I finally conquered my fear of making spanakopita, the Greek savory spinach and feta pie, and yes, this means I’m going to tell you all about it. It took me so long because, however pathetically, I find filo/phyllo, the thin dough used to produce the flaky layers in many Middle Eastern and Balkan pastries, stressful: the tissue-like sheets can dry into crumbles in what feels like seconds. Having to brush each layer with butter or oil before using it is challenging in a small kitchen, and a lot of work in any size. Over the years, I’ve auditioned many spanakopitaish pies that allowed me to hedge a bit on the phyllo — triangles (only one sheet at a time made it less scary), spirals (ditto with one sheet; this recipe is in Smitten Kitchen Every Day), galettes (using a pie-like dough), and even “skillets” where I just messily crumbled some phyllo on top. All were good. None were this. This is exact spanakopita I crave, more doable than I thought possible.
So what changed? TikTok, my favorite diversion. I’ve spent the last few weeks working on the copyedits for my next cookbook [coming this fall! I cannot wait to tell you more about it] but obviously that also means I would scroll TikTok to rest my brain a little between detangling gram and grammar inconsistencies. A spanakopita video from Eat Like Greek With Julie (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube) appeared and it’s all I’ve thought about since. I probably watched it 24 times over the next two weeks. The moment my edits were in, I went straight to the kitchen to make it. It did not disappoint, not even a tiny bit.
Five things were different about this spanakopita than any I’ve made before:
- The sheets are not brushed individually, painstakingly with oil. You just drizzle it (generously) over every sheet or two, right in the pan.
- There’s no stovetop step. The onion goes in raw, yet is not crunchy or sharp in the pie. If you’ve ever cooked with fresh spinach, you know that there’s a lot of water in it. Most recipes begin with a wilt-then-wring step. This did not. I fully expected to slice into a puddle of a pie and this did not happen; it wasn’t even soggy. Do not ask me to explain the science of it. Just enjoy the freedom from this step. Watch some TikToks with the time you save!
- We mix this with our hands and it’s better off for it. I’m sorry for the word choice but squishing everything together gets the feta evenly over every leaf of spinach while softening everything. You start with an unwieldy mountain of spinach and end up with a tightened mixture, ready to bake. Just do it.
- The recipe uses a mix of flat and scrunched phyllo sheets for the most texture, including a layer in the middle of the spinach. Scrunching is fun. The pastry looks like rumpled bedsheets beckoning a nap [see: the fifth image below], which is an energy that speaks to me on this icy January week.
- We cut the pie into squares before we bake it. I’ve seen this technique for baklava but never spanakopita but it’s brilliant here for the same reasons — you won’t shatter the pastry as you serve it. Plus, the top ends up much more dramatic and crunchy, the center seems to cook more evenly, and it allows for more evaporation, thus less potential sogging.
The result is the best spanakopita I’ve ever eaten, and certainly made. I hope you feel equally triumphant when you pull it off at home.
Previously
6 months ago: Deviled Eggs
1 year ago: Parmesan Oven Risotto
2 years ago: Roasted Squash and Tofu with Ginger
3 years ago: Plush Coconut Cake
4 years ago: Sheet Pan Meatballs with Crispy Turmeric Chickpeas
5 years ago: Chocolate Dutch Baby
6 years ago: Blood Orange, Almond, and Ricotta Cake and Cabbage and Sausage Casserole
7 years ago: Key Lime Pie and Make Your Own Vanilla Extract
8 years ago: Pear and Hazelnut Muffins and Warm Lentil and Potato Salad
9 years ago: Lentil Soup with Sausage, Chard, and Garlic
10 years ago: Buttermilk Roast Chicken
11 years ago: Baked Potato Soup
12 years ago: Black Bean Soup + Toasted Cumin Seed Crema and Cranberry Syrup and an Intensely Almond Cake
13 years ago: Clementine Cake and Mushroom Bourguignon
14 years ago: Chicken Caesar Salad and Fried Chicken
1 years ago: Grapefruit Yogurt Cake
Spanakopita
- 1 1/4 pounds (20 ounces or 565 grams) baby spinach [see Note about frozen], roughly chopped
- 1 cup red onion (from 1 small or half a large), finely chopped
- 6 to 8 scallions (about 2.25 ounces or 65 grams) scallions thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill, or more to taste
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint, or more to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3/4 pound (12 ounces or 340 grams) feta, drained, crumbled
- 1 large egg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1-pound (454-gram) package phyllo/filo pastry, defrosted [see Note]
- Olive oil
Unwrap and unroll your phyllo so it’s in a flat pile and ready to use. I do not keep it covered with a cloth because we will use it fast.
Coat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet** or equivalent pan (12-inch cake pan or a 9×13-inch baking dish) generously with olive oil. You are going to want to be generous with the olive oil throughout this dish for the best flavor and texture; I estimate I use 1/2 cup total in this dish, but probably more.
Arrange 4 to 6 sheets [see Note about phyllo types] of phyllo around the pan, draping each across the bottom and letting the extra hang off over the side of the pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Rumple 2 to 3 sheets phyllo (one at a time) so they just cover the bottom of the pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Arrange half of the spinach mixture across the bottom. Scrunch 4 to 6 sheets of phyllo (think: hamburger-shaped) and arrange over spinach; drizzle with olive oil. Spoon remaining spinach mixture evenly over these scrunched sheets. Fold the parts of the phyllo sheets draped over the sides of the pan over the spinach filling, one at a time. Drizzle this closed top with more olive oil. One at a time, rumple remaining sheets so they fit over the top of the pan. Every layer or two, drizzle with more olive oil, and finish with a final drizzle olive oil.
Use a sharp, serrated knife ***, cut the spanakopita into serving-sized squares. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until the top is very crispy and nicely browned. Let cool on a rack for 15 minutes before serving; you’ll need to cut again, most likely, but it won’t mess up the pastry very much.
Leftovers keep for 1 week in the fridge (and could also be frozen). To reheat from the fridge, place uncovered in a 350-degree oven until warmed through and the pastry is crisp again, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Notes:
- Spinach: You can use fresh or frozen spinach for this. If using frozen spinach, you’ll need roughly 1 1/2 10-ounce packages (each package is equivalent to 1 pound fresh). You’ll want to defrost it and squeeze out any extra liquid when you do.
- Phyllo/filo: Short of making your own from scratch (truly not as scary as it sounds, but that post for another day), you’ll want to buy it prepared. It usually comes frozen and most packages will tell you to defrost it in the fridge for a day before using. Phyllo pastry comes in many thickness. Julie recommended No. 7, which is thicker than what I could get, No. 4. All will work, but there might be fewer sheets of a thicker one a 1-pound package, and this is totally and completely fine. But, when there is a range in the recipe (i.e. “Crumple 4 to 6 sheets…”), you’ll use the lower number for a thicker phyllo.
- * I’m using this and am so glad I have a mega-sized bowl when needed.
- ** I’m using this, one of the first pans I ever bought. I use it constantly.
- *** I’m currently obsessed with these serrated paring knives.
Would you replace the dill with more of something else or just leave it out entirely if, like me, you hate it? I want to make sure I don’t short change flavor.
Just skip it; it’s traditional here but you’re making this just for you.
Do you think this could be made “naked”, I.e., as a pyllo-less casserole?
Probably. I mean, it would just be feta-baked spinach!
So excited to try this. I have the same question as some others but don’t see an answer:
Do you think I could assemble this and then leave it refrigerated for a couple hours before baking it off?
I’m not sure that the pastry will crisp as well if left damp under fillings for a while, but haven’t tested it so I don’t know for sure. I’d be more inclined to bake and then reheat it as it reheats fantastically. (A friend even did it in his air fryer!)
I assembled about three hours before I baked it. It worked great.
Wonderful and forgiving recipe.
Thanks, Deb
Sure it can be done naked.
Try adding rise, remove the feta (for now) and place it at the end. Boom, you have soanakorizo
I spray my phyllo, every other sheet with olive oil from a mister. At the end, I sprinkle with water and the spray. It has always frozen well and is a big hit!!
Hi Deb- I made this a couple times and really like the technique. The second time the bottom was a bit soft vs. crisp. I’m making it again tomorrow and will bake it longer, the full 60 mins +.
My question is what is the purpose of the middle layers of filo? Both times I made it they were soft and didn’t crisp up. Are they supposed to get crisp? Or perhaps absorb some of the spinach liquid? Please give me your thoughts on this.
Thank you, and thanks for all your great recipes, newsletter and videos!
Leona
This sounds WONDERFUL! Is it about 1/2 c oil in the pan before you start layering the phyllo and then more drizzled? Or about 1/2 c all together?
No, total. Sorry if it was written in a confusing way.
Haha yes! I misread it too! It cane out way too oily at the base, but it was delicious overall and I’ll be making it Adelman, just with less oil next time.
Yay! Deb! – and Julie! – to my rescue! I have been making spanakopita for 30 years. Over the years the phyllo has fallen away and I have done mostly galettes. These days I’ve hit a new low. Since I’m mostly only have myself to cook for I succumbed to a frozen Trader Joe’s spanakopita. Very disappointing. So again thank you!!! I think I can do this!
I’ve been making this “the hard way” forever and while I’m a bit dubious, I’m also intrigued and will definitely try it! Esp. since my son has become a vegetarian and I’m always looking for something special to make him when he comes home from college. Thank you for posting this!
Hello! I would like to try this but I have a 10” Lodge. How would you suggest I modify the recipe? Thank you!
I wouldn’t go too crazy making a strict reduction, but might just use 1 pound spinach, a little less feta, 1 egg, and maybe leave a few sheets of phyllo behind. Or you could make 3/4 of it in a 10-inch pan and make small spiral pies with the rest of the sheets and filling.
Could I sub puff pastry?? I am finding phyllo at the moment in the freezer aisle.
I thought I had phyllo in my freezer but much to my dismay it was puff pastry. I made the spanakopita with the puff pastry and it was delicious. Not exactly the same crispy top as the phyllo would have had, but it was still really good.
Would you keep same time in oven with 10’ lodge? Thanks!
I didn’t test it smaller but I suspect the baking time won’t be much quicker
If you have a small cast iron skillet to go with your 10″ skillet, make a second one pie with the overflow and freeze it.
Ummm, if I wanted to make a tiropita instead – no spinach and onions for me, please – I could use the same method and just make the cheese filling instead?
Dear Masa, yes about the phyllo process. The filling in the greek tiropita is almost never just feta cheese because it is too sharp to give a good result. We mix a bit of feta, a bit of hard cheese like regato or graviera and gouda/edam and more of a soft goat cheese like mizithra. Add one or two eggs and most importantly chopped spearmint.
What I also like to do (and it is typical in the Cretan cuisine) is glaze the top layer of phyllo with a beaten egg and sprinkle lots of sesami.
Hi Deb! Random question: how do you think this would go as part of a brunch buffet? One of my girlfriends loves spanakopita so it would be fun to surprise her. Thanks for all you do!
Absolutely. We had it with Greek salad and then orzo (as a back-up for the pickiest kid) but I’d throw in these lemon potatoes for a brunch.
Hi Deb, this looks fantastic! What feta would you suggest using here, I love creamy danish feta but would texture be wrong for this? Thanks
I used Greek feta here.
I am fortunate to have a great Mediterranean market nearby in Westchester. My two personal favorites would be Horio (creamy but sharp) or French (creamy but milder) feta. Some other types are more crumbly and sharper.
Sheep feta. Careful, no goat feta.
Definitely Greek. It’s dry and salty, perfect for spanikopita. The creamier fetas are better for eating straight or using in spreads.
Um, yes? This looks amazing. I’ve never attempted spanakopita, but I love it and might need to try.
It will change your world
Darn! I forgot the egg. But wait — still turned out delicious! So easy to make I can’t wait to take another run at it. Thanks, Deb!
I forgot the egg too. But seemed perfect anyway. Delicious! Not sure what difference the egg would make.
Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Hi Deb, I’ve never tried to make this but I will now.
I wondered if you saw the video of the 18 foot cast iron skillet loaded on a semi going to the Lodge museum in Tennessee?
Um NO, but I need to!
This looks amazing and much easier than the labor-intensive version I make. I love the herb mixture here! Personally, I like a spritz of lemon in the spinach mixture and sesame seeds sprinkled on top of the phyllo.
Roughly how long would you spend squeezing, scrunching everything together?
When you’re squeezing everything together, are you also draining liquid of some kind? (out of the spinach?) The TikTok said “until combined well and all liquid drained.”
No liquid appeared for me any of the times I made this. (Yes, I am drowning in spanakopita.) Basically when you start squeezing it together, it’s a pile of lettuce. A few minutes later, it’s more of a packed heap and everything is mixed. That’s when I’d say you’re done.
thanks so much!
This looks so delicious! I will definitely try it.
BTW, I’ve always used spray oil with phyllo–no worries about tearing the phyllo with a brush, and even distribution of the oil. It works really well!
The recipe uses a mix of flat and scrunched phyllo sheets for the most texture, including a layer in the middle of the spinach. Scrunching is fun. The pasta looks like rumpled bedsheets beckoning a nap [see: the fifth image below], which is an energy that speaks to me on this icy January week.
I think you meant “phyllo” not “pasta.”
Can’t wait to try this!!!
Thanks!
Does this freeze well? I can’t stand most of the ingredients but my partner would love it, and he won’t eat it all in one sitting…
I haven’t frozen it but expect that it would.
Must try this method – I started making spanakopita last year, our first year of having a bi-weekly CSA box. Lots of greens to use up – spinach, but also kale chard, beet greens, etc. We discovered that, as long as there is some spinach in the mix – even as little as 1/3 – those other greens all work, too. (But those were all blanched – with this recipe, you might need to give the kale or other hearty green a quick blanch first). The only deterrent to making spanakopita more often is the phyllo prep. Excited to try this.
I’ll be using this NEW technique for a pie I’ve made at least 4 time since last May. This sounds SO EASY!
Then, I’ll freeze three quarters of it to take camping in Death Valley next week. My hiking lunches just got easier!
Thank you, Deb and Julie.
No clue what “rumple” means. Clearly not scrunching, that’s different. HELP!
If a visual would help, Deb linked to the original video (its in the Source: Adapted From … at the top of the recipe).
hi! I’d love to make a vegan version of this, but I am having trouble with what might be a decent egg replacement without changing the taste significantly. Vegan feta is easy to find for me but I would also love to hear suggestions or alternatives for the cheese as well. :)
Hi Nikki! We have a greek restaurant in town that does a vegan version of a few different greek pies, including spanakopita. They use tofu in place of the feta. I am not sure how they season it, but I did find a number of vegan feta recipes online. My husband and I made a vegan spanakopita last year using a recipe I found online (search world’s best) and that used a cashew feta (and they give a recipe). The spinach and “feta” filling was so good – would make a good dip on it’s own. The actual pie was really good but it was a lot of work.
This wasn’t a complete winner for us, but I will try again because spanikopita is a family favorite! We found it a bit to salty and the mint overwhelming, so I’d use less of both next time. I also think I didn’t mix the spinach mixture enough. I looked at Julie’s TikTok, and her spinach looked much more wilted than mine. Finally, it took the full 60 min to cook.
I do not use egg nor a substitute and it works just fine. I also skip the middle layer of phillo dough, which as others note can get soggy. It is delicious.
Hi all! Being greek, I found this recipe pretty decent!
A few things to consider:
1. if you use big leaf spinach (not baby spinach) it WILL produce water so what I usually do is sprinkle some salt on it, leave it in the fridge for a few hours and then wringle with my hands. Then I chop and mix with herbs
2. We only use fresh onions in this recipe and lots and lots of herbs (dill, parsley, spearmint)
3. No garlic needed (but of course you do you!)
4. The more olive oil you use the better the result of the phyllo so yes…oil the phyllo generously.
5. Usually the top phyllo is glazed with some beaten egg and sprinkled with lots of sesami
6. I like to bake in the top layer of my oven with the air mode on, but I have baked with great results in the traditional function as well
I wish you all kali oreksi (bon appetit)!
I have an olive oil spritzer bottle. I use that for spanikopita. Change my life. I make it all the time and look forward to trying out some of our tik tok suggestions here. Expecially the raw onion tip.
The best way we have found to make spanakopita, is with two people. It becomes a much quicker process when one is pulling the sheets of filo over, and the other is brushing the butter/oil. That’s how we do it for Greek festivals.
This sounds brilliant. NYT Cooking had a recipe for Spanakopita Pasta. It called for lots of mixed greens that are chopped, heavily salted and kneaded, no precooking and draining/squeezing required. And no sogginess in the finished dish. Of course it should work here. Makes it much less of a project.
I’m a greek Australian coeliac, so I make mine with simply wize gf puff pastry, kind of in a sausage roll shape. I’ll have to try this version: the one I make has cooked brown onion, then add spinach and dill to the pan, do the squeezy step, then add in feta and egg before assembling and baking. Never thought about using red onions and scallions (spring onions?), or mint. Not sold on the mint haha.
Excited to try this. Does cutting in a cast iron have the potential to scratch the pan though???
It can get scratched but it doesn’t have a finish like nonstick that can get ruined.
would love you to make a video of this
Here’s a TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@smittenkitchen/video/7057587630929726767?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id7030868738998797829 :)
Made this imperfectly- forgot the egg and undercooked a bit (newborn brain it’s like pregnancy brain only with less sleep) and it is still damn delicious! Also super easy. Thank you!
First time maker of this Greek dish here… I’ve never used Phyllo dough. Don’t be afraid …Worth the make. I probably used a little too much oil, but it made the dough really crisp. I didn’t have fresh Dill so I used 1/8 of cup of dried. I used a little more mint than what it called for. The mint flavor was subtle. My husband really liked it so it’s a keeper :)
Hi Deb’ love Spanakopita but am curious about the amount of mint. I like mint but not sure how “minty” the amount of mint would flavor the dish?? Could I leave it out or would it spoil the dish?
Thank you for any advice.
Made this tonight. I thought it was delicious and would like to report how the rest of my family enjoyed it but all I could get out of them was, “mmmph, mmm ahhyum” and, “I’m grabbing seconds”
Thanks for the great recipe.
To avoid brushing butter between layers of phyllo in baklava we melted it and put it in a spray bottle. Amazingly, it actually worked. That was a midnight college cooking adventure. I doubt that stupidly brilliant idea would’ve come to us now, 15 years later. Love it. Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Thank you for this, but how do you store your marvelous 8-quart bowl?!
Upside down on top of the cabinets (or the fridge)
Could you spray it with oil such as Pam to reduce calories?
I forgot the egg and it still turned out perfectly. This is a game changer!
This has every thing I love ….yes I’m scared to try it but soon I will.
I love Spanish and feta cheese. I’m a lousy cook but will try.
Thank you for sharing your recipe
I’m terrified of phyllo but think this might be my breakthrough recipe. Thanks Deb!
Greetings from Greece.
Honest resepy.
Good job for the NO brushing the fillo.
For me , parsley and garlic are unesesering , the parsley doesn’t elevate the flavor because is cooked with everything else for to long and as a delicate herb that it is losses his flavor. The garlic on the other hand is very tasty and increase the final flavor but that’s only for the first day, as you know from tzatziki, the garlic keeps on giving 😀. So the next day , there is a chance to lose the balance.
Is very common to add one leak, I m sure you tried in your journey, for me is must. When I make spanakopita I prefer fennel over dill, is more ” eastern” .
I m sorry if my comments pave through like corrections, that was not my intention, and thank you for enjoying and “spreading ” greek cuisine.
I love it when people write helpful suggestions and comments on their native dishes. It’s the best way to learn, directly from the source. Thanks, Chris. Definitely adding leek to mine. :)
It’s great to have Greek natives chiming in with their suggestions! Someday I hope to visit your beautiful country. Chris, I love your suggestion of fennel. Are you using the fresh bulb, or fennel seed for flavor? Thanks!
Thank you for sharing! It is wonderful to get a perspective for someone who has known the dish throughout life, and likely in many versions from many home cooks.
And this is not a criticism by any means. I am mediocre at best in all languages not English, but finally learned as an adult it was more important to speak less than perfectly with my extended family members who do not speak English, or to give the local language a try when I travel, than to not interact with people. And I cannot imagine trying to learn English with all of the words that sound the same, but are spelled different, and all of the words that are spelled the same, but have different meanings and pronunciations. Well done! And Greece is definitely on my travel list, but I am intimidated by the non-Latin alphabet.
Loved this! Instead of dill and parsley I just used a bunch of cilantro. Tasted fabulous!
happy to read that fennel is legitimately used, as that is my preference for spanakopita. I’m afraid I’ve used melted butter between the layers for decades, so the olive oil didn’t do it for me, but the whole technique was less fussy, and baked up beautifully. I will try using leek next time. thank you, Chris!
Yay!! Thank you!! The stars have well and truly aligned! I was searching SK for a spanakopita recipe just this week and here it is! :) i may try with the homemade phyllo on the Olive&Mango blog – it looks worthy of the effort. Ps. Thanks for your section on NY places to try – i was there over the holidays and Sullivan St Bakery’s funghi pizza was seriously the most wonderful thing i had in my whole trip!!
I first tried this at a friend’s, and I am so going to try making it at home. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. Off to the supermarket…
Hello all,
Didnt realize Id get an email each time somone posted a comment and I’m losing my mind…may I ask you to unsubscribe me from comments? Thank you!
You’ll need to do this yourself. Find the email confirmation you received to confirm and click around to unsubscribe.
I will definitely try this recipe. I have to say however, that I have another spinach pie recipe that is quite similar except that it uses frozen (thawed) puff pastry as the crust. That makes this so much more do-able for me!
My mother never wilts the spinach either, she just salts it and after some time squeezes the juices out. Then again she doesn’t use phyllo, but a handmade single layer thicker dough as is traditional in Crete. Most cooks also add a Tbs ot two of rice or bulgur wheat or semolina in the feeling to absorb any excess liquid, and some sprinkle the pan with semolina or corn starch before layering the phyllo- just some suggestions. Nutmeg and cumin are nice add-ins, even nigella seeds and sesame on top! What I have found most important with phyllo pies: 1) DO NOT cut all the way down to the bottom of the pan, just the top layers, so that the bottom layers don’t get soaked! 2) bake in a lower oven (350o) – it will take at least 60′ but all the layers inside will be golden and crunchy, not just the top. I bake on the lowest position of the oven (I actually lay the griddle on the bottom of the oven and the pan on top of that) for 45′ and then move it higher and finish it off judging by the color. 3) Sprinkle the surface of the pie with water. I know it sounds counterintuitive as far as crunchiness goes, but it actually helps the phyllo act as one cohesive layer instead of having stray pieces twirling and turning here and there. Just wet your hand a couple of times and shake the drops out on the pie.
YES
I know what you mean re: fear of making this! The texture somehow seems too delicate for me to even try, but when I saw the picture of it in the iron skillet,, well it seemed less fragile! So thank you for helping me overcome this fear and for sharing a wonderful recipe!
Just pulled this out of the oven – the flavors are lovely! The spinach, however, still has resistance to it and a lot of liquid pooled in the bottom of the pan when I lifted out a slice. (Believe me, I manhandled it when doing the mixing step!) It’s going back in the oven with a cookie sheet turned upside down over the top (the filo is quite brown) to try to cook it a little further, but in future iterations I would still wilt the spinach over the stove…
Come to think of it, I might also add a tablespoon of uncooked rice as well (an old trick) in order to capture more of the liquid.
This looks wonderful! Could I prep and assemble this the night before and bake it the next day? Thank you!
Curious about this also! Or could you prep the filling at least in advance?
You lost any claim to it being the genuine article the moment you mentioned the word filo/phyllo. Real Spanakopita is made by using a rolling stick and lots of “elbow grease “.
As soon as I read ‘serrated paring knife’ I knew which one it would be…. my one true kitchen love. I own numerous cheffy knives and assorted kitchen gadgets but at a guess I use my little red-plastic-handled serrated victorinox for 90% of blade-requiring kitchen tasks. I have owned it for over a decade and it shows no signs of fading. I adore it. It is the best. And it was cheap as chips…. It think it cost me 5 euros. Have I mentioned that I quite like it?
I made this in my push pan—a great vessel for this recipe. Pushed up easily, a lovely caramelized savory tart.
It looked alarmingly wet in the oven for a while, until it didn’t, once it was browned and just came together.
The idea is adaptable, too! I’m excited to explore this approach to a phyllo tart with all manner of fillings.
Thanks!
Does it have to be red onion? I have a bazillion brown/yellow onions I need to use…
I think others would work, I just used what Julie did.
I made this recipe as my first ever attempt at spanakopita (despite loving to eat it!)… and it was incredible!! My phyllo was dry in the package and didn’t unroll properly, and it didn’t matter. Baked it just over an hour. Thank you Deb!
I just made this in a 9×13 pan. Came out great, certainly gets beauty points! I had to adjust the filo instructions for the 9×13. It took more like 8 scrunched sheets to cover, and more to get overhang on the bottom layer. I had leftover filo sheets nonetheless.
Also, between the cost of phyllo and fresh herbs this time of year, this can be a pricey dish. So I subbed dry dill, no mint, and added lemon zest. I look forward to making it in summer when the garden is producing fresh herbs!
Could this be done with GF flour and egg crepes? Maybe if I thin the batter down with water to make them ‘see-through’? Then maybe par cook the mixture, so the creep don’t burn in the oven?
Or, if I’m way off the deep end here, could you toss me a life raft and let me know the proper way to do GF?? Thanks for your time!
On Food 52 there is a recipe for a Greek spinach pie made without filo. The filling is similar to the one here. I’ve made it with gf flour and it’s terrific. Highly recommended. Here’s the link: https://www.google.com/amp/s/food52.com/recipes/25622-batsaria-phyllo-less-spanakopita/amp
As for me, my coeliac son is planning to go away for the weekend and I am really looking forward to trying Deb’s recipe!
So psyched to try this. Since the phyllo needs a while to defrost, is it possible to prep the filling several hours ahead? Trying to maximize Sunday cooking time and not leave all of it to Monday, but also don’t want it to get too mushy.
Absolutely. If there’s any watery runoff, just leave it in the bowl.
Hi Deb, Just made this and it came out great! However, I used the larger amount when given a range for the phyllo (6 when it called for 4-6) and still only used half of my one pound box of phyllo dough. The brand my local grocer carries is Athens and there was no number indication on the box, as was mentioned in the notes section….but it did say “18 sheets per 8 ounce roll.” What number might this correspond to and would you suggest I double up on your phyllo sheet totals (8-12 vs. 4-6) next time for a thicker, “pastry-er” result?
I also used Athens phyllo dough and also only ended up using 8 oz. But I thought it was great and would do that again. I used 15 oz of frozen spinach but thought I could have used more.
Exactly my experience.
I followed the recipe carefully (I even measured the onion!) Using Athens brand phyllo I easily could have made this with a half-pound of phyllo. I ended up putting the remaining extra sheets on top, with plenty of olive oil, but wouldn’t recommend that – there was way too much crust for the filling. Next time I will either double the recommended phyllo amounts or just plan to use half the package.
I also used 16 oz frozen spinach and thought it needs more. Perhaps the measurement should have been done after thawing? Easy enough to remedy.
This is a spectacular dish that looks and tastes wonderful and goes together without much fuss. I can’t wait to try this again, and am looking forward to adding fennel and a leek as recommended above.
Thank you Deb for this great resource and for hosting such a collaborative community!
Same story, exactly with half a box of Athens brand. If I had looked at the pictures while making it I would have noticed the sheets are smaller. Also same story with spinach. I used 20 or 24oz frozen chopped spinach (this is the second recipe, not just sk, where the frozen spinach quantity was way off from what seemed right). And it turned out delicious! But I can imagine more filo being even more delicious.
For those asking about the phyllo dough thickness…I am lucky enough to have a Greek grocer nearby. I bought (& used) #7 from a brand called Kronos, which has 13-14 sheets/lb. (I used all the sheets in the recipe, none left over).
Kronos #4 has 18-22 sheets/lb. and #5 = 17-20 sheets/lb. and #10 has 8-10 sheets/lb. I hope this helps those that purchased a brand that does not specify the thickness by number.
I was excited to see your easier version of spanakopita- less putzing with torn Phyllo, and it was exactly as you said! Fun to make and turned out perfectly!
Thank you for this recipe. I just made it and it came out perfect. I am trying hard to not eat it all before dinner!
I was really excited to make this and then I encountered several problems…. The first of which is that my phyllo dough was dried out :( So it was all crumbled up instead of in whole sheets. I still layered it and coated with olive oil but it wasn’t as pretty. Still worked though! I also somehow forgot to add the egg, salt and pepper… The filling didn’t congeal as it likely would have with the egg, but the feta was so salty it was totally fine without! I definitely want to try this again and make sure I have all the ingredients right haha
My phyllo was 16 sheets per package. Deb was right about using a huuuuge bowl to do the squishing. Only had half the feta so supplemented with cheap packaged grated marble and grated fontina. Minimal dill and parsley, and no mint, to appease the kids. Ooops just realized we forgot the garlic. Everything else we followed the recipe. Best Smitten Kitchen recipe ever! Just delicious! Thank you so much!!!!
This spanakopita recipe is a game-changer for me. I’ve been making a Bon Appetit recipe (Spanakopita Strudel) for Easter for years: really good but majorly labor intensive. This recipe? No cooking and wringing the spinach: check. No buttering each and every sheet of phyllo: check. No stressing because my phyllo sheets tear: check. My spouse, not Mr. Free and Easy with the Compliments, said this was the best spanakopita he’s ever had.
Absolutely the only thing I did different is not chop the spinach leaves (because Julie, in her video, doesn’t appear to have done that). The one thing I’d do different from SK is add a wee bit less salt. (Maybe my feta was saltier?) Thank you for this recipe, Deb (and Greek Kitchen Julie–appreciated the 90-second video on how to use the phyllo).
Best spanakopita ever and so easy! Turned out perfectly. I used blanched kale and kohlrabi greens because that’s what I had an overflow of and chopped them up, squeezed out. Deb- you’re amazing as always!
I agree , best simple recipe. Make on repeat! Today wanting to make it a bit extra special I melted some extra butter, mixed with honey and dukkah spice for the top layer and was extra good. Just sharing as may do the same for easter this year.
This was super yummy! I loved the flavors of all the herbs and veggies. How is the middle layer of phyllo supposed to turn out, though? My bottom, side, and top parts were browned and crispy. The middle part was a thick, soggy, pasty layer that was kind of not pleasant to eat. I just ate around it. Is it just there is absorb moisture? Or is it supposed to miraculously be another flakey crispy layer?
Eva – I had the same problem with a soggy middle layer. Does anyone have a fix for this? Perhaps just longer bake time? I probably baked about 55 min. Otherwise this recipe is superb!!
I baked for about 1 hr 20 mins (I found that my oven needs more bake time with Deb’s recipes, that’s just how my oven works), and it was still soggy in the middle. You can’t fix it I guess, because all the liquid from spinach and cheese will keep it wet. I wonder if the middle layer is actually absorbing what could have become a pool at the bottom of the pan without it.
Absolutely delicious. Didn’t have fresh dill (snowstorm), so made do with dried (Penzeys) — still a hit with everyone. My husband said he could have eaten the whole pan. My daughter thanked me for making it. This was easy to assemble and I will definitely make again. Going into my dinner rotation, and I can see a sheet pan version going to a party (if I ever get to go to one of those again).
O.M.G. This was insanely good! And so simple. The perfect snow day project, and my photos inspired friends to trudge through the storm and come share it. Thank you. Will make it again and again. xo
The half cup of olive oil is in total or just the initial coat for the pan?
Total, and just an estimate!
I made this last night. It turned out tasty and I would make it again. I did have to bake it for almost an hour and 20 minutes (I have a new oven and temperature is accurate). I also thought it was better after letting it cool for more like 30 minutes before serving. I didn’t need to add much salt at all (and I think my feta was on the less salty side). I used a 9×13 glass baking dish because I didn’t want to cut through to the pan on a cast iron or enameled cast iron pan. I found that when I got to the step where you fold all the overhanging edges that I had very little to fold over. So I folded a couple of sheets of phyllo in half and put those on top and continued with the recipe as written. Tasty and my toddler really enjoyed helping me rumple up the phyllo.
I didn’t use mint because I didn’t have any but I did add some dried mint. It was great that way.
Turned out great! I made it on a week night & still finished dinner before 8 pm! So I am happy. My kids are not huge fans of mint, I paused in reflection but decided that I would take the plunge – no one complained and it was rated an 8 1/2 out of 10 and was voted to be put in rotation. So overall a huge win! Thank you! Side note: has anyone ever added a little lemon zest? I feel like it would be nice.
I added lemon zest – half a lemon’s worth, in a half spanakopita recipe, baked in an 8″ x 8″ pan. I cannot possibly describe how delicious the house smelled while this baked. While I couldn’t taste the zest I think it was a good addition. This was very good. I’ve used phyllo with butter before and found it delicious, but despite using good olive here, the phyllo dough here was pretty tasteless. The flaky texture was great, but the flavor was meh. Fortunately, combined with the spinach in one bite on my fork – it was all good.
Made this tonight and I’m so happy with how it turned out! A way less-stressful way to handle fillo sheets than a previous attempt I made. I wasn’t sure how the scrunching would go, but it totally worked out! amazing how compact all the veg and cheese can get.
LOVE this and made it exactly as instructed in a 9 x 13 pan. I will use a little more onion next time (1/4 cup more) and a little less salt (I forgot how salty feta is and used a tad too much). My first time making spanokapita and I’m hooked! So easy and if you follow all of the instructions you can’t go wrong.
I followed the recipe to a “T” and it was amazing! I had no problem with sogginess; it was perfectly crispy on top, with gorgeous layers of filo and spinach/feta throughout. My husband isn’t usually a fan of spanakopita because he finds it “too greasy”, but this was perfect. He gladly ate the leftovers the next day.
Brilliant. The New York Times has a recipe for Spanakopita pasta, where you rough chop lots of greens, salt them heavily and squeeze them. No sautéing required. It works perfectly. I should have thought of it, but you did, so thank you.
If you are afraid of phyllo, the Times has a recipe for phyllo and feta torte with dill, that uses a bundt pan. You line the pan with phyllo, add the filling, cover with the overhang, poke holes with a paring knife and pour melted butter over the top. You don’t get the layers of pastry, filling, pastry, but it’s even less intimidating. And it looks really impressive. I’m sure it would work with spanakopita too.
I loved the method, but found the end result to be super super oily. I would say oil the pan in the bottom first, and then skip the oil on top of the phyllo on the bottom and in the middle, and then add the oil for the top layer. The phyllo on the bottom and the phyllo in the middle didn’t get crispy anyway, so I think it just ends up adding to an overall oilyness.
Also, if the filling tastes a bit sour, (more like stuffed grape leaves then spanakopita) What would you suggest?
I was wondering the same thing, where the oil in the pan is totally needed before the “base coat” of filo layers goes in to keep that layer brown and easy to pull out of the pan, but the “in between” layers didn’t seem to benefit from a drizzle as they get saturated by the spinach-feta filling, so they don’t actually crisp with the oil. The top layer totally browns all lovely and crisp with a good olive oil drizzle. So I was going to try this again next time but just oiling the pan and the top layer, not the in-between layers, to avoid the oiliness that I also encountered.
The oil isn’t just for crisp, it’s for separation, so I wouldn’t advise skipping it. Phyllo without oil between the layers will be more like a brick of flour and water.
good to know! maybe I’ll try brushing the oil on the sheets before placing, that way it’s less than the drizzle which ended up being too much.
Any suggestion about the sour note?
I also noticed this grape leaves-like quality to the filling, and the only thing I could come up with is that feta is stored in a brine (particularly the kind I used, which is in vacuum-sealed packs, great for longevity but it gives the feta a kind of ‘coating,’ which I usually wash off), and grape leaves are stored in brine. Other than that, I’m stumped.
Thanks Deb! I have to say, after my first comment, upon reheating leftovers all week, the oiliness that I mentioned is gone, and it’s like the dish “set” beautifully after being refrigerated, so cancel my previous comment :)
I just made this for dinner tonight, it came out perfect! I have never attempted to make Spanakopita before now but I certainly will from now on! Thank you for such a simple, yet amazing recipe!
This was so so good! Thank you for sharing. I’m not scared of phyllo anymore!
Do you have any other recipes or ideas that we can use phyllo in this way?
Made this tonight – fantastic! Followed your recipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing. The smooshing of the spinach with the herbs and feta is clutch. Thank you!
I’ve made spanakopita for years — until it got to be a bit too much bother. This recipe is terrific: fast, fun, and really delicious. Start to finish in 90 minutes, with half of that time baking. It’s so easy. Love the additional herbs, especially the mint. That really makes it sing. Thanks, Deb!
Fantastic! Thank you.
Made this week in a 9×13 pan. Absolute perfection. THANK YOU!
Deb – as a fan of Smitten Kitchen & maker of spanakopita for many years I was skeptical. I made this today letter by letter & it was the best ever. I’ll never go back. You rock!
Made this for dinner tonight and it will definitely be incorporated into our rotation. Not having to cook the spinach was a game changer!
I made this as written and it turned out beautifully. Dropped some off for friends and they were amazed. My Greek friend said it was perfect. Wasn’t expecting it to be so easy!
Hello Deb. Congratulations for your wonderful work. I’m Greek, living in Greece making spanakopita(s) my whole life. This recipe is a bit unconventional to the actual way Greeks make spanakopita, but I made it and it was delicious. I would like to answer to two questions from the comments. 1. the filo does not get soggy when you squeeze the spinach mixture for more than 10 minutes. and 2) Yes you can prepare the mixture even two days before and keep in the fridge and then bake it. Even if the pie is layered and ready to be baked, nothing bad happens. Everything bakes perfectly. Just let it bake for almost 60′.
Amazing! I made this yesterday, and I love it. What I did differently: I did not put a layer of phyllo dough in between, for fear of getting it too soggy. I also used much less salt, two eggs instead of two, and a large red onion.
I’ll definitely make it again, and next time I’ll use leeks instead of scallions.
The brilliant idea of cutting the phyllo dough before putting in the oven will be something I’ll always do from now on, whenever I make apple strudel, or sweet cheese/raisins strudels, or mushroom strudel— all with phyllo dough.
Thank you so much, Deb!
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe in a pinch. My Greek mother taught me how to make the more labor-intensive spanakopita which I love. My mother’s recipe calls for cottage cheese. Is there a reason you didn’t use it?
Her secret technique – to make the phyllo golden brown: grab an ice cube in your hand, run it under the faucet for a few seconds, and shake the drops over the top layer right before putting the pan in the oven.
Just put this in the oven and was so excited! Then realized that the egg is still sitting in front of me on the counter….I guess I’ll see what happens!
I ended up using just a 1/2 pound of phyllo, like some earlier commenters who also used Athens brand pastry. But it baked up great and felt like more than enough. Great recipe – my husband and I loved it! Wasn’t greasy for us – delightfully crispy.
This is the best and easiest spinach pie recipe ever!!! I was so worried I would mess it up. (I don’t follow cooking rules very well.) It lived up to all my childhood memories of what spinach pie should taste like. I grew up eating at the most amazing Greek restaurants in my town and they have all disappeared. It’s completely perfect for a cooking for 2 recipe with leftovers. We had it with an off the cuff chicken lemon rice soup. Perfection.
This was very good! I followed the recipe pretty closely, and it turned out well. Mine took closer to 60 minutes to bake, although the top browned well before then. The filling still looked rather wet, but once it cooled a bit, it was fine.
I found the raw onion to be sharp and prominent, so I would pre-cook it next time, or use much less, or use shallot instead.
Also: this yields 12-16 *pieces*—not servings! I would say that this is 3-4 main-course servings. We served it (alone) for dinner, and two of us ate most of the pan. :)
well, deb, i’m here, joining the many others who adore your take on such a classic. i halved the recipe and used my 10″ lodge skillet. baked for 45 minutes. we always ate this at a greek diner on the west side near 79th street during the 1990’s and this recipe satisfied that craving brilliantly. thank you so much!
Oh my gosh!! This was absolutely DELICIOUS!! Thank you!
I have made spanakopita occasionally, but always from the recipe in the 30-year-old Victory Gardens cookbook by Marian Morash. It uses melted butter. Is that inauthentic? Would it work here? How about 50/50 butter and olive oil? I do like the butter flavor? Otherwise, your recipe here is more appealing as it uses a lot fewer eggs and does not precook the spinach.
Anyone who has got to the assembly stage & is panicking, just having realized that they bought a single sheet of puff pastry instead of many sheets of fine phyllo—from experience I can say that the filling, baked under a slashed lid of the former and sprinkled with sesame seeds, was absolutely delicious and no one to whom I served it questioned the substitution. I‘m still keen to try the phyllo construction method though so I’ll be making it again! Thanks Deb 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Reading lots of positive reviews, not sure where I went wrong. The taste of the filling was good but the middle layer of the phyllo was very gummy and too much moisture meant the bottom layer was also not crisp. Top layer of phyllo was nice and crisp and the spinach mixture was great. WIsh I could figure out what went wrong to give such a soggy bottom and gummy middle.
So easy and delicious! I could not find mint so omitted it. I didn’t have any liquid issues at all. I don’t use phyllo much, but it sure is the star of this dish. The phyllo in the middle of the dish added a nice texture as well as the phyllo on the top.
Amazing. So delicious and super easy. The “hardest” part is just chopping everything up! I left out the parsley only because I forgot to put it on the shopping list … but no one missed it.
Delicious! Perfect directions and excellent result. Thank you!
Made this last night and it was great! Not too much work to make, looked gorgeous, and tasted amazing! I loved how light and fresh it was too.
This was delicious! I used 2 10-oz boxes of frozen spinach, and due to the various shortages in the produce section lately, I had to omit the mint. Like others, I had Athens phyllo and only used 8 oz, but it still seemed like plenty. I used a 13×9 pan, and my Misto to layer in the olive oil. So so good, and so glad I had leftovers for lunch for a few days! Thank you, Deb!
Excellent flavor. Sized it down by 1/4 to fit in a 7” x 11” pan. I was skeptical, but pleasantly surprised when it came out nice and crispy on top and bottom. However, the middle layer of phyllo was pretty soggy, and I’ll skip it next time.
Had a pound of spinach and puff pastry left from the holidays, saw a previous comment that it was doable with the puff rather than phyllo, so here goes. Had Queso Fresco and sweet onions rather than the feta and red onion, did not slow me down. Was able to do two layers of filling with a middle crust In a quarter sheet pan. Probably used less olive oil, even though I tried! Topped with Everything seasoning. Baked 20-30 min longer than recipe called for to get the liquid out and put in on the floor of my oven (on top of my Misen oven steels) to make sure the bottom crust was crispy.
Every time I visit there is yet another recipe I want to make! I need a bigger appetite! I’ve been wanting to perfect this dish for a while – going to try this week! Thanks Deb!
Is everyone in Boulder, CO making this?? I had to go to four grocery stores (King Soopers, mega Whole Foods, Ideal Market Whole Foods, and Lucky’s) to find phyllo.
OMG, this was totally worth going to four stores to find the phyllo! I have been making spanakopita triangles for decades, but I will never do that again. Pure genius, Deb!
The thing I love about spanakopita is the crunchy flaky phyllo crust. I am wondering what happens to the layers of phyllo in the middle of the filling. Does it get gummy due to the wet filling above and below?
Having made baklava in the past, I was intrigued by this recipe that did not require the time consuming, anxiety producing step of brushing each layer with oil. I thought the technique of ruffled layers of phyllo drizzled with EVOO was ingenious. I found the filling to be a little lacking in overall flavor. I think I will add some lemon zest next time around. I made it as written, baked for 60 mins. and did not have any issue with moisture. I used the recommended 1/2 c. EVOO, but might bump it up a 1/4 c next time. Otherwise, it was a great dinner on a Tuesday night!
For those asking about the phyllo dough thickness…I am lucky enough to have a Greek grocer nearby. I bought (& used) #7 from a brand called Kronos, which has 13-14 sheets/lb. (I used all the sheets in the recipe, none left over). Their #4 has 18-22 sheets/lb. and #5 = 17-20 sheets/lb. and #10 has 8-10 sheets/lb. I hope this helps those that purchased a brand that does not specify the thickness by number.
So tasty!! And so super easy – made it as written – even though I don’t usually like dill it really works here! I couldn’t manage pre-cutting and it probably would have helped the end look as I served but still worked out ok.
I made this tonight…….absolutely amazing flavors. I would suggest more filo dough on bottom and middle to balance the weight/softness of the filling
Wow! I made this for dinner and it was so easy and so so delicious!
This is the oven right now and we can’t wait to dig in! We seem to be plagued by a filo dough shortage here. I went to three stores, and spoke to the manager at one who said it’s been impossible to get.
I listened to Deb’s advice that making it from scratch is “truly not as scary as it sounds” and she was right! It was not! I used the kitchenaid mixing instructions from this recipe: https://www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/easy-homemade-phyllo-recipe-beginners/
and the fun rolling out hack from this one: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/259481/homemade-phyllo-or-filo-dough/
I made it into 13 pieces of dough and followed the instructions for the thicker dough. And it worked! and was super fun! Highly recommend if you can’t find filo dough or are just looking to try something new :)
Oh my goodness! As promised, this recipe was easy and unbelievably flavorful and satisfying. The best spanikopita that my Greek husband and I have ever had. I love it when easy and delicious collide! Thank you for this gift!
When you say you use at least a half cup of oil, do you mean to coat the bottom of the pan, or total in the recipe?
Total.
This was spectacular!!
long-time reader, first-time poster, i’ve made spanakopita before but this was the best and easiest version i’ve ever cooked!
This was so easy and fun to make! I used a 1 lb bag of fresh spinach for the filling and only one roll of phyllo from a 1 lb box. Assembled a couple hours ahead and it baked up very crispy. Easy tomato/cucumber/kalamata salad on the side. My 2-yo ate his entire piece! Definitely a keeper, thanks Deb!
This was a big hit in my family! My husband has an egg allergy, so I substituted a chia “egg” (1 Tbs. ground chia seeds + 3 Tbs. water) and it worked fine. I probably could’ve just omitted the egg altogether. I used frozen spinach and that may have given it a bit of an over cooked taste, so I’ll try the fresh next time. But it was still delicious! I liked the chewy middle layer of phyllo dough; it reminded me of perfect al dente noodles.
I had planned on following this recipe exactly… and then we couldn’t find phyllo dough (and normally not a problem, I’ve used it before). But since we had already bought the fresh spinach and the feta… decided to wing it.
Used Deb’s gallette dough recipe from cookbook, the filling as listed (except no dill) and made it in my springform pan. Just brushed with olive oil on top and baked for 60 min.
Worked out great. Filling tasted amazing. A little too much liquid – but I think that was user error. So glad I went ahead and tried it.
After visiting Greece last year, I was determined to make spanikopita. I looked at many recipes online and found this one. It’s so easy and very delicious! I’ve made it twice now. thank you!
Would it get mushy if you added ground turkey?
This was so easy to make and insanely good! I used some frozen spinach, some fresh, and some chopped kale (hey, using up what was on hand as I didn’t have the right amount of fresh on hand) and no herbs (didn’t have but added some dry ranch seasoning) maybe not the exact quantity in the recipe and it was divine! What a fancy (and forgiving) recipe.
I used kale for the missing portion of spinach as well! Also used cottage cheese for part of the feta, granulated onion for the red & green onions, and added an extra egg. Then I diverged: I plopped almost half of the greens mix into each of two galette doughs (the savory version from the spring asparagus galette, doubled) and baked it. The result is a pie I nearly can’t stop eating. So good!
Delicious and leftovers reheated perfectly! I used frozen spinach, which came in a 12 oz bag. My feta came in 8oz packages, so my spanakopita had 12oz of spinach and 16oz of feta. These ratios worked just fine.
Do you think the crumple phyllo and pouring fat would work with baklava? Using melted butter instead of oil and nuts/cinnamon instead of cheese etc?
This is an odd recipe to this Greek. First, no onions, just scallions. Second, no mint or parsley, but yes to dill. Third, it should be a mix of feta and farmer cheese (or similar large curd cheese). The feta should definitely be Greek (as opposed to Bulgarian of French, which are better for certain applications). Most people will only find Greek feta, anyway.
As an aside, if you fear phyllo, you can do as Greek Jews do for Passover, and substitute matzoh. Wet the pieces briefly under running water, and break to size as needed, making sure to slide some in around the edges. Brush the top with egg wash, too. I like it so much, it’s all I make.
wow, this looks delicious! your recipes are always so delicious AND do-able. my big sister (3 years older) sent this to me, not the first thing of yours she’s shared either. you might like her blog too, just use a search engine with the terms “fasting at the banquet” or go to schlepseleh dot wordpress dot com. a schlepseleh is a little sheep in our mothers’ language, which is what she called my sister when we were little. its pretty great cooking and writing tips for in the kitchen and in life :)
Will this freeze well? Thanks!
Delicious. I prefer a little higher ratio of crispy phyllo. The middle layer of phyllo was a bit mushy, but the fresh spinach taste was superior. It is less labor intensive than the traditional version, so a good option for a weeknight dinner, but for our holiday traditions I will stick with the spinach filled triangles.
Thank you so much for sharing your tips. So very generous of you. And thank you for your wonderful recipes. You’re definitely one of the best!
Any changes to the recipe needed if you don’t have a cast iron pan?
Is there a way that this technique could work on Moroccan chicken bastila? I use the hints from the Bourdain show but the recipe and procedures from the cookingwithalia instructions on “ewe toob.” It performs well but is a giant pain in the rear largely due to the temperamental nature of phyllo sheets. I like to make it (with chicken or Cornish hen instead of original squab) around Easter, so time is of the essence. TIA for any input.
My kid had seconds. Let me re-emphasize. My. Kid. Had. Seconds.
This is a snap to make and so flipping good. And did I mention my kid had seconds? Go, get the things, make this.
I made this a couple weeks ago and it was fantastic. I’m making it again today (this time will add lemon zest and more salt than I did last time) but was wondering: would a metal cake pan be better at getting the bottom crispy than a glass pyrex? I used a Pyrex last time and it worked great, but the bottom didn’t get that crisp.
Came to the SK party (years ago) for the diligently tested recipes and the wealth of experience that informs them, stayed for phrases like “detangling gram and grammar inconsistencies.” Thanks for all you do, Deb!
Warning for those of you in Montreal who buy Lilas brand “thick phyllo” from PA’s refrigerated section, there are only 10 sheets per pound (454g). I used 4 on the bottom and 2 per scrunch-layer. Upped the spinach to 750g of frozen, and the feta to around 450g. Made in a 12-inch cast iron. Turned out absolutely amazing, thank you Deb for the fabulous recipe– additionally, thank you for using your celebrity to lead a outstanding fundraising effort for World Central Kitchen. You are a such a superstar!
Liked the idea of cheaty spanakopita but it wasn’t as good as the real deal. A whiff of silage about it and it needed more cheese – probably butter too. Disappointing but glad I tried.
Wow, i love this recipe! Thanks for share. Spanakopita isnt know in Brazil
Thank you, Deb Perlman! This is a terrific way to make Spanakopita. So tasty! Massaging ensures the herbs and the feta coat every bit of spinach. I used a glass 9X13 pan, baking just shy of 50 minutes. Wonderful recipe and love your tips. I’ll be making this again and again.
I made this tonight and oh my gosh *chef’s kiss*. I always thought making spanikopita would be time consuming and finicky so I avoided it, but this was simple and so freaking delicious. I accidentally didn’t buy enough spinach, so I ended up sort of halving the recipe and it turned out amazing.
I made this for a dinner party and it was an absolute hit. I took a risk serving a dish I had made before , but as always, the Smitten Kitchen never lets me down!
SK never lets me down either!! So reliably good!!! Always ❤️
I have been wanting to make this since I saw your recent reel on IG making this. It was straightforward, uncomplicated and knocked my socks off!! It was amazing. I don’t consume dairy, but luckily Violife makes a great vegan feta that I subbed in. I would make it again in a heartbeat. It was fun to put together! I love how the dill shines through. So good. Chef’s kiss*
If you would like to freeze leftovers, here is my experience: We had some extra pieces and I froze them, separated slightly so they could be pulled out individually. Reheat from frozen at 375F (170C fan) for 20-25mins. It worked surprisingly well.
So easy!!
I think I’ll scale back the mint next time but this was fantastic!!
There are just two of us, would it be possible to cut it in half and use an 8″ cast iron? Thoughts? Thanks!
Yes, absolutely. 8″ or 9″ pan.
Ok, so I wasn’t having the best cooking night when i made this; I didn’t buy enough spinach or feta, so I halved the recipe, threw in a leek that was getting old, added a little mozzarella because I still didn’t have enough cheese, and made it in an 8×8 pan. Honestly, it was still amazing, tasted like real spanakopita, and was eaten with gusto by all of my children. And because I made only half I made hack baklava rolls with the rest of the phyllo. Win win!
This looks so good!
Could I make this with a springform? I’m hosting a shower/vegetarian brunch in a month and I’d like to make three of these in advance. I would freeze them and wrapped tightly in plastic, then foil then bring them out to reheat. I have a cast iron skillet but I thought the pieces would move to a tray more easily with a springform.
Yes, but do you have a 12-inch springform? Not sure it will all fit in a 10-inch. Two 9-inch springforms would also work.
I am about to make this for the second time. It is the best and easiest spanakopita I have ever made at home. Pre-cutting the top is brilliant.
My only alteration to the recipe was to use a combination of melted butter and olive oil for drizzling. I think butter adds a richness to the phyllo dough.
I love phyllo but don’t love the whole brushing each layer thing so I was excited to try out something different.
Something about this method just didn’t work out well for me, unfortunately. I’m not sure what happened but I got a hard crust on the outside and mushy phyllo under the initial hard crust. The middle layer turned to mush.
The filling was great & I will use this method from now on. I used “power greens” mix instead of spinach & I don’t think I chopped it quite enough.
In the past, I’ve gone to drizzling olive oil in a squeeze bottle instead of brushing with a pastry brush and that worked out. I think if I were to make this again, I’d simply layer as described above & fold over & skip the scrunched pieces.
This was a revelation! I am part-Greek and have made spanikopita before, but not in many years because of how time consuming the process is. My non-Greek mother who makes Greek food a lot had never made spanikopita before. Needless to say, she was dubious as she watched me make it for Easter dinner and her mind was positively blown. SO much easier to make and so delicious! My Greek father did say that he felt the taste of the feta didn’t come through very strongly, but that could have been a reflection of the feta I used and not the quantity. Thanks, again, for another great recipe!
This is brilliant. Takes all the work out and leaves all the flavor and texture. I ran out of feta and mixed in a good bit of chevre and it was slightly different, but still good.
I ran out of Feta (my daughter gets into it when I’m not looking) and subbed in grated Cotija cheese, which is also drier and crumbly.
I made this spanakopita today, fist time ever, and it was delicious.
Next time I would add some lemon zest for a more nuanced flavor.
The spinach amount was massive, but it breaks down when you bake it.
Thanks for the recipe. I’ll try it again soon.
I made this with thawed frozen paratha instead of filo, it came out pretty good. I baked it in a 9″ cake tin, with a little oil at the bottom, then one paratha, half the filling, another paratha, then the rest of the filling, and the last paratha on top. I’d skip the middle paratha next time, it wasn’t browned or crisp, although both top and bottom layers were nicely both. Pre-slicing is a great idea, and made serving easy too. I baked it for an hour. Thanks for the inspo!
This recipe worked really well for me, basically just as written. I made it in a 9×13 glass Pyrex dish. I had very thin phyllo (36 sheets to the pound) so I used a few more than 6 sheets to line the bottom and didn’t use every sheet in the end—but other than sheet number, I did not deviate at all, and it’s utterly delicious. Deb wins again!
Could you scale this up? Thinking of how to make for a crowd…
Definitely. As it is, it should fill out a 9×13-inch pan. But you could double it and make two.
This is a truly great recipe and I have now made this more times than I can count this year. A few small lessons I have learned: you can easily add a little more spinach if you want to use up a big one-pound box of spinach plus a small 5oz box (okay, this is just a 1oz difference…). You can also use a full pound a feta if you buy it in one-pound tubs and love feta (my theme is no leftovers). I have gotten more generous with the herbs too and use at least a half cup of all the herbs. I have also realized that the finer the red onion is chopped– indeed minced– the better this comes out.
This is SO GOOD. And I love how simple it is, I just watched your reel and realized I’ve never chopped the spinach when I’ve made it and also forgot the egg last time, but it turns out perfectly delicious either way!
This was delicious and so easy to make. I was skeptical, as I am “Greek” by marriage. I will always make it this way now; thanks for a great recipe! Can you figure out baklava this way now?! :)
I enjoyed making this spanakopita recipe. Everything was really good except that it was much too salty. I’m not sure, but I think the feta has salt too.
Hi. I have a question. I made this spanikopita and froze it without baking it. Should I thaw it out before cooking it or just cook it from frozen.
Can I make this with chard instead of spinach?
So amazing, I used a ton of dill – about 2.5 Australian cups ( Central European heritage making a Mediterranean dish..)and mint – about a cup + – because it’s growing crazily in the garden ( did not taste minty at all, but that and the parsley probably balanced the dill). The pack of filo I had was only 375g – but was plenty to follow the instructions. Did some Nigella + sesame seeds on top like someone else suggested. (I like to read all the comments before trying – woah – did this have a gazillion. I will never ever moan about not getting a reply unless you have 30 minions!) Spinach was tender and the whole thing was perfect. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Triumphant is an accurate word for this version of spanakopita. It’s the best I’ve ever had and it’s addicting. The mountain of fresh herbs put it over the top.
What if I don’t have eggs?
I’m obsessed with this recipe and have made it 4 times in 2 months. I cannot get enough!
100 out of 10 stars. If only I knew the nutrition facts I may make it even more.
Deb, that looks amazing! I love creamy danish feta! What kind of feta would you recommend using?
I bought puff pastry instead of phyllo. Can I use this and what adjustments are needed?
I’ve made this twice. The first time I was really happy with the result, the second time the inner phyllo sheets were very soft and unappealing. Have you had this experience? What should I do differently? Overall the flavor was great and the top layers very crisp.
Thank you!
It’s an extra step, but you could bake the inner phyllo sheets separate for a bit, scrunched, and add them already crisped to the layering. However, they’re likely to get soft again, just less so.
This was awesome, and my family loved it! My 10YO did all the squishing. None of it was hard, but it did take a full 1.5-2 hours, start to finish. I think mint in savory applications is strange-tasting to my young children, so I think I will do more dill and less mint next time. Also, pertaining to the complaints of soggy bottom/middle layers of phyllo, I wonder if they cut slices before baking? This seems extremely important. Also, it seems that the cast iron was helpful in crisping and browning the bottom layer. Loved it!! Thanks for another show stopper, Deb! We love you!
Very easy! Tasty too! I used a 10 inch skillet, slightly less spinach and feta than called for, full bunch parsley and mint, s&p to taste and everything else the same. Will add leek next time too. Cooked in convection oven for 50 min until nicely golden and flaky. Will try longer next time because the middle and part of the bottom layer of phyllo was soggy; will also be slightly less generous with the oil, use fewer sheets of phyllo (The Fillo Factory) so the pan is less stuffed, and won’t pack in the spinach mixture to retain air around the phyllo. Still very yum!
I love spanakopita, so I was excited to make this. The flavor was really good, but the middle layer of phyllo was under-cooked and super soggy. We were able to eat around it, but if I were to make this recipe again, I would skip the middle layer of phyllo.
I used to love making Spanikopita — but quit — because of all that brushing of butter over each layer. I am trying to avoid butter. I will replace it with olive oil — and this recipe gives me permission to do that. Also so much simpler. Thank you. Will try next week.
Anxious to make this!! Deb can this be made in advance, store in fridge for baking later? Thanks.
Came out great! So easy! And presentation worthy. Thanks for the serrated knife tip too.I also bought a set!
Oh. My. God. Words cannot adequately describe how good this is. Your recipe is perfect. I followed it exactly and my final result looked exactly like yours. I swore off making spanakopita a couple of years ago because it is so fussy and labor intensive. This recipe is fire. Yes, there is some chopping but it’s not overboard! The squishing and scrunching is a lovely sensory experience. It’s actually therapeutic! Cutting the spanakopita before baking is just downright genius. Cooking times were spot on. My house smelled amazing. And this was DELICIOUS. I don’t even know what else I can say. Make this. You will be so happy you did. I promise.
This worked so well and is just delicious. I was worried I didn’t get enough water out of my frozen spinach, and I didn’t quite use all the sheets of my very thin phyllo, but it turned out really well. Delicious and held together nicely.
This is delicious. Thank you
Can you freeze this before you bake it? What would you recommend?
Hello! Could i freeze this unbaked and bake straight from freezer? Thanks!!
Loved this recipe! I’ve been looking to make a spanakopita for awhile and this stuck in my head and came back to it…was so delicious and crispy!! Thank you 💙
Do you think this would work with cut up curly kale? Thanks!
I did not understand how this wouldn’t be a soggy mess, but it worked great! The filo dough layer in the midst of the spinach kind of dissolved and I couldn’t even tell it was there. I think that is where all the liquid from the spinach went. Great recipe!
So delicious. Works even with alarming bouncy feta and big spinach.
I must be tripping with the frozen spinach amounts! 1 1/2 10-ounce packages Is 15 ounces total, or am I just reading this wrong? I used 2 bags frozen chopped, about 500 grams each, and it still wasn’t enough filling to do two layers in my pan. One bag was hilariously tiny in comparison to the other ingredients. Halp!
This was so much easier than any other recipe I’ve used. What I think I missed was the butter I’ve used in other recipes. Would it be a disaster if I used a combo of olive oil and clarified butter? I don’t have enough cooking science knowledge to predict.
I feel so proud to have accomplished spanikopita with this recipe!! I, too, was always daunted by the pastry part but here, the most involved bit was chopping 1 1/2 pounds of spinach. I loved it–thanks for sharing the method!
Made this twice now and it’s absolutely delicious and so easy. I skip the middle layer of filo, and adjust the ingredients according to what I have on hand – substituting some of the feta for ricotta (patted dry with paper towels) worked great, as did swapping the spring onion for sauteed leek.
I found I needed more frozen spinach – I did 600g of frozen free-flow baby spinach, and I think I could easily have increased it to 650 or 700g, as it reduced so much in volume after thawing and squeezing. (To be fair, I didn’t have as much of the herbs as the recipe called for – my total volume of greens may have been a little less as a result.)
Deb, do you remember the spinach pasta you made during one of your blissful kid-free stretches? (I hit the ‘Surprise!’ button and it came up, hence why I recall such an old recipe.) Well, I just pulled this spanakopita out of my oven and it was, as you said, the best spanakopita I’ve ever tasted or made. I waited for my own kid-free weekend to make it- nobody else in my family likes cooked spinach or feta or crunchy pastry, sigh, it is their loss- and I’m sad I had to wait so long to make it but I’m very grateful I won’t have to share!
Thanks for giving me a fun project to do to fill the time and a delicious meal to enjoy!
Made this for a little Greek themed dinner last night. It was fantastic. Best I’ve ever had. I made the filling a few hours ahead of time and drained a little before layering. I accidentally only used half of the phyllo and it was still perfect. I reheated the leftovers in the air fryer as suggested and it came back to life just as crispy as the first time. This is a keeper I can’t wait to make it again.
What adjustments would I make if I used premade phyllo cups?
Flavors were delicious, but the scrunched layer of phyllo in the middle was a soggy mass of dough. Did I do something wrong?
I’ve made this twice, once with fresh spinach and once with frozen. It turned out beautifully both times. Like others, I used 8 oz. of phyllo dough (one roll from the package of Athens brand phyllo) and felt it was plenty of pastry. I had no complaints about the middle layer of pastry — it sort of “disappeared” into the spinach mixture. Thanks for an easy recipe that’s just as good as any spanakopita I’ve had in restaurants!
Can I substitute ricotta or another cheese for feta?
Yum! I was skeptical – don’t cook the onion or drain the spinach? And yet, just lovely. I skipped the middle section of phyllo and didn’t miss it. I cooked it in a 9×13 glass pan for about 55 minutes. I salted aggressively since I’d made something similar and it wasn’t salty enough, but I went slightly too far. Also took the advice to salt layers of fresh spinach, weight it with a plate and put it in fridge for a few hours. I used the Greek feta from TJ’s, it was very flavorful and complex compared to the crumbled feta from grocery store.
This is the best spanikopita recipe I’ve ever come across! Thank you so much! I was skeptical with everything being raw (no sauteed onions and garlic?!) but it was perfect! The fresh herbs, especially the mint and dill, were a game changer! The flavor was so fresh! So different than the heavy dense wetter recipes than I’ve made in the past. I loved the “scrunched” phyllo sheets, added extra volume and crunchiness that was delish!
AMAZING! I threw in some white beans and shitake mushrooms that I had in the fridge. Came out beautifully. Was a bit more time-consuming than I’d planned for with the preparation/chopping, but nothing too daunting, just more of a weekend than weeknight treat. Will definitely make it again
This was exceptional. I used adult(?) spinach and salted it as I went; reduced the mint to about a quarter cup; used 400g of feta as I had 2x 200g packs; skipped the middle filo layer having read the comments, but scattered two tablespoons of coarse polenta on the bottom floor before I put the filling in. I didn’t pre-cut but it didn’t disintegrate. It’s so fresh and delicious, though I wouldn’t want more mint in it. This is going to be a staple for a while!