WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

This authentic spanakopita recipe uses homemade phyllo dough and fresh spinach for the most delicious spanakopita you’ll ever have!  It’s a family recipe that is reminiscent of family dinners and fun Greek gatherings.  Spinach pie makes a fantastic vegetarian dinner option—hearty, flavorful, and always a crowd-pleaser!

This spanakopita is filled with fresh spinach, creamy feta, and fragrant herbs, all wrapped in flaky, homemade phyllo. Every bite of that crispy phyllo and savoury filling is pure bliss and worth the effort!

Spanakopita is baked in a large baking dish, so it’s not as time-consuming as making individual spinach pie triangles.  But if you want an easier recipe to satisfy your spinach pie cravings, you can check out this spanakopita puff pastry recipe.

INGREDIENTS NOTES 

Fresh baby spinach: For this Greek spinach pie recipe, we don’t cook the spinach first. It’s best to use fresh bunches of spinach or baby spinach. I wouldn’t recommend using frozen spinach for this recipe.

White rice: You can use any type of short-grain white rice. I would recommend white rice instead of brown rice. White rice soaks up some of the moisture as the spanakopita bakes. My personal favourites are Kukuho Rose white rice or short grain sushi rice.

Feta cheese: One of the main ingredients in spanakopita! I love Krinos authentic Greek feta, which is made with Sheep’s milk. But you can use any type of feta that you like. For this recipe, I crumble the feta into smaller pieces so that each bite has some feta goodness!

Eggs: Whisk the eggs separately before mixing them in. They help bind the spinach filling perfectly!

Green onions: Green onions (or scallions) are key here! Trim off the root tips, and use both the white and green parts. Wash thoroughly with cold water, then dry completely—either pat them dry or let them sit in a strainer for an hour. This step helps reduce moisture in the spanakopita.

Sautéed white onions: Sauté white onions on low to medium heat to bring out their sweetness. Cook for a few minutes until softened, then let them cool before mixing into the spinach. Keep the heat low to prevent burning. The onions will bake more in the spanakopita, so you just need to sauté them on low for a few minutes.

White wine vinegar: Adding a little bit of white wine vinegar helps the homemade dough become crispy as it bakes.  If you don’t have white wine vinegar, you can use rice vinegar instead.

RECIPE TIPS 

• There’s no need to pan-fry or sauté the spinach before mixing it with the other ingredients.

 

• If you like more feta, you can add more to the recipe! Another option is to add in grated parmesan cheese as well as crumbled feta.

 

• Don’t cover the baked spanakopita with tinfoil, or it won’t be as crispy.

 

• When rolling out the phyllo dough, make the bottom piece larger to drape over the edges of the pan. Roll it to about 16″ x 12″ to cover the base and sides. The top piece can be smaller (about 14″ x 10″) as it only needs to cover the filling inside the pan.

 

• Preheat the oven so the spanakopita can go in the oven as soon as it’s prepared. That way, the bottom won’t be as soggy.

 

• Sprinkle a bit of cold water with your hand on top of the dough to get beautifully golden brown and crispy spanakopita.

HOW TO MAKE SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIE): STEP-BY-STEP

STEP 1: Prepare the dough. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour and salt. Mix together. Create a small opening in the middle of the flour and pour in the extra virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar.

Use your hands and squish the dough into small lumps. Slowly add 1 cup of warm water. Mix the dough with your hands and form it into a dough ball. You can rub some olive oil on the inside and outside of your hands so that the dough doesn’t stick to your hands.

The dough should be soft but not sticky to your hands. Knead the dough by pressing the knuckles of your hands into the dough and folding it over.  Continue to knead for a few minutes.  After kneading, allow the dough to rest in the bowl for 15 minutes, and cover the dough with plastic wrap.

STEP 2: Sauté the white onions. Peel and dice a medium-sized white onion. Heat a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a small pan and cook the onions on low to medium heat for a few minutes or until translucent. Be careful that the heat isn’t too high so that the onions don’t burn. When the onions are ready, remove them from the heat and set them aside to cool.

STEP 3: Prepare the spanakopita filling. Remove the baby spinach from the package and chop it into smaller pieces. Wash and pat dry the green onions, flat-leaf parsley, and fresh dill.  Make sure these ingredients are dry before preparing the spanakopita filling.  Allow them to dry at room temperature, or dry them well with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.  This prevents the spanakopita from being soggy.

The bottom of the green onions may be covered in dirt, so washing the stems really well is important.  Cut off the end of the stems and chop the green onions, parsley, and fresh dill. Add the chopped spinach, green onions, parsley, and fresh dill to a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk the two eggs together. Add the whisked eggs, olive oil, salt, pepper, and white rice to the spinach mixture.  Use your hands or a large spoon to mix the ingredients together.  Add in the cooled sautéed onions and crumbled feta. Stir together and set the spinach pie filling aside.

STEP 4: Roll out the dough. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F on bake. Clear and wipe down a large surface like your kitchen counter or kitchen table. Lightly flour the surface with all-purpose flour. Keep a small side dish of olive oil because you’ll need it for your hands and to brush the dough. Knead the dough with your hands and roll the dough into a log.

Cut the dough with a sharp knife into four equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a circle. Flour the surface again and your rolling pin. Use a rolling pin to roll out one piece of dough into a small circle. Brush the top of the dough with oil.

Roll out another piece of dough into a similar size circle and stack the two rolled dough circles on top of each other. Continue to roll out the dough until the shape is approximately 16″ x 12″. The piece of phyllo dough that is used for the bottom of the pan should be slightly bigger so that the edges can fold over on top of the spanakopita filling.

Continue to roll out the dough pieces until the final size for the bottom piece is approximately 16″ x 12″. The top piece can be smaller at approximately 14″ x 10″ since it just needs to cover the inside of the pan. 

Repeat this process with the remaining two pieces of dough. You will end up with two large, flat pieces.  As you roll out the next two pieces of dough, lightly flour the surface and place the rolled-out dough on top of the flour.

Cover the rolled-out dough with a clean kitchen towel so that it doesn’t dry out. One piece will go on the bottom of the pan and the other on top of the spanakopita filling. The extra dough on the sides will fold over on top of the filling before placing the top sheet of phyllo on the spanakopita filling.

STEP 5: Prepare the spanakopita. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 14″ x 10″ baking dish pan. Carefully place the large, flat piece of dough on the bottom of the pan. The dough will roll over on the sides, that’s ok – it’s what we want! Brush the bottom phyllo dough and the sides with extra virgin olive oil.  Use a large spoon to scoop the spanakopita filling into the baking dish. Spread it out evenly.

Roll over the sides of the dough on top of the spanakopita filling. Brush the temporarily exposed sides of the dough with oil. Carefully place the second piece of flat phyllo dough on top of the spanakopita filling. Brush the top of the dough generously with olive oil. Score the spanakopita with a sharp knife, only cutting through the top layer of phyllo dough.

STEP 6: Bake the spanakopita at 375 degrees F. Sprinkle the spanakopita with a dash of cold water and place the spanakopita in the preheated oven. Bake on the very bottom rack for 60 minutes or until the spanakopita is golden brown.  Baking the spanakopita on the bottom rack will bake the phyllo underneath so it doesn’t become soggy. If the spanakopita gets an air bubble at any point during the baking process, you can just pierce it with a knife so the steam can escape.

STEP 7: Allow the spanakopita to cool slightly. When the spanakopita is ready, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool on an oven-safe surface in the baking dish for 10-15 minutes. Use a sharp knife to cut along the score lines. Enjoy!

What To Serve With Spanakopita? 

Spanakopita can be enjoyed as an appetizer or the most delicious Greek main dish and served with Greek salad, tzatziki, Greek roasted lemon potatoes or Greek rice.

Is Spanakopita Served Warm?

This spanakopita is so good baked fresh from the oven when it’s warm. Spanakopita can be enjoyed at room temperature or cold, but I would recommend reheating spanakopita in the oven for 15 minutes at 225 degrees F or until it’s warmed through to get the most delicious result if you’re planning on reheating it.

You can store any leftover spanakopita pieces in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Simply cover it with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container, but allow the spanakopita to cool completely before refrigerating it.

More Greek Vegetarian Ideas!

• The Best Creamy Tomato Pasta Sauce
• Easy Greek Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
• Easy Oven Baked Greek Tofu Recipe
• Creamy Baked Brie With Sweet Fig Jam
• Greek Spanakopita Triangles