Pyllo Dough Herbed Chicken

These light and crispy phyllo puffs are stuffed with chicken, spinach and a creamy blend of garlic and herb cheese filling. They’re the perfect healthy meal, whether you’re looking for low-key or entertaining an elegant dinner for guests.

A few weeks ago, I was walking through the grocery store and passed the gourmet cheese counter. When I looked down, I saw a package of Boursin cheese and stopped dead in my tracks. Just like that my mind was flooded with memories from nearly 20 years ago of a smell and taste so glorious that my eyes immediately grew wider with excitement. As I continued shopping, I couldn’t stop thinking about peering over my parent’s kitchen counter and watching my mom bake her delicious Phyllo Dough Herbed Chicken recipe. I couldn’t help but call my mom right there, in the middle of the grocery store, to request her recipe. I quickly gathered the ingredients and headed home, eager to make this nostalgic meal for my family.

Fast forward to serving this one-of-a-kind dish and now my family can’t get enough of it! Talk about a crowd pleaser – even the pickiest of eaters will fall in love with this herbed chicken.

This simple dish is well worth being added to your recipe rotation. Who knows, one day down the road your kids may be walking down the aisles of the grocery store, just as I did, and your phone will ring too!

Our top tips when working with phyllo dough:

Phyllo dough is one of those ingredients that can take an ordinary dish and make it extraordinary (at least we think so). It’s fancy without adding a ton of extra calories and the flakiness adds the perfect amount of crunch without going crazy. It can be really fun to work with or a tad frustrating, which is why we’re sharing these tips.

• Buy your frozen phyllo dough and use it within a week or two so it’s not sitting in the freezer for a few months, In our experience, fresh dough makes a difference.
• Completely defrost your phyllo dough according to the package instructions. Don’t rush it! We’ve made this mistake and it simply cracks and crumbles apart.
• The dough dries out quickly, so if you’re not working with it, keep a damp (not wet) cloth on top.

Serving suggestions

Serve with a bag of frozen broccoli, steamed and seasoned, and a small side of whole-grain rice or sweet potatoes.

Can I prep this the night before?

Yes, follow the prep instructions (stop just before baking) and refrigerate overnight. The egg will protect the dough. Don’t cover your packets with anything that will hug the dough, such as plastic wrap. It will soften it and make it soggy. Remove from fridge and bake!

Can I make this ahead and freeze it?

You certainly can! Assemble it up to the final egg-washing step. Place your chicken packets in an aluminum tin, Tupperware or baking dish and freeze immediately. Thaw in the fridge overnight, coat it with an egg wash and bake as instructed.

What can I do with leftover phyllo dough?

If you have leftover phyllo dough, a great way to use it is by making an apple cinnamon roll. Here’s how:

1. To prepare the apples for the roll, chop them into bite-sized pieces (1-2 apples).
2. Lightly grease a non-stick cooking pan. Add apples and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring semi-frequently so apples don’t burn. Once apples have softened, remove from heat and set aside.
3. Lay the phyllo dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
   In a small bowl, toss 1/4 cup of coconut palm sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon together until combined and then sprinkle evenly over the dough.
4. Top evenly with chopped apples.
5. Tightly roll up the dough to form a log.
6. Soften 1 tablespoon of butter and spread the softened butter over the log.
7. Bake your roll in the oven for 10-15 minutes, while your chicken is cooking. Remove from oven when phyllo dough is golden brown. Serve as dessert!