Best Greek Spanakopita Recipes

SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

GREEK SPINACH PIES (SPANAKOPITA) RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
• In a large pan over medium heat, cook the green onions and garlic in the olive oil until soft.
• Add half the spinach, giving time for some to cook down before adding the rest.
• Once the spinach has cooked down, transfer to a medium mixing bowl to cool slightly.
• Add the feta, ricotta, egg, dill, parsley, salt and pepper, and mix until evenly spread.
• Set in refrigerator.
• Lay out one sheet of phyllo dough on a dry surface. Using a pastry brush, coat evenly with olive oil.
• Add another sheet of phyllo dough on top of the oiled sheet and repeat the oiling process. Continue until there is a stack of 4 oiled sheets. Repeat process on a new stack with remaining 4 sheets.
• Cut your dough into 4 sections using a pizza cutter.
• With a single section, add a spoonful of your spinach mix and begin folding over your pastry, brushing each fold with oil. Repeat this process for the remaining sections.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Enjoy!

GREEK SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt butter and oil together over low heat. Brush an 11-by-15-by-2-inch baking pan with butter-oil mixture. Layer 7 sheets of phyllo in pan, brushing each with butter mixture. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine remaining ingredients, except phyllo.
• Spread about 2 cups spinach filling over phyllo in pan. Cover with 2 sheets phyllo, brushing each with butter mixture. Repeat layering 2 cups filling and 2 sheets phyllo, brushing each with butter mixture, until all filling has been used, about 4 more layers.
• Top with 7 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with butter mixture. Press gently around the edges so layers adhere. Prick surface all over with a toothpick.
• Bake 15 minutes, reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue baking until pastry is golden, about 1 hour. Let stand 1 hour before serving.

SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIE)

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt until combined. Add the shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal mixed with pea-sized bits, about 10 times. While the motor is running, drizzle in the water until a dough forms.
• Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Divide the dough in half; press half the dough up and around the inside of the pan. Set the remaining dough aside covered with plastic wrap.
• Line the pan with foil and fill with dried beans. Bake the dough for 20 minutes and remove the beans and foil. Continue baking the crust until golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Let the pan cool on a rack.
• Meanwhile, make the spinach filling: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the spinach, little by little (adding more as the previous batch wilts), and cook, stirring, until completely wilted. Season with the salt and pepper and stir in the parsley, dill, and scallions.
• Drain the spinach mixture in a colander in the sink and let cool.
• Once the spinach is cool, stir in the feta and spread the mixture into the crust. Roll the remaining dough out on a well-floured surface, into a rectangle large enough to cover the baking pan. Top the spinach with the dough and pinch around the sides to seal. Score the top of the pie in the center, brush the surface of the dough with egg wash, and bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.
• Remove the pie from the oven, let cool, cut into squares and serve.

SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH AND FETA PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375º F.
• (For fresh spinach) Working in batches, wash and drain the spinach. Discard any large stems and chop the leaves coarsely. Combine the spinach, parsley, dill, green onions and salt. Let stand in a colander for 15 minutes and then press out the liquid. (For frozen spinach) Thaw the spinach and squeeze out most of the water, leaving just a little to prevent it drying out in the oven. Combine with the parsley, dill, green onions and salt.
• Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add the onions and saute until transparent.
• Adjust the heat to medium, add the spinach mixture in batches and saute until the spinach and herbs are wilted.
• Turn off the heat and stir the feta and black pepper into the mixture.
• Butter a 10"x17"x2" baking pan and lay 8 filo sheets in the bottom, brushing each layer with butter or spraying it with oil.
• Spread the spinach mixture into the baking pan.
• Cover with the remaining filo sheets, brushing each layer with butter or spraying it with oil.
• Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIE)

Steps:

• Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onions and leek until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach and saute until the leaves have wilted and the liquid has cooked off, about 8-10 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool somewhat. When cool enough to handle, finely chop the spinach and place in a large bowl.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Lightly oil (always use olive oil!) a 12 inch in diameter, metal baking pan (you can use a larger baking pan - you will just have a thinner pita, but don't use a smaller one), or a 10 x 15 inch rectangular baking pan.
• Add dill and feta cheese to the spinach. Add salt and pepper to taste (careful with the salt - the feta will add quite a bit of its own). Pour the eggs over and give a stir to combine well.
• Open up the phyllo pastry and place on a work surface. If using the country style pastry proceed, if using the thinner phyllo; cover with a damp cloth. (Continue to cover the pastry sheets with the damp cloth each time you remove one as you prepare the pie.).
• Layer the phyllo in the pan, allowing the edges to hang over the sides of the pan, brushing each phyllo layer generously with olive oil.
• Use up half the phyllo sheets to make the bottom pastry layer, allowing excess pastry to drape over edge of pan.
• Put the spinach mixture in and press the top down gently to smooth filling. Tuck in the pastry draping over the edges.
• Repeat layering with the remaining phyllo, oiling each sheet generously.
• Using a sharp knife, score the upper layers of pastry into the size pieces you will want to serve once the pie is baked- BE CAREFUL NOT TO CUT THROUGH BOTTOM PASTRY.
• Bake the pie in the middle of the oven for approximately 40-45 minutes until it is golden brown. For the last 15-20 minutes, I put my baking pan directly on the oven floor to crisp it better.
• Cool till just warm (we never, but never eat this hot! The flavours just wouldn't come through properly). Cut into serving pieces and serve either just warm or at room temperature.
• Note: If my spinach filling appears to be too 'wet', I often take 2 of the phyllo sheets and use them as a 'layer' between the spinach filling; these sheets absorb the extra liquid (they must not be brushed with oil).
• It's also worth noting that Greeks love their olive oil! I have used olive oil with a lighter hand than most Greeks in this recipe - but it may still be too much for you. Feel free to add the amount you feel most comfortable with, but be aware that flavour may be compromised.

GREEK SPINACH & HERB PIE (WITHOUT CHEESE) A.K.A. SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Coarsely chop spinach and place in a colander. Salt lightly and let drain for 10 minutes. Press or squeeze to remove all excess liquid.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine spinach, dill, parsley, garlic, onions, leek, pepper, and mix well until ingredients are well blended.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Spray 9" round or square pyrex plate with cooking spray. When laying the sheets in the pan, leave an overlap of phyllo outside the pan rim all the way around. Lay half the phyllo sheets on the bottom, spraying each one lightly with Pam cooking spray.
• Spoon in the spinach mixture and spread evenly. Fold the extending phyllo in over the mixture. Lay the remaining phyllo sheets on top, spraying each with cooking oil except the top sheet. Tuck or tim eadges. I like to kind of ruffle mine.
• Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45-50 minutes in the middle of the oven. When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool 1/2 hour before serving.

EASY SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH AND FETA PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F
• Gently roll out each sheet of puff pastry to the size of your pan (approximately 9 x 13). Spray pan with spray and place the first sheet of pastry.
• Making sure that all the liquid has been squeezed and drained from the spinach, mix spinach with the feta, cottage cheese, eggs, pepper and dill. Spread mixture in pan.
• Top mixture with second sheet of pastry and brush with egg wash (optional).
• Bake till golden brown, approximately 35 minutes.

YUMMY GREEK SPINACH PIE (SPANAKOPITA)

Steps:

• Saute onion, green onions and garlic, salt and pepper to taste, until soft in 3 or 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Stir in spinach and parsley,until spinach is limp.
• Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• in a bowl mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta.
• Stir in spinach mixture.
• Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in a 9x9 in baking dish and brush lightly with melted butter.
• Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with butter, and repeat with four more sheets of phyllo.
• Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and place another 6 sheets of phyllo in the same process as before.
• Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
• Serve while hot.

SPANAKOPITA MEATBALLS WITH GREEK YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a bowl combine 3 cloves of garlic and all of red onion EXCEPT 2 tablespoons, reserve 1 garlic clove and onion for yogurt sauce.
• Squeeze the water out of the spinach until completely dry. Separate the spinach as you add it to garlic and onion.
• Add feta, egg, breadcrumbs, ground beef, lamb and grill seasoning to the bowl. Mix and combine well.
• Form mixture into 1 1/2-inch, bite-sized meatballs. Place the meatballs on a nonstick cookie sheet. ***At this point you could refrigerate until ready to bake.
• Bake meatballs at 375 degrees for 20 minutes until they are cooked through.
• To make the sauce, place yogurt, 1 garlic clove, 2 Tablespoons onion, cucumber, dill, lemon juice, oregano and a little salt in food processor and process until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve meatballs alongside sauce with toothpicks.

GREEK SPINACH PIE (SPANAKOPITA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C); lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan.
• Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

SPANAKOPITA (GREEK GREENS PIE )

Steps:

• Cook spinach til tender; drain, lightly squeeze out excess water and place in med bowl. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice and rind to spinach; mix well. Set aside.
• Saute onions with spices in 2 tbsp olive oil until onions are transparent. Stir in rice, water and raisins; heat through. Set aside.
• In separate bowl, beat eggs lightly with pepper. Add feta cheese and mix well. Set aside.
• In a 9" oiled deep pie pan, lay one sheet of phyllo on the bottom of the pan and brush entire surface with melted butter. Top with 7 more sheets, one by one, brushing each and rotating each sheet 20 degrees. There will be over-hang.
• Over that, carefully layer the onion mixture, then the spinach, then the cheese.
• Cover with a top 'crust' of phyllo by repeating same procedure as step 4: Eight sheets, each brushed with butter and rotated.
• Roll-up the overhanging dough to form a seal. Brush top with melted butter.
• Bake 350 degrees, for 1/2 hour. Lay a piece of foil over top and continue to bake for another 1/2 hour or until done.
• Allow to cool to room temperature before eating.

MY MUM'S GREEK SPINACH PIE (SPANAKOPITA)

Steps:

• For the filo: Put in a big bowl the flour, the salt and start adding the water until you have a hard dough that doesn't stick to the fingers. Knead for 2-3 minutes.
• (I usually make the dough one day before and I put it in a plastic bag in the fridge. That way it is easier to work it into the filos the next day.).
• Divide the dough in 5 pieces for 5 filos. Place one ball on a dusted-with-flour counter and roll into a big circle, a little bigger than the pan you are using. It's hard work, I know! Start using each filo in the pan and then work with the other piece of dough.
• Filling: Mix the spinach, the sping onions, the leek, the dill and the parsley. Add one teaspoon of salt and start rubbing by hand for 3 - 4 minutes. The greens start getting softer and their liquids start running. Drain them and then add the feta cheese, the pepper and the rice or couscous. Rice helps to absorb the extra liquid.
• Lighty oil a 14 inch in diameter, round baking pan. Layer one filo in the pan, allowing the edges to hang over the sides of the pan. Brush the filo with olive oil and repeat with another filo.
• Put the spinach mixture in and add the olive oil of the filling. Tuck in the pastry draping over the edges.
• Repeat layering with the remaining 3 filos, oiling each one gernerously.
• Using a knife, score the pie into the size pieces you prefer, but avoid cuting through the bottom.
• Brush the pie with some more olive oil.
• Bake at 375°F for 1 hour.

MINI SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• To prepare filling, place spinach in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Place over medium heat; cook until spinach wilts. Place the spinach mixture in a colander, pressing until barely moist. Combine the spinach and cheeses in a bowl; set aside.
• Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green onions; sauté for 2 minutes or until soft. Stir the green onions and the next 5 ingredients (green onions through 2 egg whites) into spinach mixture.
• Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 egg white in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time, cut each sheet lengthwise into 4 (3 1/2-inch-wide) strips; lightly brush phyllo sheet with egg mixture (cover the remaining phyllo dough to keep it from drying). Spoon about 1 tablespoon spinach mixture onto one end of each strip. Fold one corner of the opposite end over mixture, forming a triangle; keep folding back and forth into a triangle to the end of strip.
• Place triangles, seam sides down, on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until golden.

SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIE)

Steps:

• Wash spinach well. Wilt the spinach in a large, covered Dutch oven or in a skillet in batches. The water from washing is enough so you do not need to add any more water. When cool enough, squeeze out water with your hands. If using frozen spinach, let thaw then squeeze out excess water with your hands as well.
• Place spinach in a large mixing bowl, then combine with green onion, cheeses, and parsley. Season with a little black pepper. It should be salty enough with the cheeses, but you can add a little salt if you prefer. You can taste it before stirring in the eggs.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Working with phyllo is not really all that hard. Just be sure to keep the sheets you are not currently working with covered with plastic wrap so they do not dry out. The phyllo is very delicate, but if you go slow and gently, you should have no problem. Each sleeve comes with 15 sheets of dough. You will place them in the pan by twos, then lightly spray with the cooking spray. So, two sheets in the bottom of the dish, spray. Two more sheets, spray. Two more, spray. Spread half the spinach mixture onto the phyllo. Two sheets, spray. Two more, spray. Remaining spinach mixture spread out. Two more phyllo, spray. Use all the phyllo. With the tines of a fork, or sharp knife, cut through the phyllo in a pattern approximately where you will like to cut the spinach pieces once cooked. This will make it easier to cut the finished pie.
• Bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan around 15 minutes, then cut and serve. Spanakopita is good hot or at room temperature.

SPANAKOPITA - GREEK SPINACH-FETA STRUDEL

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large frying pan (or skillet) and add chopped onion and minced garlic (adjust amount to your taste).
• Let fry until translucent.
• Add chopped spinach and let wilt.
• Season with nutmeg, vegetable broth granules, salt and pepper.
• Add ricotta cheese and stir to dissolve.
• Crumble walnuts to mixture.
• Add feta cubes and stir again.
• Let spinach filling cool for a couple of minutes.
• Meanwhile heat oven to 175°C and cover a baking tray with baking paper.
• Place puff pastry on baking tray and brush sides with melted butter.
• Pour cooled spinach mixture on pastry and cover two thirds of the pastry with mixture, leave half inch wide edges on the sides and bottom.
• Fold in bottom and sides and roll pastry to a strudel, seam side down.
• Brush with the rest of the melted butter.
• Bake for about 25minutes at 175°C until golden brown. After 15 minutes sprinkle strudel with sesame seeds.

SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIE)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9X9 inch square baking pan.
• 2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic until soft and lightly browned. Stir in sinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• 3. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with six more sheets of phyllo. (Use 8 layers on bottom, 10 layers on top) The sheets will over lap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 10 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each layer with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling. Cover with foil.
• 4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Take off foil, turn heat up to 375 degrees and bake 10 more minutes until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

GREEK SPANAKOPITA PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.
• In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat, stirring frequently; drain. Stir in spinach, parsley, salt, pepper, and all but 1/2 cup of the tomatoes. Cook and stir until hot; set aside.
• Cover phyllo sheets with damp paper towel. Arrange sheets, layering 3 at a time, in an X shape and then in a + shape to create a spoke pattern on work surface, brushing each with butter and sprinkling with 1 teaspoon of the bread crumbs as it is added. Transfer all layers of phyllo to pie plate, gently easing dough down sides of pie plate and allowing excess dough to hang over edge. Place beef mixture in pie plate; top with feta cheese. Fold overhanging phyllo up and over filling, leaving 2- to 3-inch center of filling uncovered. Spoon remaining 1/2 cup tomatoes in center. Brush phyllo with butter.
• Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

TRADITIONAL GREEK SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• In a small skillet, cook the onions in the olive oil until tender and golden. Remove from the heat, place in a bowl and let it cool.
• Place the chopped spinach in a colander, sprinkle with some salt, and let it sit for about twenty minutes. Squeeze the spinach between the palms of your hands to drain the water. Add the spinach to the bowl with the onions, along with the crumbled Feta cheese, dill, parsley, pinch of salt, ground pepper, and egg. Mix well and set aside.
• Pre-heat the oven to 375° F. Unwrap the filo and arrange it on a work surface with the long side nearest to you.
• Start layering a 13"x9"x2" pan with filo sheets. First, brush some oil on all sides of the pan, then proceed to line the pan with half of the filo sheets, brushing oil on each one of them. Without oiling the top filo layer, pour the mixture over the stacked filo and arrange evenly in the pan. Top with the remaining sheets, brushing each one of them with oil. Fold the edges over the pie, so the filling is enclosed. With a sharp knife, carefully score the top few filo sheets into 24 rectangles, being careful not to cut through the filling. This way, the filo will not crumble when it is cut through.
• Sprinkle some water over the pie and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until filo is nice and golden. Let it cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

GREEK SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Saute onion in olive oil for 5 minutes.
• Add spinach. Simmer over a low flame, stirring occasionally until most of moisture is evaporated.
• Crumble Feta cheese into small pieces.
• Add cottage cheese and eggs; mix well.
• Toss bread crumbs into spinach mixture and add to cheese. Stir until blended.
• Carefully cut phyllo sheets into thirds. Refrigerate 2/3 until needed and cover remaining third with a slightly damp towel.
• Remove 1 sheet of phyllo pastry, fold in half lengthwise. Brush with melted butter.
• Place 1 tablespoon of spinach filling near the end.
• Fold over in triangle shape. Continue folding like a flag, keeping triangular shape. Lightly butter top.
• Continue with remaining pastry and filling.
• Bake in a 425 degrees oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.