Kotopita: the Greek filo chicken pie
Greece · Kotopita (κοτόπιτα)
Kotopita is a Greek savory pie of shredded chicken, onion, and often egg or cheese, baked between layers of olive-oil-brushed filo or hand-rolled pastry. It belongs to the broad Greek family of pites, savory pies, and is a common home dish, bakery item, and festive food, especially in the pie-rich northwest of Greece.
By the chickenpie.net test kitchen · Published 8 July 2026
Where it comes from
Savory pies are one of the oldest continuous threads in Greek cooking, and layered pastries have been documented in the region since antiquity, though drawing a straight line from ancient dishes to the modern pita is speculative. The modern tradition of thin-leaved pies is especially strong in Epirus, the mountainous northwest, where households historically rolled their own pastry sheets and filled them with whatever the season offered: greens, cheese, milk, or meat.
Kotopita, the chicken version, is generally described as a dish for better days, since a chicken was worth more alive as a layer than in a pot. Accounts commonly place it at Sunday tables, festivals, and family gatherings rather than everyday meals, though it is now ordinary bakery fare across Greece.
Today kotopita is sold in bakeries and pie shops nationwide, both as large pans cut into squares and as individual rolled or coiled portions. Regional versions vary in pastry thickness, richness, and whether cheese or peppers join the filling.
How it is traditionally made
The traditional pastry is either commercial filo or a homemade sheet rolled thin with a long dowel, brushed generously with olive oil or melted butter. In Epirus the homemade sheets tend to be slightly thicker and sturdier than commercial filo, giving a more rustic, blistered crust.
The filling starts with a whole chicken or chicken pieces poached with aromatics. The meat is shredded and folded with onions softened in olive oil, some of the reduced poaching broth, and commonly beaten eggs, which set the filling as it bakes. Many versions add grated cheese such as kefalotyri or feta, and some include rice, herbs like dill or mint, or a little milk. Seasoning is simple: salt, pepper, sometimes a pinch of nutmeg or paprika.
The pie is assembled in a wide round or rectangular pan, several oiled sheets below, the filling spread evenly, several sheets above, with the top scored into portions before baking so the crisp lid cuts cleanly. It is baked until deep gold and usually eaten warm rather than hot, when the filling has settled.
What surprises a British or American cook
Instead of thick shortcrust or puff and a gravy-bound filling, kotopita uses many whisper-thin oiled layers and a filling set with egg and broth rather than a flour-thickened sauce. Olive oil replaces butter or lard in most versions, cheese is a frequent addition, and the pie is cut into squares from a pan rather than served from a pie dish.