Kefir Savory Crepes, with Chicken, Roasted Peppers & Mozzarella
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These savory Kefir Crepes, with chicken, roasted peppers and mozzarella, are phenomenal! The balance of flavors here is classic, however, where this becomes unique is with the infusion of Kefir and by binding this all together in a delicate crepe. Frankly, I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner. Give it a try and I’m certain this recipe will earn a heavy circulation status in your kitchen. Enjoy!
This recipe has been submitted for a bloggers’ challenge. So if I win, I’ll get a monetary prize (keep your fingers crossed!). The Lifeway Kefir you’ll see featured herein was received as samples to create this recipe.
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Kefir Savory Crepes with Chicken and Roasted Peppers
The idea for these Kefir Savory Crepes with Chicken and Roasted Peppers came from a dish that I tried many years ago in a friend’s restaurant. They closed the place a long time ago but I vividly remember their savory crepes dish. This was a Mediterranean inspired restaurant and a lot of the dishes seemed to be a fusion of cuisines of Mediterranean countries.
But, back to the crepes…I remember the first time I tasted them. I think the hook for me was the taste of the chicken inside the crepes. I asked my friend what was the secret and he told me that they made a marinade from yogurt and cilantro and keep the chicken in it overnight. When this opportunity to participate in a blogger’s challenge with Kefir presented itself, I immediately knew that I needed to marinate my chicken in kefir and cilantro (but I also added parsley for extra flavor). My thought was that kefir could be an improved substitute over the traditional yogurt. Truth be told, my mom used to marinade all kinds of meat in kefir when I was growing up, and she told me that this was the secret to making the meat very tender.
So, chicken marinated in the cilantro parsley kefir is incredible, but when you added roasted peppers and mozzarella to it…it ascends to whatever is the next level after incredible. But wait, I forgot to mention that the crepes themselves are also super delicious. Instead of milk, like I normally use to make a perfect French crepes, I used kefir. Oh my…let me tell you, these crepes are out of this world delicious!
Then you finish off with Marinara sauce with more mozzarella cheese; thereby adding another depth of flavor and bringing some Italian flair to the dish. Admittedly it does look more like enchiladas than pasta (according to my husband). So if you don’t ruin the surprise ahead of time, then I’m certain you’ll be able to get some surprised reactions from whoever you serve this to.
What is Kefir
Kefir is a tart and tangy cultured milk smoothie that’s packed with protein, calcium, and vitamin D. You can read more about it on the Lifeway website and find out 9 reasons to enjoy Kefir. You can purchase Lifeway Kefir products at Stop & Shop, Foodtown, and Shoprite.
If you’re looking for a plant-based alternative you may want to read more about Plantiful.
When I was growing up in Poland we would always have kefir in our refrigerator. My mom loved to drink it plain and she would often mix one with berries for me. Full circle: that’s exactly what I’m doing for my sons now – I just blend some strawberries with kefir and just like that…my boys enjoy their smoothie.
But kefir is more than just a smoothie ingredient. It can be used in savory dishes too, like in this Kefir Savory Crepes dish. I used it twice in this recipe (for the crepes batter and for chicken marinade). As I mentioned, Kefir makes the crepes super soft and delicate and also it tenderizes the meat, so the chicken is moist and tender. I’d say it’s a win-win on both fronts.
But Kefir isn’t limited to these options. For example, it’s also perfect for cold soups in the summer. One of my absolute favorites is this Chilled Cucumber Kefir Soup that I enjoy during the hot summer months.
How to Marinate Chicken in Kefir
Making a marinade with kefir for the chicken is super simple. You only need a blender. Add kefir, cilantro and if you want you can add more herbs (like parsley), then season with salt & pepper and blend.
Place the chicken (I used boneless/skinless chicken thighs, but chicken breast will work too) in a Ziplock bag, pour over the marinade and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or as long as overnight.
What is needed to make this Savory Crepes
For an exact list of ingredients with measurements, instructions and nutritional value please scroll down to the printable recipe card. This section is meant to help you with your grocery list. Here it is:
- Boneless, skinless chicken tights or chicken breast;
- Lifeway kefir (any savory type: I used organic whole milk one as well as the 1% one);
- Cilantro;
- Parsley;
- Cooking oil;
- Flour;
- Eggs;
- Butter;
- Salt;
- Baking Soda;
- Mozzarella Cheese;
- Roasted Peppers;
- Marinara Sauce.
How to Make Kefir Savory Crepes
For exact instructions please scroll down to the printable recipe card.
Step 1: After your chicken has been already marinating in the refrigerator for at least an hour, you can start working on your crepe batter. Add all of your crepe batter ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Then refrigerate it for approximately a half-hour.
Step 2: Once your batter has rested in a fridge, you can start frying them up. The first one will always be a loss, so don’t get nervous if it doesn’t come out well. It’s like with pancakes…the first one is never good, but the rest of them will be just fine. Add a little bit of butter to the skillet every time before pouring in the crepe batter. (See my expert tip below for a nice boost of flavor.) When portioning, one medium-size ladle of batter for a 10-inch skillet will be perfect. Continue with the batter until you fry up all of your crepes (you should have about 8 crepes from the proportions in the recipe card)
Expert tip: I used a little trick here to make these crepes even more flavorful. Once I buttered the skillet, I sprinkled fresh parsley and then added it to the batter. To be quite honest I needed to constrain myself from eating these kefir herb crepes straight from the skillet…they were so damn good.
Step 3: Heat up another skillet (like cast iron) and add some cooking oil. Remove the chicken from a marinade and add to the skillet. Cook the chicken on each side for 7-8 minutes and then place it in a preheated oven (at 350F) for about 10 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and reaches the internal temperature of 165F.
Step 4: Remove the skillet with the chicken from the oven (make sure to use heavy-duty mittens as the pan will be very hot). Take the chicken from your skillet onto a cutting board and let rest for a couple of minutes, then slice it up.
Step 5: Assemble the crepes: on each crepe add shredded mozzarella cheese, sliced roasted peppers, and pieces of chicken. Roll it and add it to a baking dish. Continue with the remaining crepes. I used a 9×13 baking dish and I was able to add 7 pretty thick crepes. I’d say, depending on how much your crepes are stuffed you should be able to fit 6-8 crepes into a baking dish of that size.
Step 6: Once all of your crepes are assembled, add some marinara sauce at the top, more mozzarella cheese, and bake at 350F for about 15 minutes, until warm throughout and the cheese has melted. Serve with some extra parsley on top and enjoy.
Other Crepes recipes to try:
- Ham and Cheese Crepes
- Crepes with Honey Ricotta and Apple Sauce
- Crepes Eggs Benedict
- Crepes with Egg, Ham and Cheese
- Hazelnut Spread and Caramelized Bananas Crepes
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Kefir Savory Crepes, with Chicken, Roasted Peppers & Mozzarella
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 4 Boneless skinless chicken tights or chicken breast (approximately 1.5 lb)
- 2 Low-fat Plain Lifeway Kefir;
- ½ cup Cilantro;
- 1/ cup Parsley;
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- Pinch of Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoon Cooking oil for frying the chicken;
Crepes Batter
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour;
- 2 Eggs;
- 3 tablespoon melted Butter + more for frying the crepes approximately ½ teaspoon per crepe;
- 1 cup of Organic Whole Milk Plain Lifeway Kefir
- ½ cup Water
- Pinch of salt;
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda;
- Chopped parsley for crepes approximately ½ teaspoon per crepe
Assemble the crepes
- 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese; shredded half for the inside of the crepes and the rest on the outside
- ½ cup sliced Roasted Peppers;
- 1 ½ cups Marinara Sauce
Instructions
Marinade the chicken
- Add kefir, cilantro and if you want you can add more herbs (like parsley), then season with salt & pepper and blend.
- Place the chicken (I used boneless/skinless chicken thighs, but chicken breast will work too) in a Ziploc bag, pour over the marinade and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or as long as overnight
Crepes Batter
- After your chicken has been already marinating in the refrigerator for at least an hour, you can start working on your crepe batter. Add all of your crepe batter ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Then refrigerate it for approximately a half-hour.
- Once your batter has rested in a fridge, you can start frying them up. Add a little bit of butter to the skillet every time before pouring in the crepe batter. (See my expert tip in the recipe notes below for a nice boost of flavor.) When portioning, one medium-size ladle of batter for a 10-inch skillet will be perfect. Continue with the batter until you fry up all of your crepes.
Cook the chicken
- Heat up another skillet (like cast iron) and add cooking oil. Remove the chicken from a marinade and add to the skillet. Cook the chicken on each side for 7-8 minutes and then place it in a preheated oven (at 350F) for about 10 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and reaches the internal temperature of 165F.
- Remove the skillet with the chicken from the oven (make sure to use heavy-duty mittens as the pan will be very hot). Take the chicken from your skillet onto a cutting board and let rest for a couple of minutes, then slice it up.
Assemble the crepes and bake
- Assemble the crepes: on each crepe add s 1 tablespoon of shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 tablespoon of sliced roasted peppers, and 4 sliced pieces of chicken. Roll it and add it to a baking dish. Continue with the remaining crepes. I used a 9x13-baking dish and I was able to add 7 pretty thick crepes. I'd say, depending on how much your crepes are stuffed you should be able to fit 6-8 crepes into a baking dish of that size.
- Once all of your crepes are assembled, add marinara sauce at the top, more mozzarella cheese, and bake at 350F for about 15 minutes, until warm throughout and the cheese has melted. Serve with some extra parsley on top and enjoy.
Love how easy and delicious this recipe is. It’s perfect for a gathering or a party.
Savory crepes are one of my favorite meals. The step by step photos are so helpful!
Such beautiful crepes! I love that you made them with kefir. I don’t use kefir nearly enough.
that is actually my favorite brand of kefir and I buy the flavored ones by the dozen. What a great way to incorporate it into a savory recipe
So excited to try this! How much kefir to use in the marinade please? Is it two of the 32oz bottles or 2 of the 8oz ones? Thank you xx