This authentic Spanakopita Triangles recipe is a simple appetizer jam-packed with feta and spinach, wrapped up in buttery, flaky phyllo crust.
I’ve been sitting on this Spanakopita Triangles recipe for a hot minute, waiting for the right time to share them with you. And what with it being feta cheese week (and me having attended my first Greek baptism last week), I finally feel that I’m in a place to share this ultra-Greek appetizer.
Side note on the Greek baptism: if you’ve ever attended one, you understand that these Spanakopita Triangles are more a comfort food to overcome the shock and terror that follows as an unsuspecting bystander who just expected a sprinkle of water on the forehead rather than the violent dunking that ensued… but I digress. Spanakopita time.
What is spanakopita?
Spanakopita is a popular Greek pastry involving spinach and feta cheese wrapped in phyllo dough that can be served in pie or triangle form. We’re going the triangle route today. They make for a simple appetizer that doesn’t require plates or special serving dishes (plus the ratio of buttery phyllo to filling is way better) (in that you get as much phyllo per square inch as possible).
How to make authentic spanakopita
The making of these Spanakopita Triangles goes something like this:
- Make Filling: Cook down your spinach and combine it with feta cheese, egg, pine nuts, and seasoning.
- Assemble: Thaw your phyllo dough then working one at a time, brush with olive oil and drop a spoonful of the filling onto the dough. Fold up into triangle bites.
- Bake: Until golden brown and crispy!
Variations of Spanakopita
Spanakopita is a flexible recipe, so you can make some substituions to make it perfect for you!
- Ricotta spanakopita: Replace half of the feta cheese with ricotta cheese
- Spanakopita with puff pastry: You can use puff pastry instead of phyllo dough for a puffier, more buttery crust.
Dips for these Spanakopita Triangles
No appetizer is complete without a good dip! Here are a few dips that would be great to serve with these spanakopita bites.
Ingredients
- 8 to 10 sheets phyllo dough thawed
- 3 Tbsp olive oil divided
- 1/2 of a medium red onion
- 2 cups fresh spinach 400 g
- 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese 125 g
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup pine nuts 25 g
- 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook Spinach: Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large saute pan over medium heat, then add onion. Cook until onion softens (about 3 minutes) then add spinach and cook until it wilts down completely. Drain mixture in a sieve to remove as much moisture as possible.
- Make Filling: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Stir feta, 1 egg, pine nuts, salt, and pepper into spinach mixture.
- Assemble: Open your phyllo dough pack and cut pieces into roughly 3 by 10 inch strips, then immediately cover with a layer of plastic wrap and then a damp cloth. Take a piece of phyllo and brush it with olive oil. Place a spoonful of filling at the bottom right of the dough strip. Fold the corner of the dough over to enclose the spinach filling and to form a triangle. Continue folding, maintaining the triangle shape, using the whole dough strip. Repeat to use the rest of the ingredients.
- Bake: Place spanakopita triangles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and brush with 1 beaten egg. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
nancy says
Adding directions as to what to do with the half onion (ie chop) would be helpful. Luckily, I am not a novice cook and knew to do this. Also, I weighed out 200 g of spinach and thought that looked like a huge amount, so I also put my spinach in a measuring cup. 2 cups of spinach, packed, was only 100 g. In the middle of making this recipe I had to decide whether to go with 400 grams or 2 cups (I went with 400 g, approx 8 cups). I liked your recipe as it was fewer ingredients than many and appeared simple to make – which it was after guessing how much spinach was the correct amount. Thanks
nancy says
Despite my previous comments on the confusing spinach amounts, these turned out perfectly and very delicious. I used puff pastry, as I can find gluten free puff pastry but have yet to find gf phyllo pastry. I rolled the pastry as thin as I could and only folded the triangles over once. I will definitely keep this recipe and as I perfect my triangle making I may even serve to others – I am keeping this first batch all for me!!