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Home » Cuisine » Greek » Classic Spanakopita Recipe (Greek Spinach Pie)

Classic Spanakopita Recipe (Greek Spinach Pie)

May 23, 2022 by Faith 14 Comments

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Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie) has crisp, buttery layers of phyllo dough and a savory spinach filling with garlic, fresh herbs, and feta. It’s easier to make than you might think and it’s a great dish to make ahead!

crispy spinach pie

One of my absolute favorite Greek dishes is Spanakopita, a savory spinach pie with feta cheese and crispy phyllo dough.

It’s packed with flavor from onion, garlic, and fresh herbs. Dill in particular is incredible in this recipe, and really makes it something special! It’s just a wonderful blend of flavors all around, not to mention different textures with the spinach filling and crunchy top and bottom.

This dish is a perfect side dish for anything you grill up, like steak, chicken, or lamb. Or it makes a delicious vegetarian main course paired with a salad!

greek spanakopita recipe

In This Article

  • Why You’ll Love This Recipe
  • The Best Spanakopita Recipe
  • Tips
  • Spanakopita FAQs
  • What to Serve with Greek Spinach Pie
  • Spanakopita Recipe (Greek Spinach Pie)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • The savory spinach filling! It has a touch of sweetness thanks to onion, lots of savory flavor because of garlic and fresh herbs, and a slight hint of heat due to a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
  • Crunchy golden top and bottom. Both flavor and texture-wise, this is the perfect accent to the soft, flavor-packed savory spinach filling.
  • It keeps well in the fridge and reheats like a dream!
greek spinach pie recipe

The Best Spanakopita Recipe

Ingredients

spanakopita ingredients

Spinach Filling:

  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Sweet onion
  • Garlic
  • Frozen spinach
  • Parsley
  • Scallion
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Dill
  • Feta cheese
  • Eggs
  • Black pepper
  • Salt
  • Crushed red pepper flakes

Top and Bottom Crust:

  • Phyllo dough
  • Salted butter

Step-by-Step Instructions

how to make spanakopita
  1. Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat.
  2. Once hot, add the onion and cook until softened, but not browned, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Transfer to a bowl and cool until lukewarm, about 10 minutes.
  3.  Squeeze the thawed spinach very well to remove excess liquid.
  4. Add the onion/garlic mixture, spinach, parsley, scallion, lemon juice, dill, feta, eggs, black pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes to a large bowl. Stir to combine.
  5. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish with melted butter. Generously brush 1 sheet of phyllo dough with butter and place it into the greased casserole dish.
  6. Repeat this process with 7 more sheets of phyllo dough so you have a total of 8 buttered sheets in the dish.
  7. Spread the spinach filling out evenly onto the phyllo dough in the dish.
  8. Generously brush 1 sheet of phyllo dough with butter and place it on top of the spinach filling inside the casserole dish.
  9. Repeat this process with 7 more sheets of phyllo dough so you have a total of 8 buttered sheets on top. Gently tuck the dough along the outside down. Make sure the top layer of dough is brushed with butter.
  10. Preheat the oven to 375F. Bake until the Spanakopita is golden and crisp, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let it cool for about 15 minutes so the filling can set before slicing and serving.
serving flaky phyllo dough spanakopita

How to Store and Reheat This Dish

Store Spanakopita wrapped in the fridge for up to 5 days.

This dish reheats well in the oven or air fryer. Preheat the oven or air fryer to 325F and heat it until warm, about 10 to 15 minutes.

tray of flaky spanakopita

Tips

  • Use frozen spinach to save time! However, be sure to wring out all of the excess liquid to avoid a soggy bottom to your spinach pie.
  • Another great tip to save you time is to use store-bought phyllo dough. Look for it in the freezer area of your regular grocery store, or at a local Greek grocery store, or buy it on Amazon.
  • If you’ve ever worked with phyllo dough, you know how fast it can dry out and become unusable! To help prevent phyllo from drying out, lay a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap on a flat surface. Put the phyllo on top, and then place another piece of wax paper or plastic wrap on top. Drape a kitchen towel that’s dampened with cold water over the top layer of wax paper or plastic wrap. Keep the dough covered until you remove a piece to use.
  • Score the Spanakopita before baking to help you cut it with less flaking after it’s baked. This results in neater slices!
spinach pie recipe graphic

Spanakopita FAQs

Is Phyllo Dough the Same as Puff Pastry?

Phyllo dough and puff pastry are not the same thing.

Phyllo dough, which is also transliterated as “filo” dough, is paper-thin pastry typically made of flour, water, and oil. When they’re used in baking, sheets of phyllo dough are typically brushed with oil or melted butter, and then stacked. The end result is a super crispy, crunchy, golden pastry. For example, baklava is made with phyllo dough!

On the other hand, puff pastry is a laminated dough usually made of flour, water, and butter. Laminated means that the dough is layered with cold butter by rolling the dough out, spreading it with butter, folding it up, letting it chill, and then rolling it out again (and so forth). The layers of butter and dough result in a pastry that’s puffed and golden with a rich buttery flavor. Picture a croissant as an example of lamination.

homemade spanakopita

Do You Put Egg in Spanakopita?

In this recipe, we add 3 eggs to the Spanakopita filling. This helps the filling set, and also bumps up the protein content a bit.

However, you can omit the egg from this recipe if you prefer. The main difference is that the filling won’t set quite as much.

flaky phyllo spanakopita recipe

Why is My Spanakopita Soggy on the Bottom?

There are a few different reasons why your Greek spinach pie is soggy on the bottom, but it most likely has to do with the spinach.

If you’re using frozen spinach, it’s likely that you didn’t wring all of the excess liquid out of it. I’m telling you, wring it out, wring it out again, and then do it another time. And then see if it looks like it needs it again.

If you’re using fresh spinach, it’s a similar situation. You need to cook out all the excess liquid from the spinach before assembling your pie.

Another great tip to help prevent a soggy bottom is to bake the Spanakopita uncovered so excess moisture can evaporate off.

And lastly, if you’re still worried about a soggy bottom, if your oven’s heat source is at the bottom, you can bake Spanakopita on a rack positioned in the lower 1/3 of the oven for the last 10 minutes it bakes.

spanakopita

What to Serve with Greek Spinach Pie

  • Mediterranean Bean Salad
  • Apple Walnut Rainbow Swiss Chard Salad
  • Spanakopita Potato Salad
  • Mediterranean Pasta Salad
spanakopita in tray

Let’s Connect

I love hearing from you!
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment.
You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
To stay up-to-date, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!
xoxo, Faith

spanakopita featured image

Spanakopita Recipe (Greek Spinach Pie)

By: Faith Gorsky
Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie) has crisp, buttery layers of phyllo dough and a savory spinach filling with garlic, fresh herbs, and feta. It’s easier to make than you might think and it’s a great dish to make ahead!
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Course Appetizer, Vegetarian Main Course
Cuisine Greek
Servings 12 servings
Calories 251 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Spinach Filling:

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large sweet onion diced
  • 6 large cloves garlic minced
  • 16 ounces frozen spinach thawed and drained well (see Notes)
  • 1 bunch parsley minced
  • 1 bunch scallion green and white parts, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or 1/2 tablespoon dried dill
  • 12 ounces feta cheese crumbled
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste

Top and Bottom Crust:

  • 16 sheets phyllo dough approximately 9 by 14-inches
  • 2/3 cup salted butter melted

Instructions
 

For the Spinach Filling:

  • Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook until softened, but not browned, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Transfer to a bowl and cool until lukewarm, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the onion/garlic mixture, spinach, parsley, scallion, lemon juice, dill, feta, eggs, black pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes to a large bowl. Stir to combine.

To Assemble the Spanakopita:

  • Brush the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish with melted butter.
  • Generously brush 1 sheet of phyllo dough with butter and place it into the greased casserole dish. Repeat this process with 7 more sheets of phyllo dough so you have a total of 8 buttered sheets in the dish.
  • Spread the spinach filling out evenly onto the phyllo dough in the dish.
  • Generously brush 1 sheet of phyllo dough with butter and place it on top of the spinach filling inside the casserole dish. Repeat this process with 7 more sheets of phyllo dough so you have a total of 8 buttered sheets on top.
  • Gently tuck the dough along the outside down. Make sure the top layer of dough is brushed with butter.
  • If you want to score the top of the spinach pie, use a sharp paring knife to do it now (see Notes).

To Bake:

  • Preheat the oven to 375F. Bake until the Spanakopita is golden and crisp, about 35 to 40 minutes.
  • Let it cool for about 15 minutes so the filling can set before slicing and serving.

Faith’s Tips

  • Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes 1 (9 by 13-inch) dish of Spanakopita. As an appetizer it serves 12, and as a vegetarian main course it serves 6.
  • Frozen Spinach: I like to use frozen spinach (instead of fresh) for two reasons: 1) it’s a time-saver, and 2) it would take a pretty large volume of fresh spinach to yield the same quantity! Just be sure that you squeeze it very well to drain out the excess liquid, otherwise your Spanakopita might be soggy!
  • Salted Butter Substitute: You can use extra-virgin olive oil instead of melted butter to brush the phyllo dough.
  • Make the Filling Ahead of Time: You can make the filling up to 2 days ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge until assembling the pie.
  • Prevent the Phyllo Dough From Drying Out: To help prevent phyllo dough from drying out, lay a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap on a flat surface. Put the phyllo on top, and then place another piece of wax paper or plastic wrap on top. Drape a kitchen towel that’s dampened with cold water over the top layer of wax paper or plastic wrap. Keep the dough covered until you remove a piece to use.
  • Scoring the Top Before Baking: This will help you cut it with less flaking after it’s baked, resulting in neater slices.
  • How to Store and Reheat This Dish: Store Spanakopita wrapped in the fridge for up to 5 days. This dish reheats well in the oven or air fryer. Preheat the oven or air fryer to 325F and heat it until warm, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Spanakopita Recipe (Greek Spinach Pie)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 251 Calories from Fat 189
% Daily Value*
Fat 21g32%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
Cholesterol 93mg31%
Sodium 545mg24%
Potassium 213mg6%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 9g18%
Vitamin A 4962IU99%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 208mg21%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword Greek Spinach Pie, Spanakopita, Spanakopita Recipe
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!
spanakopita pin

This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on July 6, 2009. I updated it with more information on May 23, 2022.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Greek, Main Courses, Vegetarian Tagged: Greek Spinach Pie, Spanakopita, Spanakopita Recipe

Comments

  1. Danielle says

    February 17, 2012 at 12:29 am

    That looks amazing… only thing it’s missing is pine nuts! Yummy…

    Reply
  2. Reeni says

    July 8, 2009 at 5:49 pm

    What a delicious savory pie! I love everything about it – wonderful flavors!

    Reply
  3. Angie's Recipes says

    July 8, 2009 at 1:35 pm

    hi Faith
    I like about all kinds of food that made with filo pastry…..and spinach and feta are a great combination for the savory pie.

    Reply
  4. [email protected] says

    July 8, 2009 at 9:37 am

    pie sound heavenly delicious!! being healthy and green is the best part :)

    Reply
  5. Aimee says

    July 8, 2009 at 4:32 am

    I have never worked with phyllo dough before, but I have come across so many recipes that look so yummy that require it. I need to give it a try!

    Reply
  6. Karyn (French Charming) says

    July 7, 2009 at 2:22 pm

    Can’t wait to give this a try…looks and sounds delicious! Love your photos, always so lovely!!

    Have a great day!
    Karyn

    Reply
  7. Holly (The Healthy Everythingtarian) says

    July 7, 2009 at 11:05 am

    so i never really looks through all your recipes before, so i just did that, and now i have a list of like a billion recipes to try :) thanks for all the goodness – this pie looks amazing too!

    Reply
  8. Hari Chandana says

    July 7, 2009 at 5:08 am

    very healthy recipe.. looks soo deliciousn yummyyy..

    Reply
  9. Parita says

    July 7, 2009 at 4:47 am

    Delicious pie! i must say spinach, onions and feta does go very well!

    Reply
  10. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says

    July 6, 2009 at 6:49 pm

    I love a good spinach and feta pie and I like how you’ve added sweet onions to the filling! :)

    Reply
  11. Natasha - 5 Star Foodie says

    July 6, 2009 at 8:08 pm

    This pie looks absolutely delicious with feta! This would definitely be a great entry for BSI this week.

    Reply
  12. Actors Diet says

    July 6, 2009 at 7:14 pm

    Yummy! I love how it’s pie shape…most spinach pie I order comes square.

    Reply
  13. Karine says

    July 6, 2009 at 4:57 pm

    I love this!!! There are so many ingredients I love in this pie!!!

    Reply
  14. Michael says

    July 6, 2009 at 4:39 pm

    5 stars
    That was a great meal, do it more often beautiful! I loved it

    Reply

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Hello and welcome to An Edible Mosaic! This is my recipe collection of international favorites and updated American classics with an emphasis on seasonal dishes. Here you’ll find a focus on real foods that sustain body and mind, bring people together, and make a house a home.

 

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I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to email me with questions or comments.

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affiliate disclosure

An Edible Mosaic is monetized in part though affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an affiliate link and/or purchase an item after clicking on an affiliate link, I may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I love and use. To learn more, please read my Privacy Policy.

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