Buzz
One of my favorite dinner ideas is a snack feast. My boyfriend and I love making two or three types of small snacks. The menu might feature gyoza, baba ganoush with bread, or mini meatballs with lettuce wraps. The goal is to enjoy small bites, packed with flavor, that require minimal preparation. And now, we're excited to add a new snack-feast favorite: air fryer Spanakopita triangles.
If you're a fan of classic spanakopita or love spinach, these crispy pockets are definitely worth the moderate effort. (I call it “moderate” because making them takes a bit more time than just steaming frozen dumplings.) Spanakopita is a spinach pie, made with layers of phyllo dough that encase a flavorful mix of cooked spinach, feta, and herbs. The phyllo is brushed with butter or oil and baked to golden, crispy perfection. The contrast between the flaky crust and the rich, cheesy filling is delightful.
Traditionally, spanakopita is made as a large pie, which can be impressive but requires an hour to bake due to its size. If the spinach filling is too moist, the bottom can get soggy, leaving a browned top and uncooked filling. Plus, the crust-to-filling ratio can be unbalanced. Switching to mini snack-sized triangles in the air fryer solves all these issues. They bake in just 10 minutes, with a perfect balance of filling and crispy crust. Plus, the air fryer's circulating heat ensures all sides of the spinach pockets crisp up beautifully.
The only tricky part is folding the triangles, but honestly, you can skip that step and go for squares instead. Try both shapes and choose whichever works best for you. As for the spinach filling, feel free to use any recipe you like, though I personally prefer a cooked filling to remove excess moisture before folding. (If you're using uncooked filling, make sure to thaw and drain your frozen spinach thoroughly.)
Once the filling is done, set it aside in a bowl to cool, then move on to the crust. Melt the butter in a measuring cup and mix in the olive oil. I like to combine both because the butter adds great flavor and helps with browning, while the olive oil stretches it, making it easier to brush on the phyllo dough.
Place one sheet of thawed phyllo dough on your work surface. Brush a light coat of fat along half the sheet lengthwise, not horizontally. You’ll eventually fold up a narrow strip. Add a generous spoonful of spinach filling to the bottom edge, then fold the unbuttered half of the dough over the buttered side and the spinach mound. Brush the new side with another thin layer of fat. The goal is to create alternating layers of fat and dough. From here, you can fold it repeatedly into a square shape or go for the triangle fold. Either way, the result will be a deliciously flaky pastry.
For the triangle shape, fold one corner of the spinach-filled end over to the opposite corner, forming a triangle. Continue folding and rolling, alternating directions to maintain the triangle shape. Keep folding until you reach the end, and the triangle will shift through four directions. Once you get the hang of it, the process becomes fairly quick.
If the triangle fold proves difficult, don’t worry—square pockets are a great alternative and just as delicious! Lightly brush both sides of the pockets with the butter-oil mixture and arrange them in a single layer on the air fryer rack. Set the air fryer to the “air fry” mode at 350°F for about 10 minutes, but be sure to check them after seven minutes to monitor their progress.
This recipe features a simple spanakopita filling, yielding about 12 triangle pockets. These are best enjoyed fresh, as phyllo dough only stays crispy for a few hours before the layers start losing their crunch. If you have leftovers, store them covered in the fridge and reheat them in the air fryer at the same settings for about three minutes.
Air Fryer Spanakopita Pockets
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups frozen cut-leaf spinach
2 stalks scallions, chopped
¼ loosely packed dill sprigs, chopped
⅓ cup crumbled feta
12 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons olive oil
In a medium pot over medium-low heat, combine the olive oil, onion, and garlic, cooking until the onion is translucent but not browned. Add the salt and spinach, stirring, and cover the pot to help break up any large frozen spinach clumps. Remove the lid and stir until the spinach is fully heated and most of the water has evaporated. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the scallions, dill, and feta, then set aside.
In a measuring cup, combine the butter and olive oil. Lay one sheet of phyllo dough on your work surface. Using a pastry brush, apply a thin layer of the butter-oil mixture along one half of the dough, lengthwise. Spoon a generous amount of the spinach mixture onto the bottom end of the buttered side.
Fold the unbuttered side of the dough up over the filling and press it into the buttered portion. Brush a light layer of fat on this side, then fold the spinach-filled portion into a triangle or square shape. Continue folding along the next edge to maintain the shape until you reach the end of the pastry. Repeat the process until all of the filling and phyllo sheets are used.
Preheat the air fryer to 350°F on the “air fry” setting. You may need to bake the pockets in two batches, depending on how many you make. I ended up with 12, which fit nicely into two batches of six. Lightly brush both sides of each spinach pocket with the remaining butter and oil mixture, then place them on the air fryer rack. Air fry for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.
