Authentic Lebanese Spinach Pies Recipe
These Lebanese Spinach Pies (Fatayer) are the most delicious savory pastries you’ll ever try!
They’re made using homemade dough and stuffed with the most perfect spinach filling which has sumac and lemon juice in it to add the perfect level of tanginess!
If you have these once, you won’t ever forget this delicious flavor and I bet you’ll want to keep making them again and again! What’s best is that they freeze incredibly well, and my post has all the information you need to store them properly.
These triangular Spinach Pies are going to be the tastiest ones you’ve ever come across, and I’m sure you’re about to fall in love with them!
What are Lebanese Spinach Pies (Fatayer)?
These Lebanese Spinach pies are deliciously tasty, triangular savory pastries that are made using homemade dough with a spinach mixture filling.
The pastries are soft and have a delicious tangy zing to them! The homemade dough is stuffed with a mixture of spinach, onion, and delicious spices such as Sumac, which is a tangy Middle Eastern spice that takes these pies to the next level!
These incredibly delicious spinach pies are known in Arabic as Fatayer bi Sabenekh (فطاير السبانخ). Fatayer means pie in Arabic, while Bi Sabanekh means ‘with spinach’.
So Fatayar Bi Sabenekh literally means pies with spinach in Arabic and refers to these delicious triangular treats!
They’re an extremely popular Lebanese street food that’s popular all over the Middle East. You could say that these Lebanese spinach pies are really similar to the Greek Spanakopita!
They come in a wide range of filling options, but the most popular ones are cheese, spice ground meat filling, and this deliciously tangy, spinach mixture filling that we’ll be using to stuff Fatayer today!
These Lebanese Spinach Pies are delicious and you’ll be able to taste a burst of lemony tang in each bite, thanks to sumac and the lemon juice in this incredible spinach filling.
And my recipe is the most authentic Lebanese Spinach pie recipe you’ll ever come across! It’s not only incredibly easy to make, but my step-by-step instructions and the video I’ve included will make it all perfectly seamless for you to follow along.
They make for the perfect snack or appetizer, and when you try them once you won’t be able to stop eating them!
What You Need to Make Fatayer (Lebanese Spinach Pies) at Home
Making these delicious pastries at home requires simple ingredients that you can easily get hold of! Here’s everything you’ll need to make these Lebanese Spinach Pies at home:
For the Filling:
Spinach: We’ll be using chopped spinach. You have the option of going for either fresh or thawed frozen spinach since both of them work perfectly in this recipe! Regardless of which type of spinach you use, it’s really important to squeeze out as much moisture from them as possible before adding it into the mixture. This will ensure that your Fatayer doesn’t turn out soggy.
Sumac: This is one of the most important ingredients for a perfectly authentic flavor! Sumac is a widely used red spice (from the sumac berries) across the Middle East. It has the most delicious sour taste and you can easily find it in your local grocery store or online.
Spices: Apart from sumac, you’ll be needing three other delicious spices for the spinach filling which are black pepper, paprika, and coriander powder. The combination of all these spices will give you the most delicious spinach pie ever!
Lemon juice: We’ll be adding some lemon juice to our spinach pies to enhance the tanginess of the sumac. Trust me, this sour tangy flavor goes perfectly with the spinach and makes these spinach pies what they are supposed to be!
Pine nuts: You’ll need some roasted pine nuts for this recipe which will add the perfect crunch to every bite. You can, alternatively, also use chopped roasted walnuts instead.
Onion: Chopped onions add the slightest level of sweetness to the spinach mixture and make it taste incredible!
Garlic: You’ll need 2 minced garlic cloves to take this filling to the next level.
Olive oil: We’ll be using some olive oil to cook the filling to perfection.
Salt: Add salt to taste to perfectly balance all the flavors
For the Dough:
All-purpose flour: All you need is simple all-purpose flour to make the homemade dough for these spinach pies! I don’t recommend going for whole wheat flour in this recipe as the dough will turn out to be too dense.
Oil: Adding some oil helps to bring it all together when you’re making the dough.
Butter: We’ll be using some melted butter to bring it all together and to help make the pies soft and tasty.
Water: You’ll be needing some lukewarm water to activate the yeast.
Milk: Milk adds a delicious softness and flavor to the Fatayer and takes them to the next level!
Yeast: We’ll be using active dry yeast to leaven the pie dough so that they turn out delicious!
Sugar: Sugar is used to activate the yeast mixture and we’ll be using it alongside the lukewarm water.
Salt: Salt helps balance the flavors and to make the fatayer perfectly delicious!
Baking powder: We’ll be using a little baking powder as well as the yeast to get soft and fluffy spinach pies that crisp up perfectly!
How to Make Lebanese Spinach Pies Step by Step
Making these Lebanese Spinach Pies (Fatayer Bi Sabenekh) is incredibly easy but gives delicious results every single time!
How to Make the Dough
Let’s start by making the homemade dough we’ll be using for the Spinach Pies! To start, take a large mixing bowl and add water, milk, sugar, and yeast to it. Mix all these ingredients well.
Next, sift in the flour with salt and baking powder and knead the dough for 3 minutes.
Now add in the oil and melted butter and knead until the dough is soft. This will take around 10 minutes if kneading with your hands, and 7 minutes if you’re using a stand mixer instead.
Now lightly oil a bowl and place the dough in it. Cover it properly and let the dough rise for an hour in a warm place.
How to Make the Filling
Let’s make the delicious spinach filling for our Spinach Pies! In a hot pan, add olive oil and chopped onions. Sauté the onion until it turns translucent. Now add the minced garlic to it and stir for a few seconds.
Now it’s time to add the thawed spinach! Stir to incorporate the spinach with the onion and garlic mixture.
Next, turn off the heat and add all the spices and salt. Mix well with the spinach. Now add the pine nuts and lemon juice. Mix it all until it’s well combined while the heat is still off.
Let this cooked spinach mixture come to room temperature before using it as a filling.
How to Assemble and Bake the Fatayer (Spinach Pies)
Time to assemble and bake the Spinach Pies! Start by forming 45-gram balls from the dough.
Next, add a cup of flour to a medium plate. Place a ball from the dough in the flour and press it down and to the side with your hand to spread the dough to around 5 inches.
Now take a tablespoon and a half from the filling and place it in the middle of the spread-out dough. Bring the left and right sides of the dough and pinch it 2 and a half inches from the top to seal. Pull the bottom part up and pinch with the already sealed part to form a triangle shape. Make sure to pinch all the sides properly as shown in the video.
After closing the fatayer, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the fatayer with olive oil and bake them in a preheated oven of 200C (392F) for 16 minutes.
If your oven does not distribute the heat evenly, the Fatayer won’t turn golden, so turn off the oven after baking for 13 minutes, then turn on the broiler and bake for 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the Fatayer and rotate the baking sheet after two minutes, this way the Spinach Pies will get an even golden color.
When done, place them on a cooling rack. For more flavor, lightly brush the Spinach Pies with melted butter and allow it to cool completely.
Tips for Making the Best Spinach Pies Ever
Here are some tips to always get the best, most tastiest Spinach Pies ever:
- You can use fresh spinach too in this recipe but, be it fresh or frozen spinach, make sure to squeeze as much moisture from it or the pie will turn out soggy, and the moisture may open the pie while baking.
- In my house, we like the pies to have a bread-like texture, fluffy and light, but you can make smaller balls and spread it thin for a crispy texture.
- Make sure to add sumac and never skip it, Sumac gives a great flavor to the filling.
- Do not use whole wheat flour in this recipe the dough will turn out dense.
- Taste the lemon juice before adding it to the dish, if there is bitterness in the juice it will ruin the taste of the filling.
- If the filling is too dry add two teaspoons of olive oil.
- You can use crushed walnuts instead of pine nuts, make sure to roast them first.
- Use warm water and milk to activate the yeast and help the dough rise.
- The way I made the fatayer is how we like it in my house, but you might like the filling and decide to fill the fatayer with more spinach filling. In this case, double the amount of filling.
- Despite the fact that this is one of the classic fillings, don’t be afraid to branch out and try something new. You might, for example, add crumbled feta cheese to this spinach fatayer if you like cheese
How to Store Leftover Spinach Pies
These Spinach Pies freeze incredibly well! You can freeze them before they are baked or right after.
To freeze the raw Spinach pies before they are baked, place the filled fatayer in a Ziplock bag making sure that the pies do not touch, and freeze for up to 2 months. To bake the frozen fatayer, preheat the oven to 200C – 392F and bake them for 20 to 22 minutes. You don’t have to thaw the fatayer before baking.
To store baked fatayer, place them in a Ziplock bag after they have cooled completely and freeze for up to 2 months.
You can also store the baked fatayer in the fridge in an airtight container for 5 days.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
Kibbeh (Lebanese Lamb Croquettes): Want to try another delicious Lebanese dish? Then give Kibbeh a shot! They are one of the most popular Middle Eastern dishes, that are also the national dish of Lebanon! And for a good reason! It’s a delicious Middle Eastern croquette, that’s crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
Stuffed Grape Leaves (Warak Enab): Here’s another delicious Middle Eastern appetizer that’s going to leave you wanting more. They’re flavor-packed grape leaves that are stuffed with a delicious mixture of rice, fresh herbs, lemon juice, and warm spices. Trust me, you’re going to want to try this one!
Arayes (Middle Eastern Stuffed Pitas): Looking for another stuffed bread dish from the Middle East? Then try these incredibly delicious Arayes, which is pita bread stuffed with seasoned ground lamb meat and then baked for a delicious, extra crispy texture. Trust me, you won’t regret giving this one a shot!
Lebanese Spinach Pies (Fatayer Bi Sabenekh) Recipe
Ingredients
THE FILLING
- ¼ cup roasted pine nuts
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- 2 minced garlic
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 400 gm spinach chopped fresh or thawed
- 2 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
THE DOUGH
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 2 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
- ½ cup warm water
- ½ cup warm milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon dry yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
MAKING THE DOUGH
- In a large mixing bowl, add the water, milk, sugar, and yeast, mix all these ingredients well.
- Sift in the flour with salt and baking powder. Knead the dough for 3 minutes.
- Add in the oil and butter and knead until the dough is soft and that will take around 10 minutes if kneading with your hands, and 7 minutes if using a stand mixer.
- Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough in it, cover properly and let the dough rise for an hour in a warm place.
MAKING THE FILLING
- In a hot pan, add the olive oil and onion. Sauté the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds.
- Now it’s time to add the thawed spinach. Stir to incorporate with the onion and garlic.
- Turn off the heat and add all the spices and salt. Mix well with the spinach. Add the pine nuts and lemon juice, mix until well combined while the heat is still off.
- Let the filling comes to room temperature before using it as a filling.
ASSEMBELING THE FATAYER
- Form 45gm balls from the dough.
- Add a cup of flour in a medium plate. Place a ball from the dough in the flour and press it down and to the side with your hand to spread the dough to around 5 inches. Transfer the spread out dough to the working surface.
- Take a tablespoon and a half from the filling and place it in the middle of the spread-out dough. Bring the left and right side of the dough and pinch 2 and half inches from the top to seal. Pull the bottom part up and pinch with the already sealed part to form a triangle shape. Make sure to pinch all the side properly like shown in the video.
- After closing the fatayer, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the fatayer with olive oil and bake them in a preheated oven of 200C – 392F for 16 Minutes.
- If your oven do not distribute the heat evenly, the fatayer won’t turn golden, so turn off the oven after baking for 13 minutes, then turn on the broiler and bake for 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the fatayer and rotate the baking sheet after two minutes, this way the fatayer will get even golden color.
- Place the fatayer on a cooling rack. For more flavor, lightly brush the fatayer with melted butter and allow it to cool completely.
To Store the Fatayer
- Place the filled and raw fatayer in a Ziplock bag making sure that the pies do not touch, freeze for up to 2 months. To bake the frozen fatayer, preheat the oven to 200C – 392F and bake them for 20 to 22 minutes. You don’t have to thaw the fatayer before baking.
- To store baked fatayer, place them in a Ziplock bag after they have cooled completely and freeze for up to 2 months.
- You can also store the baked fatayer in the fridge in an airtight container for 5 days.
Video
Notes
- You can use fresh spinach too in this recipe but, be it fresh or frozen spinach, make sure to squeeze as much moisture from it or the pie will turn out soggy, and the moisture may open the pie while baking.
- In my house, we like the pies to have a bread-like texture, fluffy and light, but you can make smaller balls and spread it thin for a crispy texture.
- Make sure to add sumac and never skip it, Sumac gives a great flavor to the filling.
- Do not use whole wheat flour in this recipe the dough will turn out dense.
- Taste the lemon juice before adding it to the dish, if there is bitterness in the juice it will ruin the taste of the filling.
- If the filling is too dry add two teaspoons of olive oil.
- You can use crushed walnuts instead of pine nuts, make sure to roast them first.
- Use warm water and milk to activate the yeast and help the dough rise.
- The way I made the fatayer is how we like it in my house, but you might like the filling and decide to fill the fatayer with more spinach filling. In this case, double the amount of filling.
