Description
These Easy Spanakopita Triangles are a classic Greek appetizer featuring a delicious filling of spinach, feta, and ricotta cheeses wrapped in flaky, buttery phyllo dough. They are perfect as snacks or party appetizers and bake up golden and crisp with a savory, cheesy filling.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- ⅔ cup onions, large dice
- 3 oz. fresh spinach leaves (about 3 cups fresh) or 2 ½ oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
- ⅓ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp freshly chopped dill
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
Dough and Assembly
- 1 8 oz. roll phyllo dough (16 sheets)
- ½ cup salted butter, melted
- 1 egg, scrambled (for brushing)
- Sesame seeds (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375° F to ensure it’s hot and ready when your triangles are assembled.
- Sauté Onions: In a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and sauté the diced onions over medium heat for about 10 minutes until they become translucent and soft.
- Cook Spinach: If using fresh spinach, add it to the onions and sauté for another 5 minutes until the leaves wilt and all moisture evaporates. Remove from heat. If using frozen spinach, make sure it is fully thawed and squeezed dry to remove excess water before combining with the onions.
- Prepare Filling: In a medium bowl, combine the cooked onions and spinach with crumbled feta, ricotta cheese, salt, lemon juice, chopped dill, garlic powder, and egg yolk. Mix thoroughly to create a creamy, flavorful filling.
- Melt Butter and Prep Dough: Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan or microwave. Lay one sheet of phyllo dough on your work surface, covering the rest with a damp cloth to prevent drying out. Brush the phyllo sheet lightly with melted butter and place a second sheet on top, brushing it with butter as well.
- Cut and Fill Dough Strips: Cut the two-layered phyllo dough lengthwise into thirds. At the bottom of each strip, place 1½ to 2 tablespoons of the spinach and cheese filling.
- Fold Triangles: Fold the bottom corner of each strip to form a right triangle, and continue folding the triangle upward along the strip until you reach the top, forming compact spanakopita triangles. You should make approximately 24 triangles in total.
- Brush with Egg Wash: Scramble one egg with a splash of water and brush generously over the tops and sides of each triangle to help them brown beautifully during baking. Place the triangles on a nonstick baking sheet. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
- Bake: Bake the spanakopita triangles in the center of the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until they turn a lovely golden brown and crisp.
Notes
- Spanakopita Triangles are a popular Greek appetizer, great as finger foods for parties or light snacks.
- Using fresh spinach is preferred, but frozen spinach can be used if properly thawed and drained to avoid soggy filling.
- Be careful to keep the phyllo dough covered with a damp towel as it dries out quickly.
- Folding neatly into right triangles ensures a professional look and even cooking.
- Sesame seeds on top add a nice nutty flavor and crunch but are optional.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 triangles (approx. 50g)
- Calories: 72
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Sodium: 168 mg
- Fat: 5.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.7 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
