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.
47 K 3.7/5 (3 reviews)
1 hour 35 min.
Easy
12 people
9 IngredientsLast modified on: May 23th 2021
For 12 people, you will need:
- 1
952 ml chicken breast - 2
6 tablespoons olive oil - 3
4 tablespoons chilli spices - 4
1 litre 600 ml fresh spinach - 5
103.2 mls butter - 6
800 mls bechamel sauce - 7
100 mls grated cheese - 8
salt - 9
pepper
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 952 ml chicken breast into medium-sized chunks.
Stage 2 - 7 min.
Pour 6 tablespoons 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 4 tablespoons chilli spices and mix well to coat the chicken evenly with the spices.
Stage 5 - 30 min.
Prepare 1 litre 600 ml fresh spinach, but leave raw.
Stage 6
Melt 103.2 mls 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 | 330 RDI=130 % | 390 RDI=40 % | 540 RDI=80 % | 4,970 RDI=250 % | 20,790 RDI: 250 % |
| 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 12 people : 24.20 €
- 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: Creamy spinach à la Lombarde, Pistachio and spinach pesto, No-pastry spinach and potato quiche, Baby spinach salad, Koulibiak in pie dish, ... See them all 11
Chicken breast
Like these other recipes: Chicken club sandwich, Paté en croute (terrine in a pie crust), Sliced chicken with mushrooms and broccoli, Coq au vin, Pan-fried chicken breast on mozzarella, ... See them all 29
Bechamel sauce
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Chard and potato gratin, Escalope cordon bleu, Potato and broccoli gratin, Ham and endives au gratin, Moussaka, ... See them all 31
Butter
Like these other recipes: Oaty walnut cake , Spinach and Comté Loaf, Little chocolate and hazelnut fondants, Plain cake, Almond tuiles, ... See them all 476
Other recipes you may also like
Sunday night pasta
Here's a quick and simple solution when faced with the age-old question late on Sunday afternoon: "What are we going to eat tonight?". December 30th 201980 K4.8 30 min.
Gingerbread
Maybe this recipe will bring back memories. February 21th 2011292 K4.2 1 hour 4 min.
Rice pudding (riz au lait)
My personal version of this classic family recipe. December 18th 2018407 K5 40 min.
4 pears salad with vanilla
It's a very easy recipe, everything depends on the choice of differents kinds of pears all fully ripe, to give a delicious contrast in the mouth. February 21th 2011236 K4.2 40 min.
Chocolate mousse
Here is a simple quick recipe for chocolate mousse. It is just necessary to be careful at the final stage, when mixing the melted chocolate and the beaten egg-whites. February 21th 2011484 K3.7 40 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-09-07)
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.