Description
These Easy Spanakopita Triangles are a delicious Greek appetizer made with a savory filling of spinach, feta, and ricotta cheeses wrapped in flaky, buttery phyllo dough. Perfect for parties or as a tasty snack, they are baked to golden perfection and optionally topped with sesame seeds for added texture and flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- ½ cup salted butter
- ⅔ cup onions, large dice
- 3 oz. fresh spinach leaves (about 3 cups fresh) or 2 ½ oz. frozen spinach
- 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
- ⅓ cup ricotta cheese
- ½ tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp freshly chopped dill
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
Assembly
- 1 8 oz. roll phyllo dough (16 sheets)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
- Sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375° F to ensure it is hot enough for baking the spanakopita triangles evenly.
- Sauté Onions: Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a skillet and cook the diced onions for about 10 minutes or until translucent, to develop a sweet and tender base for the filling.
- Prepare Spinach: If using fresh spinach, add it to the onions and sauté for 5 minutes until wilted and all moisture evaporates. For frozen spinach, thaw completely and squeeze out excess water using paper towels to avoid soggy filling.
- Make Filling Mixture: In a medium bowl, combine the cooled spinach and onions with ricotta cheese, crumbled feta, salt, lemon juice, chopped dill, and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly to blend flavors.
- Melt Butter and Prepare Egg Wash: Melt the remaining butter for brushing the phyllo dough. In a separate bowl, scramble the egg for the filling and another egg with a splash of water to use as an egg wash.
- Prepare Phyllo Dough: Lay one sheet of phyllo on the work surface, keeping the remaining sheets covered with a damp towel to prevent drying. Brush the sheet lightly with melted butter, then add and butter a second sheet on top.
- Cut and Fill: Cut the two-layer phyllo stack into thirds lengthwise. Spoon 1½ to 2 tablespoons of filling onto the bottom of each strip.
- Fold Triangles: Begin folding each strip upwards maintaining a right triangle shape until the entire strip is folded. This creates 24 triangles in total.
- Apply Egg Wash and Add Topping: Brush each triangle generously with the egg wash. Arrange the triangles on a nonstick baking sheet and sprinkle sesame seeds on top if desired.
- Bake: Bake in the center of the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
Notes
- Use fresh spinach for a more vibrant flavor, but frozen spinach works well if thoroughly drained to prevent sogginess.
- Cover phyllo dough with a damp towel at all times to keep it from drying out and cracking.
- These triangles are perfect served warm as an appetizer or snack.
- For extra crispiness, ensure each phyllo layer is brushed evenly with butter.
- Optional sesame seeds add a nice nutty flavor and aesthetic appeal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 Spanakopita Triangles
- Calories: 72 kcal
- 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
