Savory Spinach Feta Triangles (Printable Version)
Golden phyllo triangles filled with spinach, feta, and aromatic herbs for a flavorful Mediterranean-style treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ Filling
01 - 8.8 oz fresh spinach, washed and chopped (or 5.3 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained)
02 - 7 oz feta cheese, crumbled
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (or 1 tbsp dried dill)
06 - 1 large egg
07 - ½ tsp ground black pepper
08 - ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)
09 - Salt, to taste
→ Pastry
10 - 6 sheets phyllo pastry, thawed
11 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (or olive oil)
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a splash of olive oil. Sauté onion until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
03 - Add spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring, until wilted and all liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
04 - In a large bowl, combine the cooled spinach mixture with crumbled feta, chopped dill, egg, black pepper, nutmeg (if using), and salt to taste. Mix until evenly incorporated.
05 - Lay one phyllo sheet on a clean surface and brush lightly with melted butter. Place a second sheet on top and brush again. Cut the double-layered sheets lengthwise into 3 long strips.
06 - Place one tablespoon of filling at one end of each strip. Fold the corner over to form a triangle, continuing to fold the strip while maintaining the triangle shape until completely folded. Brush the exterior with melted butter.
07 - Repeat the layering, cutting, filling, and folding process with the remaining phyllo sheets and filling.
08 - Arrange all triangles on the prepared baking tray. Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and crisp.
09 - Allow to cool slightly before serving.
# Expert Insights:
01 -
- They're deceptively simple to make, yet everyone believes you've mastered some ancient Mediterranean secret—your guests will be impressed, and you'll know how easy they really were.
- The crispy, buttery exterior gives way to a savory, herbaceous filling that tastes like sunshine captured in pastry, and they're just as delicious at room temperature as they are warm from the oven.
- You can prepare them ahead and freeze them unbaked, so you'll always have an elegant appetizer ready for unexpected guests or your own moment of comfort food.
02 -
- The single most important step is removing all moisture from your spinach mixture after cooking. Wet filling equals soggy pastry, and there's no coming back from that. This is the lesson I learned the hard way on my third batch, and it changed everything.
- Phyllo dries out instantly if exposed to air, so keep unused sheets covered with a damp kitchen towel while you work. I discovered this the painful way when I tried to work too slowly and ended up with brittle, crumbly phyllo that wouldn't fold properly.
- Don't skip the egg—it's not just a binder; it brings everything together and gives the filling structure so it holds its shape when you bite into it.
03 -
- Invest in a good pastry brush—a natural bristle brush is worth the cost because it holds butter evenly and lasts for years. Cheap brushes shed bristles into your pastry, which is nobody's dream.
- If your phyllo tears (and sometimes it will), don't panic. Simply overlap the torn pieces slightly and brush with butter; nobody will ever know, and the layers will seal together perfectly as they bake.