Best Chicken Spinach Lasagna

Catalina Castravet
By Catalina Castravet
Updated:
Published:
5 from 9 reviews

Chicken Pasta

Cook time Cook time: 40 minutes

Last updated on August 16th, 2021 at 12:23 pm

Chicken Spinach Lasagna is easy to make, loaded with lean chicken and spinach for a nutritional boost. It is delicious and conveniently made at home, and leftovers taste amazing! 

This is one of my all-time favorite dishes. It is flavorful, yet a bit lighter than the traditional version. You can also try my other favorite comfort foods are Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes, Fried Chicken, and Mac and Cheese.

Best Chicken Spinach Lasagna

Chicken Spinach Lasagna has lots of delicious marinara sauce, cheese, lean ground chicken and loads of spinach. If you make it with whole wheat lasagna sheets and less cheese, you end up with a healthier and hearty dinner. I have been making this lasagna for years, it is one of my signature dishes!

I have fond memories of being a teenager and making the BEST Chicken Spinach Lasagna for family get together and holidays. It always got rave reviews, it makes delicious leftovers and its actually pretty easy to put together.

I like to prepare everything ahead of time. I assemble the lasagna the night before, pop it in the fridge and when we come back from work the next day, all I have to do is put it in the oven for 30 minutes. Since all the ingredients are already cooked, the lasagna doesn’t have to take forever, so dinner is ready in 30 minutes. My toddler loves this Chicken Spinach Lasagna and we are all happy to have a delicious, homemade meal on the table.

Tips to Make the Best Chicken Spinach Lasagna Recipe:

  • You can use lean ground chicken or you can substitute it with ground turkey or beef.
  • Also, I used a whole garlic head in this recipe, about 8-10 garlic cloves. We love garlic, it’s actually not overpowering in this recipe when combined with the marinara sauce and cheese.
  • In addition, I like to use full-fat mozzarella cheese and make sure you use “real” cheese. A lot of the cheap, pre-shredded cheese you see at the grocery store is not “real” cheese, hence it doesn’t melt well or taste good. Using high-quality cheese and marinara sauce is key.
  • You can use homemade marinara sauce. I am all about saving some time, and since I didn’t have any homemade sauce on hand, I used store-bought.
  • Similarly, use high-quality marinara sauce. Best to spend a few dollars more and get an authentic marinara sauce, that will not taste just like tomato sauce.
  • You can also use the marinara sauce in your favorite flavor, garlic or basil, spicy or mild, etc.
  • Add some red pepper flakes to the chicken mixture if a spicy kick!
  • I recently got this Lasagna / Casserole Pan and I absolutely love it, I highly recommend it!

What pasta is used in Lasagna?

There is really only one type of broad, flat pasta used for baking in the oven and that is lasagna. These sheets are great to maintain the sauce between them when cooked in the oven.

Do you have to cook Lasagna sheets first?

In general yes! Soak the lasagna sheets in a single layer in boiling water for about 5 mins. Drain well before using in lasagna.

How many layers of noodles do you put in Lasagna?

In general, you will need four layers of noodles in total. It is best to start and finish with wider layers to have a perfectly looking lasagna.

Can you freeze Chicken Spinach Lasagna?

Yes, the lasagna freezes well. Layer the lasagna into an aluminum foil pan, after that wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and then wrap it in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat add additional cheese on top and place in the oven at 350F for about 30-40min.

Looking for more easy dinners? Check these out:

best chicken spinach lasagna

Chicken Spinach Lasagna

Best Chicken Spinach Lasagna is easy to make, loaded with lean chicken and spinach for a nutritional boost. Delicious, and leftovers taste amazing!
5 from 9 votes
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Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 569kcal
Author: Catalina Castravet

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 1 garlic head (9-10 cloves, minced)
  • 1 bell pepper (chopped)
  • 2 cups baby bella mushrooms (sliced)
  • 1 lb. ground chicken
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 5 cups raw fresh spinach
  • 16 oz mozzarella cheese (grated)
  • 15 oz marinara sauce
  • 16 lasagna sheets
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • In a large saucepan over high-medium heat, bring 2 gallons of water to a boil.
  • In the meantime, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to large pan over medium heat.
  • Add the chopped onion, cook for 2-3 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally and add the minced garlic, cook for another 2 minutes.
  • Add the chopped bell pepper and mushrooms stir and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and ground chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well to combine, and cook for about 5 minutes.
  • Once the chicken is almost cooked add the spinach and cook until the spinach has shrunk in size and is tender about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
  • In the meantime, the water must be boiling, add some salt and 2 tablespoons of oil and add the lasagna sheets. Cook based on box instructions, but usually, it takes 7-9 minutes for the sheets to cook. Transfer lasagna sheets to a colander, give them a bath in cold water and drain.
  • Preheat oven to 400F.
  • Start by greasing a 9x12 baking dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.
  • Lay 5 lasagna sheets on the bottom of the pan, top it with half of the chicken mixture, followed by 5 ounces of marinara sauce, and followed by 1½ cups of grated mozzarella cheese. Repeat this for the second layer of lasagna sheets -> chicken mixture -> marinara sauce -> cheese. Top with the final layer of 6 lasagna sheets (I also added on top the pieces from the trimmed sheets), cover with the remaining 5 ounces of marinara sauce and top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
  • You can place lasagna in the fridge for 24 hours, or you can bake it immediately for 30 - 40 minutes.
  • Let lasagna cool down 15-20 minutes before serving, as this will facilitate cutting it.
  • You can turn on the broil for the last 3-4 minutes of baking for a golden brown top, but watch it closely not to burn it.
  • Garnish with fresh herbs and serve. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 0g | Calories: 569kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 704mg | Potassium: 896mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2870IU | Vitamin C: 29.5mg | Calcium: 333mg | Iron: 2.8mg
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Comments

Leave a reply

Shirley Craig

Do you really put all of this in a 9"X 9" pan? Or did you use a "9 X 13" pan? Help! I have all of the ingredients ready for the pan and need to be sure of the size right away. I'm planning to serve this at a winter solstice party. Looks yummy!! Shirley (sjpcra[email protected]

Reply

Hi, a 9x13 pan, I am sorry for the confusion!

Reply

Sadiya Ahmed

I look forward to making this dish for my 2-year old toddler. I wanted to ask about the addition of ricotta as a layer. Any reason that has been omitted here? If I were to add it, would it be a good idea to blend it with the spinach?

Reply

I just made the recipe without ricotta, but it will be delicious blended with the spinach!

Reply

J R

Just made this. Was absolutely delicious. Used cubed chicken breast instead of ground, and threw in some diced zucchini because I had a lot that needed to be used. Also a generous sprinkling of parmesan on the top before putting it in the oven. The plan was to have some leftover for lunch tomorrow, but we've each just eaten two big slices and are contemplating going back for thirds. This is not going to last the night :)

Reply

Becki

Did you use regular lasagna noodles (not the no-boil kind?) and when you refer to freezing - that’s after it’s cooked, correct?

Reply

regular lasagna noodles and you can freeze before or after its cooked.

Reply

Jen

I am allergic to mushrooms. Would zucchini slices work well as a substitute?

Reply

Hi Jen, yes they will work great!

Reply

Sabrina

Do I cover the lasagna while baking?

Reply

I dont, but if it browns too much you can cover it loosely with foil, so it doesn't stick to the cheese.

Reply

Joyce Riley

Can ground turkey be used instead of ground chicken

Reply

Yes, and it will taste great!

Reply

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