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Spanakopita: Greek Spinach and Feta Pie Recipe

Name: Spanakopita
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 1 kg fresh spinach (or 600 g frozen, thawed); 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion (finely chopped); 6 spring onions (sliced); 30 g fresh dill (chopped); 15 g fresh parsley (chopped); 300 g Greek feta (crumbled); 2 eggs (beaten); 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 pinch nutmeg; 450 g filo pastry (about 12 sheets, thawed); 120 ml olive oil (or melted butter, for brushing); 1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Spinach, feta, spring onion and dill baked in crisp, golden layers of filo. The Greek bakery classic, at home.

Serves

Calories

380 kcal

Cuisine

Greek

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Homemade Greek spanakopita in a round baking tray with flaky filo, one square served on a plate showing the spinach and feta filling

On this page: What is it · History · What you need · Step by step · Serving & storage · Recipe card

Spanakopita is the pie you find in every Greek bakery: a tray of spinach and feta filling wrapped in shattering layers of filo, sold by the slice for a quick lunch. We ate it on the go all over Greece and kept coming back for more.

At home it is surprisingly easy. The only thing that really matters is getting the water out of the spinach, so the filling stays rich and the bottom layers stay crisp.

Make one large tray to slice, or fold the same filling into triangles for a party.

What Is Spanakopita?

Spanakopita (σπανακόπιτα) comes from spanaki, spinach, and pita, pie. It is a savoury pie of spinach, feta, onions or spring onions, herbs and egg, baked between layers of filo pastry brushed with olive oil or butter.

It is one of many Greek pites, the family of savoury pies that includes tiropita (cheese pie) and hortopita, made with wild greens. Village versions often use homemade, thicker pastry; bakeries and most home cooks use thin filo.

It is eaten warm or at room temperature, for breakfast, lunch, as part of a meze, or packed for a picnic.

A Little History

Round tray of homemade spanakopita cut into squares on a Greek home table with feta, olives and plates

Pies wrapped in thin layers of dough have been made in the region since Byzantine times, and the thin pastry we call filo is closely linked with Ottoman-era cooking across the Balkans and Anatolia.

In Greece, pites became everyday food, especially in mountain regions like Epirus, where home cooks rolled their own pastry and filled it with whatever greens grew nearby.

Spanakopita is also traditionally eaten during Lent and other fasting periods in a version without cheese or egg, known as nistisimi spanakopita.

At a glance

Serves

Calories

380 kcal

Protein

13 g

Course

Lunch, Snack

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Why it works

01 Squeezed spinach keeps the base crisp

02 Full tray or party triangles, same filling

03 Freezes well before baking

Homemade spanakopita in a round tray seen from above, one square lifted out showing the spinach and feta filling

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What You Need

Exact amounts are in the recipe card

For the Filling

fresh spinach, or 600 g frozen, thawed
olive oil
onion, finely chopped
spring onions, sliced
fresh dill, chopped
fresh parsley, chopped
Greek feta, crumbled
eggs, beaten
black pepper
nutmeg

For the Pastry

filo pastry, about 12 sheets, thawed
olive oil, or melted butter, for brushing
sesame seeds, optional

Ingredients for spanakopita: spinach, onion, spring onions, dill, parsley, feta, eggs, filo pastry, olive oil and sesame seeds

Step-by-Step Instructions

Spanakopita comes together in two parts: a well-drained filling and buttery, oiled layers of filo. Keep the filo covered with a damp tea towel while you work so it doesn’t dry out.

Squeezing the water out of wilted spinach over a colander for spanakopita

1. Wilt the spinach

Wash the spinach and wilt it in a large pan in batches. Tip it into a colander, let it cool, then squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands. Chop roughly.

Tip: This is the most important step. Wet spinach makes a soggy pie. If using frozen, thaw it and squeeze just as hard.

Softening chopped onion and spring onions in olive oil for spanakopita filling

2. Cook the onions

Heat the olive oil in the same pan and soften the onion and spring onions for 6 to 8 minutes. Let them cool slightly.

Mixing spinach, feta, spring onions, dill, parsley and egg for spanakopita filling

3. Mix the filling

Combine the spinach, onions, dill, parsley, feta, eggs, pepper and nutmeg in a bowl. Taste; feta is salty, so you rarely need extra salt.

Brushing filo sheets with olive oil in a baking dish for spanakopita

4. Layer the filo

Heat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan). Brush the dish with oil. Lay in 6 sheets of filo, brushing each with oil and letting the edges hang over. Spread in the filling, fold the edges over, then top with the remaining sheets, brushing each one.

5. Score and bake

Tuck in the edges, brush the top generously and score it into portions with a sharp knife, cutting only through the top layers. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and a few drops of water, then bake for 45 to 50 minutes until deep golden. Rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Serving & Storage

Serving

Serve spanakopita warm or at room temperature, as a light lunch with a Greek salad, as part of a meze table, or cut into small squares as a party snack.

A spoon of tzatziki or Greek yoghurt on the side is never wrong.

Storing Leftovers

Spanakopita keeps well, but the filo softens in the fridge. Reheat it in the oven to bring the crunch back.

Baked spanakopita	up to 3 days
Unbaked, frozen	up to 3 months
Baked, frozen	up to 2 months

Reheat in a 180 °C oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Bake from frozen without thawing, adding 15 to 20 minutes to the baking time.

Spanakopita

Spinach, feta, spring onion and dill baked in crisp, golden layers of filo. The Greek bakery classic, at home.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Greek

Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 20

Servings servings

Calories 380

Equipment

30 x 23 cm baking dish
Large frying pan
Colander
Pastry brush
Mixing bowl

Ingredients

Filling

1 kg fresh spinach or 600 g frozen, thawed
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
6 spring onions sliced
30 g fresh dill chopped
15 g fresh parsley chopped
300 g Greek feta crumbled
2 eggs beaten
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pinch nutmeg

Pastry

450 g filo pastry about 12 sheets, thawed
120 ml olive oil or melted butter, for brushing
1 tbsp sesame seeds optional

For triangles, cut filo sheets into long strips, add a spoon of filling at one end and fold into triangles. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Olive oil gives a lighter, more traditional result; butter gives a richer, flakier top.

Instructions

Wash the spinach and wilt it in a large pan in batches. Tip it into a colander, let it cool, then squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands. Chop roughly.
Heat the olive oil in the same pan and soften the onion and spring onions for 6 to 8 minutes. Let them cool slightly.
Combine the spinach, onions, dill, parsley, feta, eggs, pepper and nutmeg in a bowl. Taste; feta is salty, so you rarely need extra salt.
Heat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan). Brush the dish with oil. Lay in 6 sheets of filo, brushing each with oil and letting the edges hang over. Spread in the filling, fold the edges over, then top with the remaining sheets, brushing each one.
Tuck in the edges, brush the top generously and score it into portions with a sharp knife, cutting only through the top layers. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and a few drops of water, then bake for 45 to 50 minutes until deep golden. Rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Made this spanakopita?

Rate it with the stars in the recipe card and tell us how it went in the comments: tray or triangles, fresh or frozen spinach, and how crisp you got the top.

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