Spanakopita is a traditional Greek dish made with phyllo dough and loaded with a delicious spinach and feta filling! This comforting savory pie recipe makes a perfect appetizer or side dish!
The whole family will love this incredible spinach pie thanks to its crispy shell and flavorful cheesy center!
What Is Spanakopita?
It’s a spinach pie that’s made with flaky phyllo dough like that originated in Greece.
The filling is loaded with spinach (of course), feta, garlic, parsley, onion, and more, making every bite delicious! The dough is brushed with olive oil adding even more delicious Mediterranean flavor!
How To Make Spanakopita
This easy Greek spinach pie comes together in three steps:
- DOUGH: The dough itself is already made, but you will have to prep it properly for the best pie! (Any extras can be made into Phyllo cups!)
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- Thaw: The dough will be frozen and will need to thaw. The best way to do this to ensure the integrity of the dough is to transfer it to the refrigerator 12 hours before using it. To keep the dough from drying out, the stack of dough with a damp (not soaked) paper towel while working with it.
- Layer: Stack the dough in sheets of two and brush with olive oil, some of the sheets will tear. Just keep going until only 8 sheets are left.
- FILLING: The filling is so simple to prepare, and there’s no additional cooking required. Use frozen spinach for this recipe, you can also substitute frozen for fresh with this helpful guide!
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- Thaw: Make sure to thaw the spinach completely and squeeze out as much water as possible. Wrapping it in cheesecloth is a great way to do this!
- Combine: Add all filling ingredients to a large bowl and mix until combined.
- Spread: Spread evenly over dough.
- FINISHING: Add the remaining dough, brushing with olive oil every 2 layers like before. Then, use a large sharp knife and gently cut through the top layer of dough (but not all the way to the bottom) and bake.
How To Serve It
You can cut spanikopita into smaller pieces, similar to baklava, and it’s perfect for parties when serving as an appetizer.
Cutting into larger squares makes it a wonderful light lunch option while smaller triangles make for a delicious side dish to lamb, ham or even cheese cannelloni.
Making It Ahead/Leftovers
If you want to prepare this in advance, the best way to do it is to prep it all the way through but not bake it until the day you want to enjoy it. It can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before baking.
- Store: After baking, leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Reheat: Reheat in the oven at 350°F until heated through, or eat cold.
More Spinach Recipes
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Creamed Spinach
- Spinach Artichoke Pinwheels
- Ham & Spinach Frittata
- Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
Spanakopita
Ingredients
Dough
- 16 ounces phyllo dough
- 1 cup olive oil
Filling
- 20 ounces frozen spinach thawed and drained
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 12 ounces feta
- 1 bunch parsley minced
- 1 ½ cups parmesan cheese grated
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and brush the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan with olive oil.
- Roll out the thawed phyllo dough and cover the stack with a lightly damp paper towel to keep the dough from drying out. If dough is a lot longer than your baking dish, cut off the end so you don't have a lot of excess dough.
- Place two pieces of dough in the bottom of the pan and brush them liberally with olive oil. Repeat this layering process until just 8 sheets of dough remain.
- Combine the filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl then spread the mixture out on top of the dough in the pan.
- Add the rest of the dough, brushing with olive oil every two layers as before, brushing the top layer with olive oil and adding a few drops of water to the top.
- Use a large sharp knife to cut through the top layer of dough (but not all the way to the bottom) in whatever size you want the end pieces to be.
- Bake for 1 hour or until the top layer is a nice flaky golden brown. Finish cutting the dish into pieces and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
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Can fresh spinach be substituted for frozen? Thanks
Yes it can! You can substitute frozen for fresh with this helpful guide.
Can this be made and frozen?
Hi Sharon, we haven’t tried freezing this recipe after it is prepared. But I would love to hear how it turns out.
I used this recipe. This was my first time making these. Fabulous. Thank – you for the recipe.
Raquel Holland
You’re very welcome Raquel!
Should I sauté the onions first before adding it to the filling?
Thanks!
You certainly can if you’d like but since this bakes for 1 hour, there is no need to saute first.
I did not and it turned out great. I also used italian flavored feta and omitted the parsley. I also added 1T sugar per our family’s taste. (It wasn’t sweet, it just added flavor)
Ojkay