A delicious chicken pot pie wrapped in buttery, crispy phyllo!
I’ve updated my version of my kotopita, which is Greek chicken and cheese pie in phyllo. It’s even better than the original, so I couldn’t wait to share it with you. The creamy, juicy chicken filling with crispy, buttery phyllo is heaven and versatile to fit your family’s taste and your timeline.
It can be made in the shape and thickness you like, and you can even swap out the veggies for what your family loves. So, there won’t be anyone in your house that can resist it.
Why is this pie so irresistible?
Super crispy,
Buttery phyllo.
Juicy, creamy
Cheesy, herby
Chicken and veggies.
What do I need for the chicken?
Boneless skinless chicken thighs -as you know, I use chicken thighs because they always stay juicy, but you can use breast if that’s what you have.
Olive oil -the olive oil in our shop adds excellent flavor. Give it a try!
Salt and ground black pepper -I season the chicken heavily to build flavor but use as much as you prefer.
What’s in kotopita filling?
Olive oil -the perfect flavor to cook the onion and garlic in. If you use a different sauteeing oil, use a very light-flavored oil to avoid changing the taste.
Onion -finely diced to blend effortlessly into the filling.
Garlic cloves -grated or minced to ensure the filling is seasoned evenly.
Roasted red peppers in a jar -drained and diced to add a smoky, sweet flavor. If you have fresh, you can dice them and add them to saute with the onions. Or you can swap it out with zucchini or mushrooms.
Dried thyme or oregano -adds the perfect fresh, herby flavor to the filling. Use one, both, or whatever herb your family enjoys.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper -brings the full flavor of the filling.
Crushed red pepper flakes -we love the kick of heat this provides, and it rounds out the filling’s cheesy, herby, smoky flavor.
Feta cheese -you can’t make Greek phyllo pie without this salty, crumbly cheese. My favorite is sheep’s milk feta. It creates creamy pockets of goodness throughout the filling.
Parmesan cheese shredded -adds a buttery nuttiness that compliments the phyllo.
Gouda -or mozzarella cheese grated and mixed in to create a slightly stringy pull to the filling.
What do I need for the bechamel sauce?
Whole milk -because it has more fat, it helps create the most creamy and delicious sauce for the pie. You can use 2%, but skim may make the sauce thin.
Olive oil -you can use a light oil to let the flavor of the sauce shine.
All-purpose flour -this is the best flour to use to help create the roux you make as the base of your sauce.
Salt and freshly ground pepper -everything needs this to make each pie component delicious before you put them together.
Ground nutmeg -this is a traditional spice used to flavor bechamel. Too much leaves an aftertaste, so I tend to go light on this, but you can add more.
Eggs -adding eggs is the Greek way of making beschamel. It doesn’t change the flavor but enriches the sauce’s creaminess.
What do I need for the pie crust?
#4 Phyllo dough -keep it frozen until you’re ready to use it. Move it to the refrigerator the night before you make your pie. Then, set it on the counter to come to room temperature for at least an hour before you will work with it. Leave it in the package while it’s on the counter so it doesn’t dry out.
Unsalted butter -I use unsalted melted butter because American salted butter is too salty.
Sesame seeds -you can top the phyllo with a sprinkle of sesame seeds in one or both colors, but it’s optional.
How do I cook the chicken?
Preheat the oven to 400 °F, 200 °Celsius. Place the chicken on a baking tray and drizzle it with olive oil. Season both sides with salt and pepper and roast for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely, and either chop it up or shred it and transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
Do I cook the onions before adding them to the filling?
In a medium saucepan, add the olive oil and onion and cook over medium heat until soft and golden. Add the garlic and warm through until fragrant. Then, add the onion and garlic mixture to the mixing bowl with the chicken.
How do I make Béchamel?
Combine the olive oil and flour in the same saucepan. Cook over medium heat while whisking until it becomes slightly toasted. Whisk in the milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to combine well. Take care not to add too much salt. There will be lots of cheese in the filling, which is already salty.
Bring the mixture to a boil and continue whisking until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the eggs to a bowl and whisk them together. Pour a bit of the hot béchamel over the eggs while constantly whisking to temper them. Then, add the egg mixture to the saucepan and whisk together until smooth.
How do you make the filling?
Pour the béchamel over the chicken mixture. Then, add all three cheeses, the roasted red peppers, herbs, and spices. Mix well and taste to see if more salt and pepper is needed. I always add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, but you can leave it out if you prefer. Set the filling aside.
What size pan can I use?
When I first made this recipe, I made it in a baking dish. It makes delicious, hearty, thick slices with lots of filling. But the other day, I had guests over and tried it in a baking pan. It came out so well with more crunchy phyllo and a thin filling layer. I just loved it. So, I want to give you some options:
- Use two 10-inch round deep-dish pie pans to produce thicker round pies.
- A 13 x 9-inch baking dish will create 12 thicker, hearty pie servings.
- Use two 13 x 9-inch quarter sheet pans to make two pies perfect for freezing.
- A half sheet 18″L x 13″W x 1″H pan creates thin, crispier slices.
How do you create the phyllo crust for the pie?
Reduce the oven to 350 °F, 170 °C. Remove the phyllo from its packaging, reserving 10 sheets for the top crust. Brush a half-sheet baking pan (or the pan you’ve chosen) with butter. Then, layer 2 phyllo sheets to cover the bottom of the pan, drizzling butter between the layers. Layer the rest of the phyllo, drizzling butter in between each layer, around the pan. Most of each sheet should rest inside of the pan with a bit of it hanging outside the pan. Watch my video to see just how to do it.
What about the filling?
Spread the chicken filling into the center of the phyllo and wrap the phyllo extending outside of the pan up over the filling. Drizzle butter over the layers.
How do I create the decorative topping?
Gather each layer of the reserved phyllo sheets to form an accordion shape. Then, place on top of the pie and tuck in the edges. Drizzle the remaining butter over the top layers.
How do you make Kotopita: Greek Chicken and Cheese Pie in Phyllo?
Bake the pie on the center rack for 55-65 minutes until golden and crisp. Allow the pie to rest for 15-20 minutes to set the cheese and sauce and serve.
Will the bottom crust be crispy?
The chicken filling is very juicy, so it tends to make the bottom layer softer. To prevent that, move the pan to the bottom rack for the last fifteen minutes of baking or sprinkle a layer of plain breadcrumbs on the pan before layering the phyllo. Either of these options helps the bottom layer get crispy.
Are there other ways to make this?
So many… Ha! If you want to turn this into strudels, you can wrap the filling with phyllo into a strudel shape or mini triangle pies. You could also swap out the phyllo for puff pastry. If you haven’t seen my kotopita pockets, get the recipe here. You can also make a quick version in the oven or air fryer. Let me know if you have any other ideas, and I’ll create them!
What is the best way to serve Kotopita?
Using the half-sheet pan makes so many delicious, crispy pie pieces. Serve it with a bowl of tzatziki and let everyone choose how much to pile on. It would go so well with a fresh Greek lettuce salad or my roasted red pepper and feta salad. You could even try Mediterranean green bean salad, a Greek lentil tabbouleh salad, or my creamy Greek cucumber salad! Let me know what you serve it with. Kali Orexi!
How do I freeze this for later?
Assemble the pie and score the phyllo into slices. Pour the melted butter over the pie and place into the freezer until the butter and pie are entirely frozen. Wrap the tray in 2-3 layers of foil or plastic wrap, label it, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake it, remove the plastic and loosely cover the frozen pie with foil. Cut a slit in the foil to allow the steam to escape and bake from frozen for 45 minutes. Then, uncover and bake until golden and crisp -about 30 minutes.
Try these quick versions of Kotopita:
Watch the Video:
Kotopita: Greek Chicken & Cheese Pie in Phyllo
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 3 lbs (1 and 1/2 kg) boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
For the filling:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2-4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 (16-ounce/450g) jar roasted red peppers, drained and diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese or more
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup grated gouda or mozzarella cheese
For the béchamel sauce:
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 eggs
For the crust:
- 1 pound (#4) phyllo dough, thawed and at room temperature
- 1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted
- a few tablespoons of sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F, 200 °Celsius.
- Place the chicken on a baking tray and drizzle the olive oil on top. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely and either chop it up or shred it and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- In a medium saucepan add the olive oil and onion and cook over medium heat until soft and golden. Add the garlic and warm through until fragrant.
- Add the onion and garlic mixture to the mixing bowl with the chicken.
- Make the Béchamel: Combine the olive oil and flour into the same saucepan. Cook over medium heat while whisking until it becomes slightly toasted. Add the milk, salt. pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk well to combine. Take care to not add too much salt. There will be lots of cheese in the filling which is already salty. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue whisking until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the eggs to a bowl and whisk them together. Pour some of the hot béchamel over the eggs while whisking to temper them and then add the egg mixture into the saucepan. Whisk together until smooth. Pour the béchamel over the chicken mixture.
- Add the cheeses, the roasted red peppers, herbs, and spices, and mix well.
- Taste to see if any more salt and pepper is needed.
- I always add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. It's up to you to do the same or to just leave it out.
- Set the filling aside.
- Reduce the oven to 350 °F, 170 °C.
- Remove the phyllo from its packaging. Reserve 10 sheets for the top crust.
- Brush a half-sheet (17.9"L x 12.9"W x 1"H) baking pan with butter.
- Layer 2 sheets to cover the bottom of the pan and drizzle butter between the layers. Layer the rest of the phyllo going around the pan (most of each sheet shoul rest inside of the pan and some of it hanging outside the pan. Drizzle each phyllo layer with butter. (see video).
- Spread the chicken filling into the center of the phyllo and cover the filling with teh phyllo extending outside of the pan. Drizzle butter over the layers.
- Form the decorative topping: Take each layer of the reserved phyllo sheets and gather it to form an accordion shape. Place on top of the pie and tuck the edges in.
- Drizzle the remaining butter over the top layers.
- Bake on the center rack for 55-65 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Allow the pie to rest for 15-20 minutes and serve. Kali Orexi!
Notes
Variations:
Use 2 (10 inch) round deep dish pie pans produces a thicker pies.
A 13 by 9 inch baking pan will create 12 thicker servings.
Use 2 quarter sheet baking pans to make 2 pies perfect for freezing.
Freezer Instructions: Assemble the pie and wrap in 2-3 layers of foil or plastic wrap. Store in the freezer up to 3 months. Remove the plastic and bake frozen, covered with foil for the first 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden and crisp. About 30 minutes.
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Diana Noonen says
Made this 2x! Amazing. Thank you!
Jennifer L. says
I would like to make this for a church potluck. I’m worried though that if I cover it, it will get soggy on top. Any idea how I can keep it happy for 2 hours without it either getting soggy or drying out? I can’t wait to make this. It looks delicious.
dimitra says
This recipe would be delicious at a potluck! Let it cool completely and loosely cover it. This will keep it from getting soggy. Unfortunately the phyllo here in the states doesn’t stay as crispy as fresh homemade phyllo or like the kids sold in Greece. It will soften a bit no matter what you do. If your church will give you access to a toaster oven or a regular oven to warm this before serving that would be ideal! Hope it works out for you 🙂
Maria Ioannidou says
Can I substitute the bechamel with something else and still be creamy?
dimitra says
Cream cheese is another option. Here’s the method:https://www.dimitrasdishes.com/quick-kotopita-greek-chicken-phyllo-pie-air-fryer-oven-versions/
Kara M says
Dimitra … this was DELICIOUS. I am not Greek but my husband is and I consistently make your recipes. This however was a home run! Hubs rated it a 9… next time I need to put a few more phyllo sheets on the bottom but my goodness what a stunning dish. Thank you! This will be a staple in my household. Both my 1 year old and 3.5 yr old gobbled it up… hubs had FOUR slices 🫶🏻