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.
This is a delicious recipe. I cooked this for my granddaughter’s birthday gathering and received so many compliments. I was told that it was the best spanakopita they had tasted! Highly recommend this recipe.
Claire, that’s awesome! So glad this was a good choice for your granddaughter’s party! Thank you for sharing!
Hi,
Id like to freeze the recipe. I saw in your notes you wrote to bake it fully first, then freeze, and not to thaw before reheating it. How would you do it then? Frozen solid into the oven for how long? Covered or uncovered? Temp? You don’t think it would taste fresher if it was frozen raw? Or perhaps the dough would get messed up?
Thanks for you guidance!
Hi Channa, you can heat this from frozen in a 350 degrees F heated oven. You can cover it. And do check after 10 to 15 minutes to see where things are at, then continue heating as needed.
My husband is diabetic looking for healthy dishes
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Looking forward to making this! My Mom used to make it all the time!!! I was always intimidated! lol love love love this!!!
I hope you enjoyed it! Can’t wait to hear what you think.
I add some cottage cheese with the fetta and use unsalted butter
That works too, Robert! Thanks for sharing your version!
I’ve been wanting to make Spanakopita for a long time-this recipe is so easy! My husband was still talking about it the next morning.
Denise, I am so happy to hear this! Thank you!
I’m a little unclear as to the oiling of the phyllo sheets. Do you only oil every other sheet (oil the pan, put 2 sheets down without oiling in between them (ie: each layer is 2 sheets), and oil the top one, then repeat? ) or oil between each sheet.
I’m trying this recipe tomorrow, and want to be sure.
Thanks, in advance, for any help.
Hi Neal. Yes, you oil the top sheet of each layer. So you put down 2 sheets, and only oil the top one. So sorry I couldn’t get to your question earlier, it’s not always possible for me.
going to try it for sure! for thanks he recipe could you add the email icon so i can share you fab recipes, diana from toronto
Thank you, Diana! noted!
The recipe has clear instructions and was easy to follow. I’m definitely glad I decided to score the top before baking, made it easy to slice without breaking the perfect looking phyllo! It was my first time making this type of dish and I look forward to doing it again! Thank you!
Kelley, thanks for sharing! Yes to scoring the top before baking, I’ve been doing that myself. I’ll make sure it’s in the notes somewhere 🙂
Hello. Can I use fresh green spinach, with stems, in this recipe? If so, how do I prepare the spinach? Thanks. Andrew
It is possible, but remember that frozen spinach has already been blanched, so you’ll need more fresh spinach (two to three times, I believe). You’ll want to chop and cook the spinach down before use. And make sure it’s well drained.
This is the first time that I ever attempted to make Spannokopita. It was amazing, the best I have ever had anywhere. We all thought so. The directions were simple and clear. This will be on our dinner table again and again. Thank you.
Connie, makes my day to know this! Thank you for giving it a try!
Have always loved spinach pie
Awesome, Pandie!
Is it possible to use fresh spinach? How would that substitution change the recipe instructions?
Hi Denise, it is possible, but remember that frozen spinach has already been blanched, so you’ll need more fresh spinach (two to three times, I believe). You’ll want to chop and cook the spinach down before use.
I am planning on making this as I unexpectedly picked up phyllo pastry instead of puff pastry. The recipe looks great but just a point to clarify…. do you brush between each of your two sheets that you instruct to use at a time? Or just the top of the second sheet? Thanks!
Hi Donnie, so sorry I couldn’t get to your question earlier. You brush the top of the second sheet just as the tutorial states. Enjoy!
Hi! Do you recommend any side dishes? Or should this be served alone?
Hi Brida, thanks for your question. Sure, please see the suggestions above under “What to Serve with Spanakopita recipe.” Enjoy!
Good instructions and I have a few questions:
1. Why the wet towels, and how exactly do you use them with the sheets?
2. How about moore butter as a substitute for more oil?
Hi Bob. Great questions. The two very slightly damp towels help keep the fillo from cracking and breaking easily. As instructed in the tutorial, place the fillo sheets between the two towels, and as you work, try to keep the remaining fillo covered. You can use butter, if you like. I use olive oil every chance I can for a healthier option. Enjoy