Why is my spanakopita soggy?

Let's face it, nobody wants to eat a soggy spanakopita. But this doesn't have to be your fate if you follow a few simple tips. Firstly, making sure you squeeze all the excess moisture out of your spinach . This is the case with fresh and frozen spinach.

Does spanakopita contain garlic?

To the spinach and feta, we add flavor makers in the form of fresh herbs and aromatics. I used two whole bunches of parsley (parsley stems pack a ton of flavor, by the way, so don't be afraid to throw some in) Then, onions, garlic and a little dry dill weed . To bind everything together, I used four large eggs.

How do you keep phyllo crispy?

Keep Phyllo From Drying Out Once phyllo dries out it cracks and shatters like centuries old parchment. There's nothing you can do to save it. Likewise, soggy phyllo produces a mess of another kind. To keep the sheets from drying out, place a clean, damp (not wet) towel over the stack of phyllo sheets .

How do you keep phyllo dough moist?

Keep it Covered Working layer by layer takes time; keep the rest of the dough tightly wrapped so that it doesn't dry out in the process. Plastic wrap is fine, but a clean, barely damp kitchen towel works best.

How healthy is spanakopita?

Spanakopita is a Greek spinach pie typically containing cheese such as feta and/or ricotta. Our version is low in calories while high in fibre, iron and calcium . It's also diabetes-friendly and suitable for vegetarians.

What do you serve with spanakopita?

The best side dishes to serve with Spanakopita are Greek salad, Tzatziki, hummus, Greek yogurt, cheese dip, southwest salad dressing, falafel, roasted vegetables, lemon roasted potatoes, Greek rice, Mediterranean quinoa salad, and orzo salad.

Why is spanakopita so good?

In my Spanakopita recipe, I love using a mix of feta and kefalotiri, scallions, dill, and mint. The salty, briny, and aromatic flavors make this pie incredibly delicious. In Greece, you can find Spanakopita in windows of street-side coffee shops and bakeries and more refined versions on restaurant menus.

How do you keep pie dough from getting soggy?

The most common way to ward off a soggy pie crust is by a process called blind baking . Blind baking means you pre-bake the crust (sometimes covered with parchment or foil and weighed down with pie weights to prevent the crust from bubbling up) so that it sets and crisps up before you add any wet filling.

How do you make spinach less wet?

The high heat and stirring will help any liquid the spinach releases evaporate quickly, which is what you want to avoid wet or slimy spinach when all is said and done. To cook more spinach, add it in batches so that as the leaves wilt; any liquid given off will evaporate right away.

Why is my pie dough so wet?

If Your Dough Is Too Wet, Rosemary Says... “Other times it's too much water . It [also] depends on how much butter is in the pastry. It can be solved by putting it into the fridge for a few hours!”

Creamy Garlic Chicken Spanakopita Skillet Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

Cooking the chicken in butter browns it quickly, keeping the interior juicy.
Scrunching up the phyllo topping yields a great textured look, while also making the ultra-thin pastry easy to work with.

The first time I tasted spanakopita, I was 10 years old and eating at a buffet lined with trays of leathery mystery meats, swamped in gloppy, gray-brown sauces. I remember finally coming upon one dish that looked different, in a good way. The top, not yet cracked, was a sheet of flaky golden pastry, stretched atop what appeared to be a fresh-from-the-oven pot pie. I smiled as the server pressed a big spoon down into it, the pastry sheets softly crinkling as they shattered and separated. And then, in an instant, my smile collapsed under the weight of crushing disappointment as a spinach-loaded scoop was lifted out and heaved onto my plate. Luckily, that feeling didn't last long. After a very hesitant bite, I actually had a new favorite food.

I still love it today, but one thing I don't love is how much time and effort it takes to make, especially considering that it's generally eaten as an appetizer or snack. In my ideal world, I'd be able to regularly cook and eat spanakopita on a weeknight and let that be dinner, but in its traditional form, it just doesn't lend itself to that purpose. With a few simple tweaks, though, it's entirely possible. And with that, I'd like to introduce you to the creamy, garlicky chicken spanakopita skillet.

Turning Spanakopita into a One Skillet Dinner

Spanakopita is typically made in a rectangular baking dish with a filling of spinach, feta cheese, scallions or onions, eggs, and dill, covered with several layered sheets of butter- or oil-brushed phyllo dough. This riff, however, is cooked entirely in a cast iron skillet, with a whole lot less mess and fuss. It merges the Greek classic with elements of chicken pot pie, delivering a creamier, heartier, dinner-worthy recipe.

Creamy Garlic Chicken Spanakopita Skillet Recipe (1)

Just like the old tried-and-true spanakopita, this dish begins with a hefty helping of spinach. I wilt it in my skillet so that it releases its water, which would otherwise leach out during baking. Then I transfer it to a colander and gently press to rid it of any excess liquid, making sure to get as much out as possible (lest the saucy spanakopita end up more like a strange spinach-flavored soup).

Next, I pan-fry chunks of chicken in butter until the outer edges turn golden. The browning of the milk solids in the butter speeds up browning on the chicken, and the less time it takes to brown the exterior of the chicken, the juicier the meat will remain on the inside. I set the chicken aside, then turn to the sauce.

I start with a garlic-spiked roux—butter and flour cooked together—and then add cream and chicken stock. As it is, this sauce is a much more garlicky version of what you'd expect when you make a chicken pot pie. However, the recipe is still missing some essential spanakopita ingredients: feta, dill, and green onion. I mix in a generous amount of each and stir until no large chunks of feta remain.

Feta doesn't have the melting properties of other cheeses, but when it's combined with the liquids in the sauce, the extra moisture is enough to break down the cheese and distribute it throughout. The flour from the roux, meanwhile, helps emulsify the mixture, so that you get a tangy feta- and garlic-flavored sauce that won't separate, even after you add the chicken back along with the moist spinach.

How to Work with Phyllo Dough

Once the spinach, chicken, and feta-garlic sauce have been tackled, the only thing left to do before baking is add the much-loved and much-dreaded phyllo top. My biggest issue with phyllo dough is that it's so thin and fragile that it often tears when handled, making it difficult to work with. Knowing that sometimes the best way to deal with a fussy ingredient is to workwithit rather than against it, I crinkle up the sheets of butter-brushed phyllo like tissue paper and place them over the filling, creating a textured, elevated top in which any tears are camouflaged by the many folds and exposed edges.

Creamy Garlic Chicken Spanakopita Skillet Recipe (2)

After baking, it's ready to scoop into big spoonfuls on your plate, with the creamy spinach and chicken filling sending steam up and over the phyllo.

November 2015

Recipe Details

Creamy Garlic Chicken Spanakopita Skillet Recipe

Active40 mins

Total60 mins

Serves6to 8 servings

Ingredients

1 pound fresh baby spinach leaves, washed
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, chopped into 1-inch chunks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup homemade chicken stockor low-sodium broth, plus more as needed
1/2 cup half-and-half
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
3 scallions, white and light green parts only, chopped
1 small bunch dill, chopped, plus more for garnish
6 to 8 sheets phyllo dough, thawed and covered with a towel

Directions

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add spinach, a handful at a time, until the pan is full; you may have to cook the spinach in batches to ensure that it cooks evenly. Turn the spinach often until just wilted, then transfer to a colander and press out as much water as you can. Continue until all of the spinach is wilted and pressed.
Pour off any excess water in the skillet and place back over medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the pan and add chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, turning once, until the edges are lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Melt 2 tablespoons butter in same skillet and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, then mix in flour. Stir together until the mixture forms a golden paste. Whisk in 1/2 cup chicken stock. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Whisk in half-and-half.
Stir together feta cheese, scallions, and dill, allowing the feta to melt. Remove from heat. Return chicken and spinach to skillet, mixing well. If the sauce has thickened too much, add more chicken stock to reach the desired consistency, keeping in mind that the mixture will thicken even more when baking in the oven. Season with salt and pepper.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Lay a sheet of phyllo on a work surface. Brush with melted butter, then scrunch up the sheet and set it on top of the spinach mixture in the skillet. Repeat with remaining phyllo until the skillet is completely covered.
Bake until phyllo is golden and crisp on top, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, garnish with additional dill, and serve warm.