in advance so it’s easiest to work with. The best way to thaw phyllo is to place in the fridge the night before using so it has plenty of time to thaw.
- Keep phyllo moist: To help keep the phyllo dough pliable, you can place the phyllo dough sheets in between two very slightly damp kitchen towels before you start working with it so it doesn’t dry out as you assemble your pie.
- Brush phyllo with oil: The key to getting crispy phyllo dough is making sure to add fat to it while it bakes. That’s why we brush olive oil on the dough (you could also use butter if you prefer). The key is to not add too much oil (don’t want to drench it) but also to add enough that it can soak it up while baking and get that nice, brown, crispy texture!
- Let cool: Make sure to let your pie cool for a bit after removing from the oven to help it set up and make cutting easier.
Can I use puff pastry dough instead of phyllo dough for this recipe?
Yes, you can use frozen puff pastry sheets if you prefer for this recipe. Just note that the store-bought puff pastry will be slightly thicker and richer (due to the layers of dough and butter) compared to the phyllo dough which is a thin, crispy sheet of dough.
Do I need to cook the spinach before adding?
No you do not need to cook the spinach before adding to this recipe. Just MAKE SURE to drain as much liquid as possible from your thawed spinach!! Too much excess liquid will result in a soupy plate of pie filling and we definitely don’t want that!
What happens if my phyllo dough tears?
Even though phyllo dough is paper thin and will most likely break as you are working with it. It’s a very forgiving pastry in the terms that you can easily patch it up and layer it with other sheets if needed. To help keep the phyllo dough pliable, you can place the phyllo dough sheets in between two very slightly damp kitchen towels before you start working with it so it doesn’t dry out as you assemble your pie. Also, be sure to brush each layer with oil as that will also help it retain moisture.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Spinach Feta Chicken Pie (Spanakopita Pie)
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp olive oil (45g) divided
- 1 medium yellow onion (200g) finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach thawed & squeezed of liquid
- 4 oz. light cream cheese cubed & softened
- 15 oz. can great northern beans rinsed & drained
- 3 cups/12 oz. shredded cooked chicken
- 1/2 cup/4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup/1.5 oz. finely grated Parmesan
- 2 Tbsp fresh chopped dill
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 8 frozen phyllo pastry sheets thawed from frozen
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Grease a 9×9-inch dish and set aside.
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes, until more soft, then stir in the minced garlic, spinach and cream cheese. Turn off heat and stir until everything is mixed well, then transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the beans, chicken, feta, parmesan, dill, lemon zest and pepper to the bowl; mix until well combined.
- Unwrap phyllo pastry sheets from the package. Remove 8 sheets to use and store the rest. Keeping all 8 sheets together, cut in half down the middle, making 16 half sheets.
- Line the bottom of the greased dish with two half pastry sheets. Add remaining olive oil to a bowl. Gently brush the olive oil along the top and sides. Place two sheets on top, brush with more oil, then add another two sheets.
- Add the spinach chicken mixture and spread out evenly.
- Place two more sheets on top, and brush with more olive oil– repeat this until all the sheets are used. After the final layer, sprinkle a few drops of water on the top and brush with olive oil, making sure to coat the edges and top completely. Score/cut spinach pie only part way through for a smoother cut after it’s baked– this pie serves about 6 people but you could cut it into 9, 12 or however many squares you prefer– or just cut later.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the crust is firm and crisp and the edges are golden brown.
- Let cool for at least 5 minutes before finishing slicing, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
