If you have not tried Spanakopita before, you’re in for a treat! Spanakopita is a delicious savory Greek pie made of perfectly crispy layers of phyllo dough and a comforting filling of spinach and feta cheese. I’m sharing my family’s favorite spanakopita recipe, complete with tips, video, and step-by-step photos. Trust me, this is so much easier to make than you think!
Spanakopita makes a great side dish for large holiday dinners next to lamb or lemon chicken. But it can easily stand alone as the main dish. Serve it with a big salad like Greek salad; Balela; or this Mediterranean chickpea salad, and favorite dips like Greek Tzatziki or Roasted Garlic Hummus.
This post is sponsored by The Fillo Factory.
What is Spanakopita?
My little one describes spanakopita this way, “yummy, crispy cheese pie with lots of green stuff!”
Spanakopita is a popular Greek savory pie made of perfectly flaky phyllo dough with a comforting filling of spinach and feta cheese nestled in. If you’re not familiar with phyllo dough, it is basically layered sheets of tissue-thin pastry dough, typically found in the freezer section next to things like pie crust and puff pastry.
Spanakopita can be made in a large casserole dish like in today’s recipe, or in the form of hand pies shaped in triangles or even rolls.
When I was at an Atlanta-area Greek festival a few weeks ago, my daughter’s lunch of choice was a piece of spanakopita and a side of Greek salad. Luckily, she allowed me a taste; it was heavenly! I ended up chatting with the woman behind the lavish lunch, her name was Yiayia Helen. We discussed family recipes and shared spanakopita lessons and tips…
Tips for How to Make Spanakopita
1. What is in the spanakopita filling?
The key filling ingredients in a classic spanakopita recipe are spinach and feta cheese. And yes, only use quality feta cheese, no other cheese qualifies for spanakopita.
To the spinach and feta, we add flavor makers in the form of fresh herbs and aromatics. I used two whole bunches of parsley (parsley stems pack a ton of flavor, by the way, so don’t be afraid to throw some in) Then, onions, garlic and a little dry dill weed.
To bind everything together, I used four large eggs.
2. Do I need to cook the spinach in advance?
You need a good amount of spinach in this recipe, so using frozen spinach is the way to go. In this easy spanakopita recipe, frozen spinach–fully thawed, of course–is mixed right in with the remaining filling ingredients, no advanced cooking necessary.
But one thing you must do, be sure to drain all liquid from the thawed spinach. I ended up squeezing the spinach by hand a few times until it could no longer produce any liquid. If you do use fresh spinach, you will need to cook it with the onions and garlic, drain, and let cool completely before mixing the filling.
3. The Phyllo
Golden, crispy phyllo pastry, encasing the soft spinach filling is really what spanakopita is all about! Quality of phyllo (fillo) dough can make or break the recipe! I am a big fan of organic dough from The Fillo Factory. It’s vegan and contains no preservatives; no cholesterol; and no trans fat. And be sure follow the tips below for best results.
Tips for working with Phyllo Dough:
– Thaw phyllo dough properly; too much moisture will make the dough or sheets sticky and hard to manage. When thawing, do not remove the phyllo (fillo) from the package, place it in the fridge 12-14 hours before using.
-Before you begin assembling the spanakopita casserole, unroll the thawed phyllo (fillo) sheets and place them carefully between two ever-so-slightly damp kitchen cloths. This helps the sheets remain lenient so they won’t tear too much.
-Do not skimp on the oil, but don’t overdo it either. Some use butter, but I use quality extra virgin olive oil here instead to keep it light. You need to brush each of the phyllo layers with a little olive oil (see the video as well)
-Remember, Phyllo (fillo) sheets will tear, and that’s perfectly fine. Just make sure you save a couple good sheets for the top of your spanakopita casserole.
Can I make Spanakopita Ahead of Time? What about Leftovers?
– You can make spanakopita the evening before you need to serve it. Follow the instructions for assembling, but do not bake. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. When you are ready, go ahead and bake according to recipe instructions. Budget 1 hour for baking.
– Already cooked spanakopita will keep well if properly storied in the fridge for 2 to 3 evenings. Heat in medium-heated oven until warmed through. You can also portion cooked leftover spanakopita and freeze for a later time. Warm in oven; no need to thaw in advance.
Watch the video for How to Make Spanakopita:
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Spanakopita Recipe (Greek Spinach Pie)
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 pieces 1x
Description
Foolproof family recipe for Spanakopita! Delicious savory Greek pie made of perfectly crispy layers of phyllo dough and a comforting filling of spinach and feta cheese.
Ingredients
For the Spinach and Feta Filling
- 16 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
- 2 bunches flat-leaf parsley, stems trimmed, finely chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil
- 4 eggs
- 10.5 oz quality feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tsp dried dill weed
- Freshly-ground black pepper
For the Crust
- 1 16 oz package The Fillo Factory Organic Dough (#4 pastry sheets), properly thawed (see tips above)
- 1 cup Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil, more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Before you begin mixing the filling, be sure the spinach is very well drained, and squeeze out any excess liquid by hand.
- To make the filling: In a mixing bowl, add the spinach and the remaining filling ingredients. Stir until all is well-combined.
- Unroll the phyllo (fillo) sheets and place them between two slightly damp kitchen cloths.
- Prepare a 9 1/2″ X 13″ baking dish like this one. Brush the bottom and sides of the dish with olive oil.
- To assemble the spanakopita: Line the baking dish with two sheets of phyllo (fillo) letting them cover the sides of the dish. Brush with olive oil. Add two more sheets in the same manner, and brush them with olive oil. Repeat until two-thirds of the phyllo (fillo) is used up.
- Now, evenly spread the spinach and feta filling over the phyllo (fillo) crust. Top with two more sheets, and brush with olive oil.
- Continue to layer the phyllo (fillo) sheets, two-at-a-time, brushing with olive oil, until you have used up all the sheets. Brush the very top layer with olive oil, and sprinkle with just a few drops of water.
- Fold the flaps or excess from the sides, you can crumble them a little. Brush the folded sides well with olive oil. Cut Spanakopita ONLY PART-WAY through into squares, or leave the cutting to later.
- Bake in the 325 degrees F heated-oven for 1 hour, or until the phyllo (fillo) crust is crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oven. Finish cutting into squares and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Tips for Working with Phyllo: As mentioned earlier in the post, remember that phyllo is paper thin and will break as you are working with it. For best results, place phyllo dough sheets in between two very slightly damp kitchen towels (step #4) before you start working with it (unless you think you will work fast enough that the phyllo will not dry out.) Also, be sure to brush each layer with oil; don’t skimp.
- Make Ahead Tips: You can make spanakopita the evening before. Follow up to step #9, cover and refrigerate. When you are ready, go ahead and bake according to step #10.
- Leftover Storing and Freezing Tips: Already cooked spanakopita will keep well if properly storied in the fridge for 2 to 3 evenings. Heat in medium-heated oven until warmed through. You can also portion cooked leftover spanakopita and freeze for a later time. Warm in oven; no need to thaw in advance.
- What to Serve with Spanakopita? Spanakopita makes a great side dish for large holiday dinners next to lamb or lemon chicken. But it can easily stand alone as the main dish. Serve it with a big salad like Greek salad; Balela; or this Mediterranean chickpea salad, and favorite dips like Greek Tzatziki or Roasted Garlic Hummus.
- Recommended for this Recipe: Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil (from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives).
- SAVE try our Greek olive oil bundle and our popular Ultimate Mediterranean Spice Bundle
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Entree or Side Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Greek
*This recipe and tutorial was originally published 11/08/2016. Last updated with new information and photos on 4/15/2019.
I looked at this recipe, and overall I like it. Nonetheless, I feel using Fresh Baby Spinach, chopped, is the only way to go! I buy 15oz. of fresh baby spinach and coarsely chop it. It is so much easier than the water frozen spinach mess. I use to do that years ago, no more. Try it! I also use spring onion since regular onion isn’t compatible with my tummy. Lastly, I added some fresh chopped dill and mint.
This is so good. I have to admit I didn’t know if it was gonna be kinda blah but I was wrong. I will make this time and time again. Thanks for sharing your talents with us!
I am a big fan of yours and I enjoy your cookbook. I am not sure what went wrong with the Spanakopita, but it had a strong after taste. Possibly, the painting of EVO on the Fillo dough was too much for me. It didn’t seem to bother the others that had it, just me. I might try the butter version next time and hope its more agreeable to me. It looks elegant, fit for dinner for guest. But for family of four, it was a lot, so I might use ½ the box of Filo for a small Spanakopita and the other half for a small baklava.
Oh no! Yes, it may have actually been the variety of EVOO you used. So glad the rest of the family enjoyed it!
This was a wonderful simple recipe. I was doubtful that the onions etc needn’t be sautéed before mixing, and I substituted frozen chard and nettles for the spinach, and I used lg springform pan instead of specified.
But turned out beautifully and delicious and if I’d chopped my onions a little bit finer, not even noticeable.
Definitely a keeper!
I am a first generation Greek American. My father was a professional chef. My mother made her own phyllo for spanakopita. I would like to point out that true spanakopita has no feta cheese in it. If you add feta cheese to the recipe it is then called spanakotiropita.
Do you use a different cheese? Or no cheese at all?
Where can I find Fillo dough? I live in GA (Central area.)
I am looking for organic/bio engineer free. I am looking forward to making your recipe on Spanakopita.
Thank you.
I’m in central Arkansas and I bought my phyllo on Amazon. Planning in making it tomorrow.
Hello, I haven’t made this yet but I plan to asap and it looks amazing! :). I’m just wondering if you think it would be okay to add nutmeg? And if so how much? Thank you.
Hi, Simone! I think that would be delicious. You could start with 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. and add more if you’d like.
Good morning Suzy! We love greek food and cannot wait to make your spanakopita! I just have a quick question about Step 6. Do you brush each phyllo sheet one by one, or do you put 2 down at a time and then brush with olive oil? Thank you so much!
Hi, Mina! You can just put 2 down at a time and then brush with the olive oil. No need to brush the sheets one at a time. Hope you love the spanakopita!
First time making this and it turned out great. My wife loved it and said it was better than the restaurant she worked at
I’m gluten free, so I made this with a flaky pie crust, and baked it in a ceramic round quiche dish. I’ve been on this diet for many years, and have missed this. Your recipe tastes wonderful; the flavour I was looking for. I’ll make it often, so very thankful to have this dish back in my life. Thank you very much!
Thanks so much for sharing this idea to make it gluten free, Lise!
This came out delicious!
This recipe sounds amazing ! I have made some of your recipes and they have all turned out great! I have a question…in making your dish do you use both rolls of phyllo in your recipes? Thank you
How much spinach would be required please.
Hi, Gail. You’ll want to use 16 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained.
This was great. I made a few modifications due to what I had on hand. I only had 8 oz of Phyllo, so cut everything in half. I only had fresh spinach. I tossed 1# fresh spinach with 1tbs evoo, minced garlic and onion and roasted it at 425 on parchment lined sheet pan about 20 minutes, maybe could have gone even longer as I still had to squeeze a fair amount of water out. I don’t care for dill but added a tsp of “Greek Freak” spice. Otherwise followed the method here. Turned out great.
Thanks, Peter!
I made this and it was Fantastic. I did add pine nuts definitely a recipe I will always use.
Thank you for sharing. Recipe came out perfect.