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.
In your list of ingredients it says 1 16 oz 4 sheets of phyllo but when you describe how to do it it seems that you been using more than 4 sheets!!
Hi, Maria. The #4 refers to the thickness of the sheets, not the number to use. I use the #4 size, which is the thinnest of type of phyllo.
I made this, but I wanted to clean out some cheeses from my cheese drawer. I mixed Feta, Bleu and Monterey Jack.
I like to freeze squares and reheat for breakfast with a over-easy egg on top.
Ooo! What a great idea! YUM!
Hello Suzy,
I bought the spinach at one market, but they didn’t have phyllo. I went to another market, and they too were out of the dough.
I need to prep the spinach before it goes bad. Can I make the filling and freeze it? I wasn’t sure because of the eggs.
I have cooked the spinach, onion, and garlic and now it is draining and cooling. Not sure if I should mix in the remaining ingredients once the spinach mixture is cooled.
Thanks for you help,
Amy
Hi there! Looking to try this tonight, and looks delicious. Once it is cooked and stored in the fridge overnight, is this okay to eat cold the next day? Or must it be reheated?
Thanks!
Hi, Sara. I prefer to reheat it, but some have commented here that they have enjoyed it cold.
Can I make this without the crust? Will it cook the same?
Hi, Lisa. While I have seen some recipes for crustless spinach pie out there, I’m not sure that this recipe will work for that. There are likely adaptations that would have to be made to account for the lack of crust. It’s not something I’ve tried personally, so I can’t really advise here.
This is NOT the right video for this recipe
Hi, Katherine! The video for this on is at the bottom of the post, above the recipe card.
This recipe is delicious, thank you so much. The frozen chopped spinach came in 12 oz. packages, and I didn’t want to waste any of it, so I scaled up the other ingredients (6 eggs, 2 onions, a lot of garlic, more cheese) and it still turned out perfectly. I steam and dry out the spinach and also squeeze the bejeezus out of it and I think that is a key to a good spanakopita and this is a really good spanakopita.
Thank you so much, Marji!
Nutmeg wasn’t necessary, otherwise it was great!
I don’t see any salt included in this recipe.
Hi, Alice. Salt can be added to the filling if you’d like.
My first time making spanakopita. It came out great! Delicious!
Awesome! Thanks, Anna!
great recipe!
I found that dry Phyllo is much easier to work with. putting it between the towels made it much harder. it became sticky and crumbled.
Just take it strait from the box and unfold it
You write about freezing leftovers that have already been cooked. I want to make this ahead of my event- freeze/uncooked, then cook the morning of party. Should it be defrosted before baking or can it be cooked frozen, for a longer time I presume? Thank you.
Hello, Susan. After cooking the spanakopita, I recommend cutting it into squares before freezing. Then, you would want to make sure it’s in a good tight-lid container to freeze. Before reheating, thaw out in the fridge. And, finally, to reheat, place on a very lightly oiled baking sheet and heat in the oven at 325 degrees F briefly until warmed through.
Can this be made with fresh spinach or does it have to be from frozen?
Hi, Amanda. You can use fresh spinach if you prefer. You will need about 3 lb of fresh spinach leaves to replace the frozen spinach, though. Chop the fresh spinach and sauté in a little olive oil until the spinach wilts down. Drain completely, then proceed from there. Hope this helps.
How much parsley equals a bunch? Thank you!!
Hi, Julia. A “bunch” of parsley is typically 12-15 stems.
Oh my gosh, so good! Honestly, I battled the phyllo dough and was worried I was making a big mess, but in the end it looked beautiful just like your pictures. Thank you for sharing so many delicious and flavorful recipes. You are my go to for good tasting vegetable forward meals.
Awesome! I know working with phyllo dough can be a labor of love, but it gets easier every time :).
Hi!
I do not eat eggs and wondered what a good replacement would me or if it would be ok if they were left out.
Thanks!
Hi, Katie. I’ve never made an egg-free version of this recipe, so it’s a little hard for me to advise. If you try this without the eggs, please stop back and let us know how it went. I feel like it would still be delicious, it just wouldn’t be bound together as well.
Fantastic! Authentic!
My first time using Phyllo – and it looks and smells amazing.
Hope you enjoy it, Ruby!
I’m trying this recipe this week! Looks great, never made spanakopita before! Is there a shortcut to removing stems of 2 bunches of parsley? I’ll do it, but I think it’s going to take awhile. 🙂
Hi, Mary. I typically just remove the part of the stem below the leaves with one cut to the bunch. Then I chop up the upper part of the stems with the leaves because there is actually a lot of flavor there.