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 ½" 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.
So thankful for your site!!! ♥♥♥ GREEK ♥♥♥
Thank you, Tess! Glad you found us! Enjoy!
It goes in covered or uncovered?
Uncovered, Beth. Hope you enjoy it!
Made your soanakopita recipe last night and I think I used too much parsley! Any idea for a more exact measurement for the fresh parsley? Want to re-make it. Otherwise, a great recipe.
Hi Sherry, generally speaking, a bunch of parsley, when chopped, gives you about 1 1/2 cups chopped parsley. It sounds like you prefer less parsley, so maybe use just 1 bunch of parsley if that's your preference.
thanks for the amount of parsley (maybe add it to the recipe) - I just chopped one bunch and it came to 4 cups chopped! My grocery store must be generous with their bunches.
Great! Thank you for checking back in.
NAMASTE SUZY!! My mouth is watering right now - I know what's cooking tonight!! This is also a great grab & go lunch!! It even tastes great cold on a picnic!! Suzy, I am wondering if you can tell me the name of the cheese you get in Greek rest-aurants that they FRY?? I would luv to do this @ home. Thanks!!
Hello, Jenna! Excited for you to try this recipe. Enjoy! The fried cheese appetizer you order at Greek restaurants is called Saganaki. You can do the same with Halloumi cheese. Hope this helps.
I used this recipe and, OMG it was so good!! My husband loved it too. Thank you for sharing it.
That is wonderful, Tesa! So glad to hear you've enjoyed it!
I want to make this for a brunch (tomorrow!). Can I assemble the whole thing today & bake it in the morning? I want it to be as fresh and crisp as possible.
Hi Rebecca, I have an aunt who does prepare it in advance. You can cover it tightly and refrigerate overnight. The next day, bring to room temp and brush the top with oil before baking. My preference, however, is to prepare the filling and refrigerate in a tight-lid container. Thaw the fillo in the fridge overnight in it's own box still. The next morning, just assemble and bake. I think this yields better results.
Is there any point at which this can be made in advance and/or reheated? We are using your recipe for a progressive dinner. Thanks!
Hi Sherry, you can make this a day or so in advance. Bring to room temperature, then cover with foil, heat in a medium-heated oven briefly. You'll want to be watchful not to burn the bottom.
Excellent! Everybody in my family now wants me to redo it! Very well explained. Made a couple small changes using 2 eggs instead of 4. And for the cheese, 2/3 feta, 1/3 ricotta.
Hi Fikry! Thank you for giving this a try. So glad everyone enjoyed it. And thanks for sharing your adaptation.
If using fresh spinach, would a bunch be enough?
Hi there, you will need about 3 lb of fresh spinach leaves to replace the frozen spinach in this recipe. You'll need to chop the spinach and sautee in a little olive oil until the spinach wilts down. Drain completely, then proceed from there. Hope this helps.
I love the idea of the casserole! I have always taken the time to make the small triangles and that takes forever! The good part is that I make a huge recipe and put the triangles in the freezer and then when I need some I just pop them into the oven for a little bit longer! But this version takes the cake! I'd be forced to eat the whole thing within a couple of days; and I'll be enjoying every minute of it!
haha! I hear you, Maria! When I make this spanakopita, it goes fast! Thanks so much for stopping in...Hope you give this a try soon!
I'd love to receive some greek recipes.
You've come to the right place, Yvonne. Have you signed up to be a part of our e-mail list?
I made this last night for a little dinner party and it was a huge hit! I served it with roasted carrots and the tzatziki sauce you recommended. Just had left overs for breakfast. Also- healthy and budget friendly! Party of 6, didn't spend over $30 on ingredients, and we have leftovers for today. Can't wait to try more of your recipes. So happy I found your blog!
How awesome, Kristen! I am so glad to hear you enjoyed the Spanakopita! And you're right, it's really an afford dish for a crowd. Thank you for stopping in to share!
I LOVE spanakopita and I am SO excited to try this! Looks delicious!
Wonderful, Becky! Enjoy!
I'll have to try this, it looks great!
I hope you do soon, Chloe! Enjoy!
Looks fantastic! I love spinach.
This is a great recipe. When I made it it came out great exactly as you wrote it. Thanks so much.! But I wonder why you sprinkle water on the top? I forgot to do so.
Hey Maurice, I am so glad the recipe worked out for you. The water sprinkle is something I learned from my mom. It isn't 100 percent necessary, if you ask me, but it's in my genes 🙂 If you are generous in brushing the top with olive oil, it should be great! And it sounds like that worked out well for you. Thanks so much for stopping in and for giving this recipe a try!