We often eat at Middle Eastern restaurants where they serve the spinach pies also known by the name Spanakopita. Inspired by it, I make the Indian style samosa with spinach and paneer and the Turkish Cigar pastries with phyllo pastry sheets. Although similar to the Greek Spanakopita, this Byrek Me Spinaq recipe is very famous in the Albanian region. They use the feta cheese made from sheep’s milk and it renders a pretty sharp flavor to the dish. When I made the Albanian spinach pie for the first time back in New York, I came across this feta cheese that was imported from Greece. I was so excited to have found the cheese that Byrek me spinaq was traditionally made with. I was able to get this in the local farm market. When I made it last week, I could not find the Feta made from sheep’s milk. So I used the regular feta cheese. My boys as well as me liked the regular feta in the spinach pie as it was not very sharp in flavor. My husband though still likes the stronger feta cheese flavor. So use the cheese based on your liking. If you are a feta lover, you will love this Byrek me spinaq pie.
Why make this spinach pie?
Byrek me spinaq is a great recipe made with just a few ingredients and feeds a crowd. The flavors are amazing and are kid and adult-approved. I love making this for a potluck or to bring to a party as it is fancy and unique. Spinach and feta pair so well together and this spinach pie is a great recipe to use them. I made this Albanian spinach pie as a part of our Thanksgiving dinner this year and it is delicious with simple sides. I made some roasted baby potatoes and roasted asparagus along with sour cream veggie dip. If you are looking to add a lighter and healthier side, try this Lentil Salad on the side instead of potatoes.
When talking with a few of my acquaintances who are from Albania, they mentioned that this Albanian Spinach Pie is one of the frequently made dishes with homemade pastry sheets. I was not brave myself to make the pastry sheets at home and hence went with the store-bought phyllo sheets. Also, she mentioned that the spinach is just mixed with the cheese and seasoning layered between the pastry sheets and baked. I decided though to sauté the spinach with spring onions before layering it. I added quite a bit of crushed red peppers to bring some heat to the dish. An egg is used to bind the spinach, but I used Greek yogurt instead. If you don’t have Greek yogurt in hand, then just use hung yogurt. Tie the homemade yogurt or store-bought one in cheesecloth or a mesh strainer and let it drip. This year after a very long time, I will be doing a month-long baking marathon (Bakethon) with my BM friends. I am so excited to be baking all month. I am beginning the series with this Albanian Savory Spinach Pie. Follow me all month to see what else I am baking!
Ingredients needed
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable detailed recipes. Pastry sheets - Though they use homemade fresh pastry sheets in Albania to make the spinach pie, I make it with the phyllo pastry sheets. Spring onion - Also known as scallions or green onions. We will be using them along with the green stalk. Spinach - We can use fresh or frozen spinach for the Albanian spinach pie. I like using the fresh ones as it saves the draining time. If using frozen spinach, we have to make sure that we drain it well and do not have much moisture. Garlic - I used a couple of cloves of garlic in my spinach pie recipe. This is optional and can be skipped. Feta cheese - Use the regular feta cheese or if you find feta made with sheep’s milk. Greek yogurt or hung homemade yogurt - Typically couple of eggs are used in binding the filling ingredients together. If you use eggs, then use that instead. Butter / olive oil - I use a combination of butter and olive oil to brush the layer of phyllo. We could use all olive oil as well. I won’t use all the butter because it makes the pie too heavy and rich. Crushed red pepper flakes - You could skip it if you don’t prefer the heat. Salt and pepper
Step-by-step process
Prepare the phyllo pastry sheets. Remove it from the freezer and defrost as per the instructions. It is very important to properly thaw the sheets. The phyllo sheets are very delicate and could rip very easily. I have been there and done that several times when I try to rush the thawing process.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the olive oil to it (1). Mix both well and keep aside.
In a large pan, heat the 2 teaspoon olive oil and then add the chopped spring onions (2).
Sauté it for about 1 minute and then add the minced garlic (3). Cook for a minute and then add the chopped spinach (4).
Sauté the spinach until the leaves wilt and then remove it from flame (5).
Transfer the spinach mixture to a large bowl and let it cool a bit (6).
Now add the grated/crumbled feta cheese, yogurt, salt and pepper, red chili flakes (7) and mix well (8). When adding salt, remember that the feta cheese already has salt in it. So keep that in mind and add the salt accordingly.
Assembling the spinach pie
Grease a 9 x 13 pan (9) and start layering out the phyllo sheets. Lay one sheet and then brush with the melted butter and oil all over the surface (10). Lay another sheet on top and repeat the same. Do the layering, until you use up 15 sheets.
Now add the spinach mixture to the tray and spread evenly (11).
Top with the remaining 15 sheets of phyllo repeating the process of layering (12). Liberally brush the topmost layer with the remaining butter/oil mixture. Make sure to seal the edges well so the filling does not ooze out.
Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for about 35 - 45 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown. Check with a knife to see if the bottom-most layer is cooked and crunchy.
Remove from oven and let the Albanian Spinach Pie to cool for about 15 minutes.
Slice the Byrek Me Spinaq Pie and serve.
Expert Tips
I cannot insist on how important it is to thaw the phyllo sheets patiently. That makes assembling the savory spinach pie much easier without tearing. Remove as much as moisture you can from the spinach filling. I let the spinach sit in the pan for a few minutes after cooking and then remove just the filling with the slotted spoon. A binding agent like egg or yogurt is important to keep the filling intact. The extra heat from the red pepper flakes works beautifully with the mild pastry sheets. I would highly recommend it. If you are looking for a change, you could mix up the feta with other cheese of your choice. It would just not be a traditional Albanian spinach pie, but would be delicious. We won’t be using all the butter/oil mixture. Just use enough to keep the layers of the phyllo sheet intact.
Frequently asked questions
More savory pie recipes
More spinach recipes
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