Description
Spanakopita Triangles are a delicious Greek appetizer featuring a savory filling of spinach, fresh herbs, and feta cheese wrapped in crispy, buttery phyllo dough. Perfectly baked to golden perfection, these bite-sized triangles make an ideal snack or party treat.
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Phyllo and Butter
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 sleeve phyllo sheets (about ½ pound / 16 sheets), thawed
Instructions
- Make the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the chopped onions until translucent, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add garlic: Add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Turn off the heat.
- Combine herbs and spinach: Stir in the chopped fresh cilantro, dill, and the drained spinach. Season with black pepper. Mix well.
- Cool and add feta: Transfer the mixture to a plate and allow it to cool. Once cooled, fold in the crumbled feta cheese and adjust salt to taste.
- Prepare oven and pans: Adjust two oven racks, placing one in the middle and one in the upper third position. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly brush or spray two baking sheets with melted butter.
- Prep phyllo dough: Remove the phyllo dough roll from packaging without unrolling. Cut the roll into three equal sections (about 3 inches wide each). Rewrap two sections with plastic or cover with a damp towel to prevent drying.
- Assemble layers: Unroll one section on a cutting board and remove two sheets. Cover the remaining sheets with a damp towel. Place two sheets on top of each other and lightly brush the top sheet with melted butter.
- Add filling: Place about 1½ tablespoons of the spinach mixture near the bottom corner of the phyllo strip closest to you, shaping it into a diagonal line.
- Fold into triangles: Fold the phyllo over the filling into a triangle shape, continuing to fold the strip upwards to maintain the triangle shape until the end of the strip is reached.
- Place on baking sheet: Transfer the completed triangle to the prepared baking sheet and brush the top with melted butter.
- Repeat: Continue assembling triangles using the remaining phyllo and filling, aiming to make about 24 triangles in total.
- Bake: Bake the triangles on the middle oven rack for 10 minutes or until the bottoms turn golden. Then, move the baking sheet to the upper rack and bake for an additional 5 to 8 minutes until the triangles are golden brown and crisp.
- Cool and serve: Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the spanakopita triangles cool slightly before serving to enjoy their crisp texture and flavorful filling.
Notes
- Phyllo dough dries out quickly, so keep unused sheets covered with a damp towel at all times while assembling.
- For a more authentic flavor, fresh dill and cilantro are recommended but can be substituted with dried herbs if unavailable.
- You can prepare the filling in advance and refrigerate it overnight to save time on the day of baking.
- These triangles can be frozen before baking; bake directly from frozen adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
- Use unsalted butter to better control the saltiness, as feta and spinach can add natural salt.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
