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.
I would like to make this for Christmas and just wondering if the onions need to be sautéed to soften before being mixed in with the filling.
Hi Karen! No, you do not have to cook the onions before adding to the filling mixture. But they should be very finely chopped. Enjoy!
I would like to make this for Christmas. Can I make it the night before and reheat it in the baking dish?
Hi Donna! Great question. 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. Enjoy!
Hi Suzy,
I have a question? Seems it should be self explanatory with your step by step awesome instructions! Just double checking! Am I suppose to put the entire package of phyllo between damp towels or each sheet individually? Thank you ! This looks simple and delicious !
Hi Mary, Thanks for your question. You place the entire fillo/phyllo in between two very lightly damp towels (not each sheet individually) 🙂 Hope this helps.
I made this recipe for dinner tonight, everyone loved it. I can’t wait to try some more of the recipes. It was very easy to make. I didn’t have any parsley but I did use a little bit of dried mint and cloves and I used half butter and half olive oil. Really tasty. I will be following you religiously. Thank you.
Jane, that's wonderful! I am so so glad you enjoyed this recipe. And happy to have you in our community!
I just made this and it is amazing!!!! What is the best way to store the leftovers?
Kristina, glad you enjoyed it! so sorry I'm just now able to get to your question. If you plan to eat them the next day, simply store leftovers in a tight-lid container in the fridge. Heat in oven.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!!! My best friend in high school was Greek and her mom used to make this for me when I came over for dinner. I loved it so much that she would even send me care packages to me in college! Have tried to replicate the dish and it never worked. Your directions were easy to follow and it was delicious!!! Mrs. Heon would be so proud of me!!! Thanks again!
Awww! Wonderful, Sandy! I'm honored you gave this recipe a try and that you liked it 🙂
Oh man. This was delicious! I had to tweak it a bit bc I didn't have any fresh herbs, but still turned out fabulous. My 2.5 yr old son even approved! He had three, no four helpings!
Jess, that's awesome! And if the little one approves, it makes it even better, right?!
Beautiful! I did it a bit more Yugoslavian style by layering pastry, oil, pastry, spinach mix and repeating. I also used half spinach/half stinging nettle. It came out amazing!
Thank you! And thank you for sharing your variation on the recipe. Sounds great!
Absolutely fabulous! Very authentic Greek style spanakopita!
That's wonderful to hear, Paula! so glad you enjoyed it.
What would be the calories per serving?
Hi there, we just installed a new tool to calculate nutrition information (see bottom of the recipe). But the calculated total calories per serving is approximately 393.
Delicious, one of the best
Great to hear it, Autumn! Thanks so much!
love this dish.. great reminder on preparation. YA YA taught me how to prepare this dish...
Yiayia-approved dishes are the best, right?! Thanks for stopping in Galen.
I have made this version twice and both times it has been delicious. I use fresh spinach and it works beautifully.
Wonderful, Julie! So glad you enjoy this recipe!!!
Hi! Thank you so much for this lovely recipe - it was my first spanakopita and it turned out quite well! Mine was just a bit on the dry side and I was wondering what you would suggest to fix that?
Hey Andrea, so glad you enjoyed it! I use all extra virgin olive oil here, but if you like, you can mix melted butter with the EVOO and that might help. Also watch the oven...if your oven is stronger, it might be that you need to remove the Spanakopita a little earlier.
Really delicious! Especially with all the fresh herbs. We were short on filo so did something slightly different - laid it all out in the pan, then after I put the filling on top which didn't seem like quite enough, we folded the whole thing in half like a parcel. Sprinkled some sesame seeds on top for decoration.
It looked like it was catching quite early on in the oven, so once it was starting to go v golden brown we dropped the oven temperature right down to ensure the centre was cooked.
We used slightly less feta as we had some fussy people in the house who weren't big feta fans but it wasn't short on flavour. Also put in a few gratings of nutmeg which really enhanced the spinach. Big thumbs up! Sad it's all gone 🙁
Great Mary and Max! Thanks so much for giving this a try. I am so glad you liked it.
I made this dish for Easter dinner and it was PERFECT... I assembled it the day before and kept it covered in the fridge and baked the next day! I LOVE Greek food but I have never attempted something like this. Fillo dough has always intimidated me because of it being so delicate but this was so easy and not any where near difficult or scary. It was so delicious and my whole family loved it!!
Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe. I will make this again for sure
Wonderful, Jennifer! And thank you for sharing your tip about assembling this the day before! My aunt does the same as well.