Chilli chicken and spinach gratin
A classic combination of chicken and spinach is pepped up with chilli spices and balanced with a velvety bechamel sauce, topped with cheese and browned in the oven.
41 K 3.7/5 (3 reviews)
1 hour 35 min.
Easy
3 people
9 IngredientsLast modified on: May 23th 2021
For 3 people, you will need:
- 1
200 g chicken breast - 2
1.5 tablespoon olive oil - 3
1 tablespoon chilli spices - 4
400 g fresh spinach - 5
25 g butter - 6
200 g bechamel sauce - 7
25 g grated cheese - 8
salt - 9
pepper - Total weight: 890 grams
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 45 min.
Cooking: 50 min.
All in all: 1 hour 35 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 3 min.
Cut 200 g chicken breast into medium-sized chunks.
Stage 2 - 7 min.
Pour 1.5 tablespoon olive oil into a large frying pan on high heat. When good and hot, add the chicken, salt and pepper.
Fry until lightly browned all over.
Fry until lightly browned all over.
Stage 3 - 1 min.
Turn off the heat, then add 1 tablespoon chilli spices and mix well to coat the chicken evenly with the spices.
Stage 5 - 30 min.
Prepare 400 g fresh spinach, but leave raw.
Stage 6
Melt 25 g butter in a large frying pan on high heat.
When good and hot add enough fresh spinach all at once to fill the pan.
Be careful: the water left on the leaves will spit at first, so take care not to get scalded.
When good and hot add enough fresh spinach all at once to fill the pan.
Be careful: the water left on the leaves will spit at first, so take care not to get scalded.
Stage 7 - 3 min.
Stir with a spatula until the spinach has shrunk down. as shown in the photo.
You have just "wilted" the spinach in butter – another cooking method.
Wilt all the spinach like this in batches, transferring it to a plate when done.
You have just "wilted" the spinach in butter – another cooking method.
Wilt all the spinach like this in batches, transferring it to a plate when done.
Stage 8 - 2 min.
Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C).
Butter a gratin dish and spread half the spinach in the bottom.
Salt and pepper.
Butter a gratin dish and spread half the spinach in the bottom.
Salt and pepper.
Stage 9 - 1 min.
Add the chicken pieces.
Stage 10 - 3 min.
Spread half the bechamel sauce on top.
Stage 11 - 1 min.
Add the rest of the spinach; salt and pepper again.
Stage 12 - 3 min.
Finish with the remaining sauce and scatter grated cheese over the top.
Stage 13 - 40 min.
Bake for about 40 minutes until the top is nicely browned.
Your gratin is ready.
Your gratin is ready.
Remarks
You can replace the béchamel sauce with a Mornay sauce.
If you're using cooked spinach rather than fresh, omit steps 5 to 7.
If you're using cooked spinach rather than fresh, omit steps 5 to 7.
Keeping: 1 or 2 days in the fridge, covered with plastic film.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 80 RDI=30 % | 100 RDI=9 % | 140 RDI=20 % | 1,240 RDI=60 % | 5,200 RDI: 60 % |
| Per 100 g | 9 RDI=4 % | 10 RDI=1 % | 20 RDI=2 % | 140 RDI=7 % | 590 RDI: 7 % |
| Per person | 30 RDI=10 % | 30 RDI=3 % | 50 RDI=7 % | 410 RDI=20 % | 1,730 RDI: 20 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 3 people : 6.05 €
- Per person : 2.05 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Fresh spinach
Like these other recipes: How to prepare spinach, Tex-Mex chicken burger, Late Winter Soup with Fresh Spinach, Fresh spinach with cream, Pistachio and spinach pesto, ... See them all 9
Bechamel sauce
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Montlebon toast, Escalope cordon bleu, Spinach and hard-boiled egg gratin, Gratin slices with spinach, Ham "friand" pie, ... See them all 30
Chicken breast
Like these other recipes: Chicken pie, Baker's chicken and potato tart, Chorba, Tex-Mex chicken burger, Chicken nems, ... See them all 29
Grated cheese
Like these other recipes: Sausage buckwheat pancakes, Enchiladas, Gratin of beet tops and potatoes, Ham "friand" pie, Aperitif rolls, ... See them all 72
Other recipes you may also like
How to use a forcing bag (piping or icing bag)
The forcing bag is the tool needed whenever you need to deposit a blob of something precisely in a particular place (in a mould, a glass, on a plate, etc). Here is how you do it.January 14th 2011300 K 15 25 min.
Potimarron (Japanese chestnut pumpkin) purée
Potimarron can be easily made into purée, you don't need to peel it, which makes for a quick and delicious recipe.October 13th 2010329 K4.6 1 hour 15 min.
Sautéd mushrooms with spring onions and cured ham
Fresh mushrooms of your choice, cooked just right, thinly sliced spring onions and morsels of cured ham. Straight from the pan to your plate.May 10th 2023246 K 15 50 min.
How to prepare fresh mushrooms
Preparing fresh mushrooms for a recipe is not very complicated, but there are a few pitfalls to avoid, which will be pointed out here.May 10th 202321 K 21 20 min.
Auvergne gratin
Cauliflower, green cabbage, potatoes and of course Saint-Nectaire for this gratin with Auvergne flavors.December 10th 202316 K 1 hour 50 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-06-08)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.