These Chilli Oil Spinach Feta Pastries are one of my go-to snacks to make for when I have friends over. They're easy to prep and are such a crowd-pleaser. Stuffed with feta, mozzarella, eggs, spinach, chili oil and enveloped in filo pastry, they're crispy, a bit spicy, and delicious.
This recipe is inspired by the wonderful Greek Spanakopita, aka spinach and feta pie. It’s one of my favourite things to eat in Greece! I also love spice, so I thought, why not combine the two beauties and make it an even more tasty treat...I’m happy to say it worked!
If you're looking for more tasty and simple snacks to make, then you'll love my feta spring flatbreads that have had over 23 million views on social media! For more filo pastry wrapping, my gochujang feta pastries are always a crowd-pleaser too!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Quick: The filling takes less than 5 minutes to make and then simply bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Easy: You only need 5 ingredients for the filling that comes together in no time. Fold up the pastries into little triangles and then bake in the oven. They're the most delicious and simple snacks I've ever made.
The perfect snack or side dish: If you've got a bbq coming up or a friends party, these chili oil spinach feta pastries are the perfect snack to make.
Another great dish to make and take to a friend's are my caprese flatbreads or cheesy naan breads!
Ingredients
Feta: The tang from the feta balances so well with the creaminess from the mozzarella and the spice from the chili oil. Make sure to drain the feta before using. Feel free to use a vegan feta alternative to keep it plant-based.
Mozzarella: This adds a creaminess to the filling that I love. If you don't have mozzarella, you could also use ricotta, just make sure to add a bit at a time to not make the filling too runny. You can also use a plant-based mozzarella to make the dish vegan.
Spinach: For a bit of greenery and extra nutrition, you'll need to wilt some spinach for this recipe and then chop it roughly. If you don't have spinach, kale is a good replacement.
Eggs: This is just for some additional moisture in the filling. You can optionally leave this out if you don't have eggs or if you don't like them.
Chili oil: For a hit of spice. I use Lao Gan Ma chilli oil, but any brand that you like will do! Add more or less depending on how much you like it spicy. If you don't have chilli oil, you can add in some chilli flakes. You could alternatively add a different sauce like harissa paste, hot sauce, sweet chilli sauce, or sriracha.
Filo pastry: I love using filo pastry because when cooked, it gives you that gorgeous flaky crunch. Feel free to use a plant-based version if you're looking to make this dish vegan. Same goes with gluten-free!
Butter: Just before placing these chili oil spinach feta pastries into the oven, you'll want to brush them with melted butter. This can also be subbed out for whisked egg, or vegan butter to make it plant-based.
Chilli flakes: For a little sprinkling of colour, I used gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes). You could also just use pepper.
Recipe Variations
Vegan: To make these chilli oil spinach feta pastries vegan, simply swap out any cheese for plant-based substitutes. Remove the eggs, and opt for a vegan filo pastry. Pick out some vegan butter or use olive oil to brush the filo, and there you go!
Meaty: If you're wanting to add some meat into this pastry dish, I'd recommend pan frying some lamb mince in a pan until cooked and slightly crispy. Add this into your filling mixture and it will give you a gorgeous depth of flavour.
Mediterranean: For those wanting even fresher flavours, I'd recommend adding in some chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped artichoke hearts, or chopped olives into the filling. You could also create a tzatziki dipping sauce too!
Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos
Preheat the oven to 180C fan/ 355F.
Crumble up your feta with your hands into a bowl and combine it with your torn mozzarella, wilted spinach, egg, and chilli oil in a bowl. Mix thoroughly until broken down and well combined.
Grab a sheet of filo pastry and brush half of one long side with melted better. Fold over lengthways and press down with your hands to seal.
Place a large spoonful of the feta mixture at the bottom of the rectangle. Fold up in a triangular motion, butter the end of the fold to ensure that the triangle seals.
Once the feta triangle looks like this (see image above) set onto your baking tray and repeat this for all the sheets of pastry.
Brush the pastries with butter and sprinkle with chilli flakes. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Remove from the oven, let them cool down for 10 minutes, and then enjoy!
Top Tips!
- Don't overfill your parcels. Make sure to leave enough space for the filling to expand and cook, you don't want them overflowing and seeping out of the pastries.
- If you want to air fry your chili oil spinach feta pastries, place them into the air fryer for 20 minutes at 160C/320F until golden and crispy.
- Feel free to double the quantities to make more!
What To Do with Leftovers
Storage: Place the cooled chili oil feta spinach pastries in an airtight container or in aluminium foil. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days and follow reheating instructions below or eat them chilled.
Freezing: You can freeze these pastries, however, the texture may change once thawed. To freeze, wrap them in plastic wrap and then in an airtight container or plastic bag. Freeze for up to 3 months and then leave to thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheating: To reheat, place the pastries in the oven at 180C/350F for 10 minutes or until hot.
FAQs
There's a big difference between the two, but if you only have puff pastry, then you can absolutely use it. The result will be a much puffier, thicker dough that's crumbly but not as crispy.
Absolutely! They'd be a great snack to have on the go. I personally prefer them when they've been warmed through in the oven, but they're still really good once cold.
For sure! Simply increase the quantity of ingredients based on how many people you want to serve!
Other related recipes you might enjoy!
If you tried these Chili Oil Spinach & Feta Pastries or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you!
Chilli Oil Spinach Feta Pastries
Ingredients
- 200g feta cheese crumbled
- 125g mozzarella cheese roughly torn
- 300g spinach wilted and roughly chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon chilli oil (I use LaoGanMa) add more if you like extra spice
- 1 packet of filo pastry (7 sheets)
- 50g butter melted
- Chilli flakes for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C fan/ 355F.
- Crumble up your feta with your hands into a bowl and combine it with your torn mozzarella, wilted spinach, egg, and chilli oil in a bowl. Mix thoroughly until broken down and well combined.
- Grab a sheet of filo pastry and brush half of one long side with melted better. Fold over lengthways in half and seal. Place a large spoonful of the feta mixture at the bottom of the rectangle. Fold up in a triangular motion and butter the end of the strip, fold over and seal. Repeat this for all the sheets of pastry.
- Place the pastries on a baking tray and brush with more melted butter and sprinkle with chilli flakes. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- Remove from the oven, let them cool down for 10 minutes, and then enjoy!
Notes
- Don't overfill your parcels. Make sure to leave enough space for the filling to expand and cook, you don't want them overflowing and seeping out of the pastries.
- If you want to air fry your chili oil spinach feta pastries, place them into the air fryer for 20 minutes at 160C/320F until golden and crispy.
- Feel free to double the quantities to make more!
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