Spanakopita (Σπανακόπιτα)

Spanakopita or spanakotyropita (because it contains cheese) is the quintessential Greek pie. Made with homemade phyllo that is rolled thin and baked in a pan until golden brown. Learn how easy it is to make the filling and to roll your own dough for this traditional Greek recipe.

Growing up in a Greek home it was never a struggle to eat our greens. We have always loved spanakopita, and whether our parents made little spinach triangles, or offered us a version of spanakopita with rice instead of cheese (keeping it perfect for lent), we gobbled it all up. Spinach was also the star of dishes like spanakorizo and black-eyed peas and spinach, which we loved to varying degrees when we were young and difficult. Now that we are older, and busy, we sometimes turn to what I call spanakopita hacks, like this Sheet pan spanakopita quesadilla.

Why I love this recipe

It represents Greek cooking

Spanakopita truly is the King (or Queen) of Greek cuisine.  I doubt that there is a food more loved than this.  Regardless of culinary and cultural background, and whether or not you grew up in a Greek household, you have probably heard of spanakopita.  The lucky amongst us will have also tasted it, and the most fortunate know how to make it on their own, so that it can be enjoyed whenever the craving hits.   Spanakopita is the reason Greek parents can’t relate to other parents when they say “You know how kids are!  We have to puree and sneak vegetables into everything…Jack and Jill won’t touch anything green!  Kids, right?!”  Wrong.  I think Jack and Jill just need to be offered a piece of spanakopita.

Key ingredients

For the filling

Spinach It is incredible how much spinach shrinks when you cook it! I tend to buy baby spinach when I can, because then I don’t have to deal with tough stems that would need to be cut off. Of course, if I can get my hands on spinach grown in the garden, I go for that.

Green onions Also called spring onions or scallions, I use the white and green parts for a delicate flavour.

Fresh herbs Many fresh herbs would work well here but I use parsley, dill and mint for amazing flavour.

Eggs The eggs really help to bind the filling together.

Feta Adding feta makes spanakopita so delicious. Of course, I only use Greek feta, and you can learn all the reasons why by reading about feta facts.

Bread crumbs I like to add unflavoured bread crumbs to my filling because they add a bit of bulk, but more importantly the absorb any excess liquid. This helps ensure that you don’t end up with soggy phyllo.

Olive oil Adds body and flavour to the filling.

Salt & pepper Everything savoury is better with salt and pepper. Basic seasonings that add so much to a dish.

For the phyllo

Flour When I make phyllo I use regular all-purpose flour, sometimes called plain flour. It is easy to find, not too expensive and so versatile.

Water Regular room temperature tap water works well here.

Olive oil I add Greek olive oil to my phyllo dough for the flavour.

Red wine vinegar Adding vinegar to the dough helps to make it less elastic by breaking down some of the gluten bonds. This makes it easier to roll it out thinly.

Eggs This phyllo dough is rich and the eggs also help slow down the gluten development of the dough.

Milk I add milk (any type of dairy milk will do) to the phyllo dough for moisture, and flavour.

How to make it

Step 1
I start by preparing the filling for the pita.  I wash my greens well (spinach, green onions and herbs) and plunge them into a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds.  I then drain them and set aside to cool.  Once I can handle them I squeeze out as much water as possible. I find it helpful to use a piece of cheesecloth or fine tulle to do this.  Otherwise, you can simply use your hands.  Removing as much water as possible is very important.

Step 2
I then place my greens in a large bowl and add feta, eggs, olive oil, bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and stir to combine. 

Step 3
Next I begin making my phyllo. In a large bowl I sift the flour and add in the water, olive oil, red wine vinegar, beaten eggs, and milk.  I then knead well until my dough comes together; this will take several minutes.  Sometimes I need to add a bit more flour so that the dough is malleable but not too stiff.

Step 4
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. For me, this is the best temperature to bake pita.

Step 5
I divide my dough in half and begin to roll out one of the halves with a rolling pin. (See detailed hints in the post.) I aim to have my phyllo thin enough that you can almost see through it, but not so thin that it tears.

Step 6
I then grease the bottom of my pan and place my dough into it, being sure that it hangs over the sides.   Next I pour the filling on top of the phyllo.  I crumble the remaining feta over the spinach filling.

Step 7
I take the remaining phyllo dough and roll it out so that it is large enough to cover the top of my pan.  I press down gently so that the phyllo dough sits directly on the spinach, and I crimp the edges so that the top and bottom layers of phyllo are pressed together.

Step 8
I cut off any excess phyllo around the edge of the pan.

Step 9
Using a sharp paring knife, I score the top layer of phyllo in a diagonal pattern in order to mark the serving size pieces I will cut when my spanakopita is done.  I then brush the top of the phyllo dough with some olive oil.

Step 10
I bake my spanakopita on the middle rack of my oven and bake for 60 minutes, or until your phyllo is a nice golden brown colour.

Step 11
I allow it to cool, and then cut into pieces using the scoring as a guide.

Recipe variations

There are probably as many versions of spanakopita as there are Greek men named George, and I bet each one is amazing (the spanakopitas and the Georges).  There are probably an equally large number of recipes for phyllo (filo).  If you have never made spanakopita or phyllo before, I suggest you give this recipe a try, and stick to it as closely as possible.  Then, as you become more confident in your spanakopita skills, you can experiment.  A little swiss chard here, a bit less dill there, and before you know it…you will have your own twist on this classic Greek dish.

Other variations include omitting the feta to make a pure spanakopita (some people refer to the pies which contain spinach and cheese as spanakotyropita – in my family, we don’t).

Of course, if you want spanakopita but don’t want to make your own phyllo, you can follow my recipe for spanakopitakia which are made with store bought phyllo.  These are delicious too!

Finally, if you would rather forego the phyllo all together, then be sure to check out the Greek Spanakotiropitakia (Spinach and cheese pitas) without phyllo.

Serving size

This recipe makes a VERY large pita; the pan that I use for this particular recipe is 18 inches round.  This is the way that my parents taught me to make this recipe and I contemplated cutting the recipe in half. I realize that many of you may not make a pita this large, but I decided against doing so, for a few reasons. 

First, the pictures that I took when I made this pita with my parents and Helen showcase this enormous pan.  Second, making phyllo and the spinach filling is not necessarily difficult…but it does take time.  If you’re going to invest in making spanakopita, I say…go big, or go home (actually, I never say that…I don’t even know what that means. Can’t home be big?) Third, this recipe gives you options. 

You can choose to follow the recipe below and make 2 or three smaller pitas.  You can then decide to freeze what you don’t bake for a future time.  Finally, you can divide or quarter the recipe yourselves.  As this is not baking, the worry about making sure that your reduced amounts are exact is less important than if you were making a marble cake, for example (by the way, you really should make this marble cake).

Related recipes

Spanakopita is certainly one of the most popular Greek pitas! Here are some other pitas that I think you will also love. I hope that you try them all!

Mini meat pies with filo (Kreatopitakia) These are amazing! If you serve them at a party, I promise that these mini meat pies will disappear fast.

Greek zucchini pita with filo (Kolokithopita me filo) A vegetarian pita that is so good! I add cheese and lemon to the filling – you will love the fresh, bright taste.

Tyropitakia or Cheese Pies Filled with feta and ricotta, these tyropitakia are the best cheese pies ever! I love them so much!

Thanks for sharing!