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.
Thanks for the great recipe! However, I couldn’t get the video to play. When I click on the button to go to the video, it just goes to the recipe. Is there a video?
Hi, Carol! There is a video located towards the bottom of the post. I just checked, and it’s working here. Some browsers prohibit pop ups and videos, so depending on your settings you may not be able to view the video. This is not something we can control on our end, sadly.
This is a GREAT spanakopita recipe!! I did use butter in place of EVOO on the phyllo layers, but followed all other directions exactly. It was a huge hit! the layers were flaky, the insides were a perfect. SO GOOD! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Brooke! Thanks for sharing!
Loved this recipe I didn’t have phyllo dough so made a flaky crust and made individual little pockets. Came out well tasted delicious.
Yum! Thanks for sharing, Marion!
This recipe was amazing! I was afraid to try it at first, but turned out so delicious. I used swiss chard instead because we grew so much in our garden and didn’t know what to do with it. I will definitely do this again. Thank you so much!
Thanks for sharing your variation, Silvana! So glad this recipe worked for you!
Great recipe….very adaptable to more or less as you like. Even adding ricotta and green onions…I have dabbled several times with different versions. Each one was throughly enjoyed. Also try it with Tzatziki….yummy…even easy enough for begginers…impress your friends with this!! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!!!
Thanks for sharing, Alison!
This was so good! I ended up adding garlic and a little less feta (the husband doesn’t like it very much) and it was amazing!
So glad y’all enjoyed it, Erin!!
If all you want is a decent approximation at spanakopita, then this will do that for you. It’s not great- very 2-dimensional flavor-wise. I added in some lemon juice and used fresh dill and that helped a lot but otherwise…pretty meh. Not enough cheese and this did not make enough filling for a 13×9 pan! I had 3 very wimpy layers. I think next time I’ll definitely sauté the onions, garlic and spinach first (even with frozen spinach) to give it more flavor- and definitely MORE CHEESE- heck I’d double this filling recipe honestly- but the flavors need work. Also 4 eggs is a LOT OF EGGS- use 2 and add more of everything else- ESPECIALLY CHEESE.
Thank you for sharing, Gara. Thank you for giving the recipe a try.
There is too much parley in this recipe. Also, not enough feta. And agree with the others you need to saute your onions and garlic first. It’s not the best spanakopita to be honest. Very bland taste.
Thank you for your feedback, Dani. I appreciate you giving the recipe a try.
To each, his own—I was reading through old comments to see if any readers had extra tips and was shocked enough by the tone of this one to take the time to reply directly. It’s one thing to say you felt like a recipe needed more flavor, and it’s another to be rude about it. I’ve made this recipe once before and it was so successful, I made sure I found the same one today before attempting to make spanakopita again. I did follow tips from other users the first time around, and I added more salt, lemon zest+juice, and more dill (fresh). However, I see this as standard “adjustment to taste” that most people do with any dish they cook. It is hardly a reason to post a rudely toned commentary on a person’s website when they have provided so many well-written and thorough instructions for many home recipes. Shame; this isn’t some forum like Yelp for complaining about grievances with bad service at an overpriced restaurant. Constructive feedback is a lot different from “meh…this is a sorry excuse for…blah blah blah ALL CAPS ranting complaining.”
Thank you for your support, Heidi. It’s very much appreciated. So glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe :).
Limit parsley to no more than 1/2 a cup. I used WAY too much the first time. Also sautéing the onions, garlic and parsley first helps cut the ‘green’ taste. Adding 1/2 cup green onions, 1/2 cup of ricotta, 1/2 tsp of nutmeg instead of dill and 1 tbsp of lemon juice takes it up a notch.
Thanks for sharing your adaptations, Erin!
I have made this recipe a number of times and it comes out a smash hit every time. I’m quite generous with the garlic and cheese, since I feel like that is where the unique delicious flavor comes from. I also saute a large box of fresh spinach with coconut or olive oil and then drain it in a collander while I combine the other ingredients. My kids who are NOT fans of vegetables LOVE this recipe. That makes it a terrific hit with me!
TIP #1: For those doing this the first time: I tried brushing the oil on the layers and felt a bit frustrated. It took so long. Also, the sheets are so big that I struggled handling them without them tearing, and the ends were difficult to tuck. I found a spray bottle of olive oil, and now I unroll the phyllo, spray half the sheet, fold it in half and lay it folded in the pan. Then I spray the top of that half sheet in the pan, and keep repeating on the following layers. It goes SO FAST that way, and it works great.
TIP #2: When she says only cut partway through, this means that if you don’t pre-cut it before you bake it, the flaky crust will disintegrate when you try to cut it after you bake it. Always cut the top layers and even into the bottom layers a bit before baking so that you get beautiful squares.
EXCELLENT RECIPE!
Thank you so much to take some time to share your tips, Janell!
I’m so glad you commented on this! I feel like some of us Americans are so desensitized to flavor that a mild dish like this can seem too bland for us. I actually liked it, even my 21 yr old son first thought it was a little weird, but he quickly got used to it and now we have it squared up in individuals in the freezer. I didn’t have enough feta – first mistake! The phyllo dough was so much easier to work with than I’d have ever guessed and that encourages me to try other recipes using phyllo now! I definitely agree that we can all adjust to our own tastes, but going strictly by the recipe, it was a winner. I put my mom on the Mediterranean diet because she has dementia and some research is showing an improvement in memory and brain health in dementia patients, so I’ll keep on following this site! I’ve already made about 3 other recipes and we liked all of them, I’ll go find them and comment LOL.
BTW Suzy, I LOVE LOVE LOVE your kitchen!
Awww! Thank you! I’m so glad you had success with this recipe! One of my favs!
This was delicious! So flavorful!
Awesome, Michelle! thanks for sharing.
This is a good recipe for Spanikopita, I changed a few things (used butter for layering phyllo), used 1/3 cup of chopped fresh dill and skipped parsley since I didn’t have any – also sauteed the onions and a little garlic. What makes this so good is you can use thawed spinach and it doesn’t need to be cooked so it tastes fresher – overall the recipe was DELISH – also I used 20 ounces of frozen chopped spinach which probably compensated for not having the parsley.
Thank you for sharing your adaptations, Jeanne!
Thank.
My pleasure! Enjoy!!
Loved this recipe! I did make some changes, but the base was essentially there. I recommend this recipe to everyone who wants to try to make “spinach pie.” It’s incredibly easy to follow, and even though I actually cook my fresh spinach (don’t care for frozen) , it still took just roughly 30 minutes. (Changes made were adding ricotta cheese with the feta, and decreasing the eggs by two. I went crazy in my Penzey’s Spice cabinet, and added a bit of all the Mediterranean flavors I could find. I used dried parsley instead of fresh because that’s what I had on hand.) Delicious!!!
Thank you for sharing your adaptations, Carolyn!
Sounds great, I will try it. Four eggs? Just making sure that’s not a misprint.
Four egg is correct! Hope you love it!!
I purchased 2 1/2 lbs fresh spinach. but didn’t weight after I cooked it. Should I have weighted it after cooking and made sure I had 2 lbs or is fresh uncooked weight accurate enough.
This recipe is fairly forgiving, Francine. It should work out for you.
A great light alternative to the gollash I usually make with melted butter, mushroom, and mixed cheese! Will definitely be coming back to this whenever I need a light version! Thank you Suzy.