Greek Breads and Pies
Kotopita Recipe (Greek Chicken Pie in Phyllo)
Κοτόπιτα koh-TOH-pee-tah · Kotopita
Photo: Pita sa belim mesom i šampinjonima (10927432046).jpg by Ivana Sokolović, CC BY 2.0. Placeholder until original photography is shot.
In short
Kotopita is a Greek chicken pie, shredded poached or roast chicken bound in a light, creamy sauce with leek and herbs, layered between sheets of phyllo and baked until golden. It is built as a substantial main course rather than a light snack, and a good way to use up leftover roast chicken.
Kotopita takes the same phyllo pie structure that spanakopita and tyropita rely on and fills it with shredded chicken bound in a light, creamy sauce, giving something considerably more substantial, a genuine main course rather than a side or snack. It is also a genuinely excellent way to use up leftover roast chicken rather than letting it go to waste.
Leek, cooked down slowly until sweet exactly as in prasopita, is the traditional vegetable pairing here, giving the filling real depth alongside the chicken, and a light bechamel-style sauce binds everything together so the pie slices cleanly rather than falling apart once cut.
This is real, hearty comfort food, the kind of pie that can be a whole Sunday dinner on its own alongside a simple salad, rather than a starter or accompaniment.
Key preparation steps
- Cook leek down slowly until soft and sweet.
- Make a light bechamel and fold in shredded chicken.
- Cool the filling completely before assembling.
- Layer with phyllo and bake until deeply golden.
The chicken
Poached or roast chicken, shredded into bite-sized pieces once cool enough to handle, is what goes into this pie, and leftover roast chicken from a previous meal works just as well as freshly poached, making this a practical way to stretch a Sunday roast further into the week.
Leek and the light sauce
Cook sliced leek slowly in butter until soft and sweet, exactly as in prasopita, then make a light bechamel with a little flour and milk, folding in the shredded chicken, cooked leek and chopped fresh herbs once the sauce has thickened slightly. Cool the whole filling completely before it meets the phyllo.
Layering and baking
Layer half the phyllo sheets into a buttered tin, brushing each individually, spread the cooled filling evenly, then top with the remaining sheets, again brushed throughout, and score before baking. Bake until deeply golden and firm, resting for at least fifteen minutes before cutting for a clean slice.
Tips from my kitchen
Use leftover roast chicken
This is a genuinely good way to stretch a previous meal further, and it works just as well as freshly poached chicken.
Cool the filling completely
A hot filling makes the phyllo soggy and difficult to layer properly.
Do not skip the leek stage
Cooking it down slowly until sweet gives the filling real depth beyond the chicken and sauce alone.
Kotopita Recipe (Greek Chicken Pie in Phyllo)
Κοτόπιτα · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 40m
- Cook
- 50m
- Total
- 1h 30m
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the filling
For the pie
Method
- Melt half the butter in a pan and cook the leeks slowly over a low heat for 15 minutes, until soft and sweet.
- Melt the remaining butter in the same pan, whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in the warm milk and cook, stirring, until thickened. Season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg.
- Fold in the shredded chicken and chopped herbs. Cool the filling completely.
- Heat the oven to 190C fan 170C. Butter a 30 x 22 cm baking dish.
- Layer half the phyllo sheets into the dish, brushing each with melted butter.
- Spread the cooled chicken filling evenly over the phyllo base.
- Top with the remaining phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter, and tuck in the edges.
- Score the top into portions and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until deeply golden.
- Rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting along the scored lines.
Nutrition, per 1 slice
- Calories
- 386
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Sat fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Kotopita
Can you use leftover roast chicken for kotopita?
Yes, it works excellently and is a genuinely good way to use it up rather than letting it go to waste.
Can you freeze kotopita?
Yes, it freezes well either unbaked or baked and cooled, and reheats well in the oven from frozen, adding extra time to the baking.
What can you serve with kotopita?
A simple green salad or horta alongside is common, since the pie itself is substantial enough to be a full meal on its own.
