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Greece (pan-Hellenic) · Greek

Spanakopita (Greek Spinach and Feta Pie)

The great Greek spinach pie: a generous filling of wilted spinach, herbs, scallions and sharp feta, baked between shatteringly crisp layers of butter-and-oil brushed phyllo. Cut into squares, served warm or at room temperature.

By Table & Traditions Editors

Published June 24, 2026

A golden, crisp-layered spanakopita cut into squares on parchment, the flaky phyllo top scattered with sesame seeds and one square tilted to show the dark-green spinach and white feta filling inside.

Spanakopita belongs to Greece's vast family of savoury pittes — pies wrapped in paper-thin phyllo. Every region and household has its own version, from the spinach-heavy mainland pie to island versions enriched with wild greens (horta). It is everyday food: sold by the slab in bakeries, packed for journeys, and laid out as part of any meze table.

Yield
Serves 8 (one 9x13 in / 23x33 cm tray)
Prep
35 min
Cook
45 min
Total
1 hr 20 min
Difficulty
Intermediate

Spanakopita is the most famous member of Greece’s enormous family of savoury pies — paper-thin phyllo wrapped around a filling of spinach, herbs and sharp feta, baked until the pastry shatters at the touch of a knife. It is everyday food in Greece: sold by the slab in every bakery, packed for long journeys, and set out as part of any meze spread. Served warm or at room temperature, it is equally at home as a light main, a starter, or a picnic centrepiece.

The filling has to be dry

If there is one rule, it is this: get the water out of the spinach. Wilted fresh spinach or thawed frozen spinach both hold an astonishing amount of liquid, and any that’s left behind will steam the bottom layers into a soggy mat. Squeeze it in a clean towel until it feels almost dry. The feta should be real Greek barrel-aged feta — tangy, salty, made from sheep’s milk — crumbled in generously, with dill as the defining herb and a little egg to bind everything so the pie slices cleanly.

Layering for shatter

The crisp comes from treating each sheet of phyllo as its own thin, separately-crisping layer, brushed with olive oil (or oil and butter). Work quickly, keep the unused sheets under a damp towel so they don’t dry and crack, and don’t be stingy with the oil between layers — that’s the difference between flaky and papery. Score the top into squares before baking so steam escapes and the finished pie cuts without collapsing.

Want the rest of the Greek table? Try the layered moussaka and a village salad, or browse the full recipe collection.

Ingredients

Serves
8

For the filling

  • 900 g spinach Fresh, washed; or 500 g frozen leaf spinach, thawed. Squeeze bone-dry either way.
  • 1 bunch (about 6) scallions / spring onions White and green, finely sliced.
  • 1 small bunch fresh dill Chopped. Dill is the classic herb here; flat-leaf parsley can join it.
  • 250 g Greek feta Barrel-aged sheep's or sheep-and-goat feta. Crumble; do not substitute mild supermarket cubes if you can help it.
  • 2 eggs Beaten — they bind the filling.
  • to taste black pepper and grated nutmeg Salt sparingly; the feta is already salty.

For the pastry

  • 1 packet (about 400 g, 12-16 sheets) phyllo / filo pastry Thawed in the fridge overnight. Keep covered with a damp towel while you work.
  • 120 ml olive oil, or half olive oil and half melted butter For brushing every layer. Butter adds flavour and colour; all-oil keeps it dairy-lighter.

To finish

  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Method

Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.

  1. Wilt the fresh spinach in a dry or barely-oiled pan until collapsed, cool, then squeeze out every drop of liquid. (Frozen spinach: just thaw and squeeze.)

    Why: Wet spinach is the one thing that ruins spanakopita — it steams the bottom phyllo into a soggy mat. Dry filling is non-negotiable.

  2. Mix the squeezed spinach with scallions, dill, crumbled feta, beaten egg, pepper and nutmeg.

    Why: The egg sets the filling so it slices cleanly instead of spilling; the herbs and feta carry the flavour.

  3. Brush a baking tray with oil. Lay a sheet of phyllo, brush it lightly with oil, and repeat for half the sheets, letting the edges overhang.

    Why: Each thin, oiled layer crisps separately — that's where the shatter comes from. Skimping on oil between sheets gives you dense, papery pastry.

  4. Spread the filling evenly over the base layers. Fold the overhang in, then top with the remaining sheets, oiling each one. Tuck the edges down neatly.

    Why: Folding and tucking seals the pie so the filling doesn't leak and the edges don't burn.

  5. Brush the top with oil, scatter sesame seeds, and score the top layers into squares with a sharp knife — don't cut all the way through.

    Why: Pre-scoring lets steam escape and makes the baked pie easy to cut without shattering the whole top.

  6. Bake at 180°C/350°F for 40-50 minutes until deep golden and crisp all over. Rest 15 minutes before cutting.

    Why: Resting lets the filling firm up so the squares hold together. Cutting it straight from the oven gives you a landslide.

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Variations

  • Hortopita (mixed greens)

    Replace up to half the spinach with chard, kale or wild greens for a more rustic, slightly bitter pie closer to the village original.

  • Individual triangles

    Cut phyllo into long strips, spoon filling at one end, and fold flag-style into triangles. Brush and bake 20-25 minutes — ideal for a meze platter.

  • Lighter

    Use all olive oil and brush thinly; the pie is still crisp with noticeably less fat than an all-butter version.

Serving & Storage

Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into squares. Wonderful with a bowl of thick yogurt, a tomato-and-cucumber salad, and a few olives.

Pairs with: Greek salad, Thick yogurt, Assyrtiko or another crisp white.

Storage: Keeps 3 days refrigerated; re-crisp in a hot oven (never the microwave, which turns the phyllo limp). Unbaked, it freezes well — bake from frozen, adding 10-15 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 square (1/8 tray))

Calories
320
Protein
11 g
Carbs
24 g
Fat
21 g
Fiber
3 g
Sugar
2 g
Sodium
560 mg

Notable micronutrients: Vitamin A, Iron, Calcium, Folate

Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I stop the bottom going soggy?

Two things: squeeze the spinach until it's genuinely dry, and brush the base sheets generously with oil so they fry-crisp rather than absorb moisture. Baking on a preheated tray or the oven floor for the first 10 minutes helps too.

My phyllo keeps cracking — what am I doing wrong?

Phyllo dries out in seconds. Keep the stack covered with a barely-damp tea towel and only pull one sheet at a time. A few tears don't matter once it's layered — just oil and carry on.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes. Assemble the whole pie and refrigerate unbaked for a day, or freeze it. Bake fresh for the crispest result; reheated baked spanakopita is good but never quite as shattering.

What to drink with this

All drinks →

Hand-picked pours to match this dish. Alcoholic pairings are for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US) — please drink responsibly.

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