This white sauce Chicken Lasagna is so satisfying with layers of lasagna noodles and tender chicken in a creamy spinach sauce. Just like our Classic Lasagna, this white lasagna reheats really well, making it perfect for meal planning. Make it and you will get recipe requests.
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Chicken Lasagna Recipe Video Tutorial:
Learn how to make the best cheesy, saucy Chicken Lasagna! You can cook fresh chicken for this casserole but it’s also a great way to use up leftover chicken (or even leftover turkey from Thanksgiving!).
P.S. If you love creative leftover chicken recipes, don’t miss our juicy Chicken Patties, the easiest Chicken Noodle Soup, and of course Chicken Fried Rice.
Ingredients for White Sauce Chicken Lasagna:
There are 4 main components to a creamy white chicken lasagna: lasagna noodles, a simple bechamel spinach sauce, and a ricotta cheese sauce. Don’t forget the chicken! You can cook your own Instant Pot Chicken or use a store-bought Rotisserie Chicken.
Pro Tip: We always cook an extra couple of noodles in case any of our lasagna noodles break while cooking.
Can I Use Canned Chicken?
We love canned chicken recipes like our easy Chicken Melts and Buffalo Chicken Dip since we always have it on hand in our pantry. Using canned chicken will work for chicken lasagna, just be sure it is well-drained.
How to Assemble Creamy Chicken Lasagna:
The process of assembling a chicken lasagna is simple. We found it’s easiest to spread the thicker ricotta sauce over the noodles and ladling the spinach sauce ensures the chicken layer is moist and juicy. For best results, follow this order.
- Spread 1/2 cup spinach sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 casserole
- Add 3 noodles, 1/2 ricotta sauce, 1/2 shredded chicken, 1/3 of spinach sauce
- Add 3 noodles, 1/2 ricotta cheese, 1/2 shredded chicken, and 1/3 spinach sauce
- Remaining 3 noodles, remaining 1/3 sauce, and sprinkle on reserved 1 cup cheese.
Tips for Reheating Chicken Lasagna:
This white sauce lasagna reheats really well and leftovers are just as enjoyable as freshly baked lasagna. Here are some tips for reheating so the lasagna doesn’t dry out.
- Add Water – Since noodles will naturally soak up some liquid in the lasagna as it sits, it helps to sprinkle on a little bit of water before reheating in the oven or the microwave.
- Visual Cues – Heat until the edges bubble and the cheese is fully melted on top.
- 165˚ F Center – You should reach a safe internal temperature of 165˚F on an instant-read thermometer.
How Long Can Leftover Lasagna be Stored?
Chicken lasagna will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator if you were using freshly cooked chicken. You can also wrap tightly in several layers of plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 months.
This lasagna is a meal in itself. All you need is a simple salad to go with it like our Classic Caesar Salad or fresh Beet Salad with Arugula.
Our Best Lasagna Recipes:
If you love lasagna as much as we do, these recipes are a must try and you’re sure to find some new favorites:
- Italian Lasagna – with a rich, beefy tomato sauce
- Lasagna Roll-Ups – so easy to serve these lasagna rolls
- Slow Cooker Lasagna – a make-ahead recipe
- Homemade Marinara – our favorite sauce for lasagna
Chicken Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Lasagna Ingredients:
- 9 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
- 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, or cooked from 2 lbs chicken breast
Spinach Cream Sauce:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups half and half, (or equal parts of heavy cream and milk)
- 5 oz fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Ricotta Cheese Sauce:
- 15 oz ricotta
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup parsley
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese, 12 oz by weight, divided (reserve 1 cup for topping)
Instructions
Cook Noodles & Prep:
- Preheat oven to 375˚F. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente according to package instructions then drain hot water and add cold water to the pot to stop the cooking process and prevent noodles from sticking together. Shred 4 cups of chicken.
Make the Belachamel (Spinach Sauce):
- Place a pot or large saucepan over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and saute onions for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add 4 Tbsp butter and whisk in 1/3 cup flour. Continue whisking 3 minutes or until flour mixture is golden.
- Add 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 1/2 cups half and half, 2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Whisk until smooth and simmer 5 minutes until thickened to a light gravy consistency.
- Add minced garlic and chopped spinach, and stir to combine then remove from heat.
Make the Ricotta Cheese Sauce:
- In a large bowl, whisk together: ricotta, egg, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan, and 1/4 cup parsley.
To Assemble Chicken Lasagna:
- Add a little bechamel sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish, add 3 noodles, Add 1/2 ricotta sauce, 1/2 shredded chicken then ladle 1/3 of spinach sauce over the chicken.
- Add 3 noodles, 1/2 ricotta cheese, 1/2 shredded chicken, and 1/3 spinach sauce
- Add 3 noodles, remaining 1/3 sauce, and sprinkle on reserved 1 cup cheese.
- Cover and Bake: Arrange 10-12 toothpicks over the top to keep the foil from touching the cheese then cover with a large sheet of foil. Bake on the center rack in a preheated oven at 375˚F for 45 minutes then uncover and broil 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese. Rest at least 10 minutes uncovered before slicing.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
This recipe is to die for. You are so cute on videos and your husband is a hunk. Thanks so much for this recipe and your recipe book is a winner too. I am enjoying it so much and sent one to my niece.
A new family favourite!!!Made this tonight with leftover roast chicken and it is incredible! Made it lower carb for my daughter who’s found out she has gestational diabetes at the end of her pregnancy by switching out regular pasta with cauliflower pasta and omitted the flour and used cream instead of half and half . Was perfect! Kids didn’t notice the difference in noodles! Also used a tsp less salt because she’s also got high blood pressure with this pregnancy! Delicious! After babies born we will make it exactly as written! Tried to keep it as close as possible !
Made this tonight for dinner! Absolutely wonderful! I have tried numerous recipes of yours and not a single one was a disappointment! Excellent! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’m so happy I found you!
I’m so happy to hear that, Vicki! Thank you so much.
Your recipe for chicken lasagna was absolutely Devine. I have now made this recipe a half dozen times, it is official, a family favourite
So glad to hear it’s been a hit!
Hi Natasha, this recipe sounds delicious! Could I use broccoli instead of spinach if I wanted? Thank you!
Hello Shari! I have not tested this recipe with broccoli to advise.
Hi ! Your chicken lasagna looks amazing ! For sake of time… can I use jarred Alfredo sauce ?
Hi Lori, I imagine that will work too if that’s what you have on hand.
This was delicious. Everyone loved it, but next time I’ll thicken with 1/2 cup flour because the fresh spinach thinned out the belachamel sauce too much.
Sounds good! Great to hear that you enjoyed it!
I’m planning on making this and then freezing. is it best to cook first then freeze? My concern is the egg in the ricotta spread.
Hi Carolee, It freezes well before or after baking. You can bake it from a frozen state.
Oh my goodness! SO good and pretty fool proof. I accidentally threw the chicken in the Bechamel cream and it still came out delicious. All my picky eaters said it was keeper, so that’s a major win! I wish I could share a pic, it was beautiful!!
Thank you for the lovely feedback, Jennifer. I’m super happy that you all enjoyed this recipe!
Thank you for the lovely feedback, Jennifer. I’m super happy that you all enjoyed this recipe a lot!
Amazing and even better the second day, love making this dish for meal prepping for the week
Hi Derek, thank for sharing! Good to know that you enjoyed this recipe a lot!
It was amazing I recommend to very one it takes a wow to put it together but it’s worth the wait you won’t be disappointed
Thank you so much for sharing, Elvis! I’m glad you loved it.
Hi Natasha! I have been following you for years and have made several of your recipes. I just recently made this Chicken lasagna. You are spot on with the measurements! My family just loved the lasagna! I used the rotisserie chicken like you suggested and the flavor is just delish! Thank you for another winner of a recipe.
You’re so very welcome! I’m glad it was enjoyed.
This is the 2nd time I have made this recipe and it doesn’t disappoint.. Great flavor, easy to make. Will add sautéed mushrooms to the bechamel next time. Didn’t want to fuss with toothpicks so just sprayed the foil with pam and it worked well.
That’s great, Dixie! Thank you for sharing.
Hi, I was wondering if I could sub the cooked noodles with oven ready noodles? Or would that require a change in amount of liquid and bake time?
Hi Elizabeth, I have not tested them but some of my readers have with good results.
I did use oven ready noodles it worked perfectly well, super yummy and easy!
I think this would be delicious made as lasagna rolls. Would the recipe stay the same?
Hi Ninon! I haven’t tried this specific recipe as rollups, but I bet that could work! Let us know how it turns out if you test it.
I halved the recipe for an 8×8 pan. Although it was tasty, we felt it was a bit dry. Perhaps halving the béchamel sauce was the fault. Suggestions?
HI Sherry, It may not have been quite enough ingredients for an 8×8 pan without adjusting the bake time – a thinner lasagna would cook faster.
Hi, Can you used frozen spinach. Love all of your recipes. Keep them coming.
Hi Terry! Yes, you can use frozen spinach, just thaw it and drain it first.
This recipe is one of my favorites! It is jam packed with flavor and reheats very well. Also, a plus, it’s so simple yet so impressive to guests!
Can use freshly baked chicken or even used chicken from whole chicken I have boiled?
Yes, you sure can.
Can you make this a day ahead of time? If so, do you wait to bake it or bake and then reheat the next day?
This reheats great, see my note above “Tips for Reheating Chicken Lasagna.”
Also- you can assemble this the day before and bake it fresh but it will require some additional time to bake since it will be cold. I hope you love the recipe!