Tiropita Recipe, Greek Feta Cheese Pies | Alexandra’s Kitchen (2024)

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//By Alexandra Stafford onApril 6, 2012 (updated July 16, 2020) Jump To Recipe

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Tiropita Recipe, Greek Feta Cheese Pies | Alexandra’s Kitchen (1)

Tiropitas, Greek cheese-and-egg filled phyllo triangles, are always a party favorite. What’s more, they’re not complicated and can be made ahead and stashed in the freezer, making them perfect to have on hand for entertaining.

When my freezer is stocked with frozen, unbaked tiropitas, I can rest easy knowing any guests will not starve if I’m still wrapping things up in the kitchen. Just pop the frozen triangles into the oven straight from the freezer, and 20 minutes later they’ll be done.

Tiropita Recipe, Greek Feta Cheese Pies | Alexandra’s Kitchen (2)

Red eggs for Greek Easter.
Tiropita Recipe, Greek Feta Cheese Pies | Alexandra’s Kitchen (3)

Tiropita Recipe, Greek Feta Cheese Pies | Alexandra’s Kitchen (4)

Tiropita Recipe, Greek Feta Cheese Pies | Alexandra’s Kitchen (5)

Tiropita Recipe, Greek Feta Cheese Pies | Alexandra’s Kitchen (6)

Tiropita Recipe, Greek Feta Cheese Pies | Alexandra’s Kitchen (7)

Ella helps make biscotti, while I assemble tiropitas:
Tiropita Recipe, Greek Feta Cheese Pies | Alexandra’s Kitchen (8)

Graham bounces nearby:
Tiropita Recipe, Greek Feta Cheese Pies | Alexandra’s Kitchen (9)

Tiropita Recipe, Greek Feta Cheese Pies | Alexandra’s Kitchen (10)

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Tiropita Recipe, Greek Feta Cheese Pies | Alexandra’s Kitchen (11)

Tiropitas

  • Author: Alexandra Stafford
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 36 tiropitas
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb. feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1/2 lb. cottage cheese, small curd
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 lb. fillo dough*, thawed
  • 1/2 lb. unsalted butter, melted

*Fillo comes in all shapes and sizes these days. The variety I can find, Athens brand, weighs 1 pound and contains two 8-oz bags of 20 sheets each measuring 9 x 14-inches. If your fillo comes in the larger sheets, cut it in half so that it’s roughly 9 x 14-inches. After you cut it, gently roll it up and place it in a ziploc bag.

Instructions

  1. Combine cheeses, eggs and salt in a bowl. Stir until blended.
  2. Set up your station: you need a large cutting board, a teaspoon (a measuring teaspoon), a brush, the melted butter, a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and the fillo dough. If you haven’t already, unwrap the fillo dough and place it in a ziploc back.
  3. Lay one sheet of fillo horizontally oriented in front of you on your cutting board. Brush it with butter. Run a knife down the piece of dough every two inches or so — this should yield six to seven strips. (See photo above.)
  4. Place one teaspoon of cheese mixture at the end of each strip. Fold over corner to make a triangle. Continue folding from side to side till you get to the end of the strip. (See photos above.) Place on prepared pan. Brush tops with butter. Repeat process until you’ve used up all of your filling.
  5. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool briefly before serving.

Notes

Note: If you’d like to make these ahead, place assembled (unbaked) tiropitas in the freezer. Either freeze the tiropitas in a single layer and then transfer them to a ziploc bag once they are completely frozen, or be sure to place a piece of parchment paper in between each layer of the tiropitas if you freeze them in a storage container. Bake frozen for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. I find mine take even longer than 20 minutes before they are golden, but my oven is very old.

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: Greek

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Tiropita Recipe, Greek Feta Cheese Pies | Alexandra’s Kitchen (12)

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    61 Comments on “Tiropitas”

  1. Daniel AnthonyReply

    yassas,
    My family Is from island of Crete. My mamas recipe. I love your version as well.
    12 ounce block of feta cheese cut into 4 even rectangles of 3 ounces each
    4 sheets phyllo dough
    2 tablespoons Greek olive oil
    2 tablespoons sesame seeds
    4 tablespoons honey
    1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    1 tablespoon water
    Fold one sheet of phyllo in half and placeone block of feta into the center. Fold into an envelop shape and place on a small baking sheet. Repeat with the other three blogs of feta.Brush each phyllo envelope with olive oil and sprinkle the sesame seeds evenly over all four of them. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until golden. This should take about 15-20 minutes.
    While the feta packets are baking in the oven, mix the honey, vinegar, and water in a small dish. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over all four of the feta and phyllo packets right when it comes out of the oven.
    Also a tip for working with phyllo. You need 2 thin backing cloths. They need to be very lightly damp not wet at all think more as to keep cold not wet. Place phyllo in middle of cloths. Take one piece out at a time them place cloth back on top and repeat every time you work with a new piece. Hope this help😊 Αντίο

    • Alexandra StaffordReply

      THis sounds amazing, Daniel! Thanks so much for writing and sharing it. And thank you for your tip on working with phyllo, too. So helpful!

  2. BlancaReply

    Looks yummy!

  3. GinkaReply

    Fabulous! Salty, crispy little treats!

    • Alexandra StaffordReply

      Great to hear!

  4. Greek food loverReply

    Hi! Do you recommend lowfat or full-fat cottage cheese? Thank you. Can’t wait to try this recipe!

    • Alexandra StaffordReply

      I always use full fat 🙂

Tiropita Recipe, Greek Feta Cheese Pies | Alexandra’s Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between spanakopita and Tiropita? ›

What Is Tiropita? Like spanakopia, tiropita is also a savory Greek pie that's wrapped in a phyllo crust, but its filling is different than spanakopita. Instead of spinach, herbs, and feta, tiropita is filled with a mixture of cheese and eggs.

What is Greek cheese pie made of? ›

Tyropita is a Greek cheese pie typically made with feta cheese, phyllo, and olive oil. The word tyropita is a combination of the Greek word for cheese (tyri) and pie (pita). Feta cheese is almost always the main cheese used in tyropita, which can be made with feta by itself or a mixture of cheeses.

How is feta used in Greek cuisine? ›

Its flavor is tangy and salty, ranging from mild to sharp. Feta is used as a table cheese, in salads such as Greek salad, and in pastries, notably the phyllo-based Greek dishes spanakopita "spinach pie" and tyropita "cheese pie".

What does Tiropita mean in Greek? ›

Tiropita or tyropita (Greek: τυρóπιτα, "cheese-pie") is a Greek pastry made with layers of buttered phyllo and filled with a cheese-egg mixture.

Do Greeks eat spanakopita for breakfast? ›

Greeks also love eating pies for breakfast !

All kind of pies : tiro pita (cheese pie), spanakopita (spinach pie), kreato-pita (chicken meat pie), served in triangular pieces.

What cheese is Greek? ›

Feta: Feta is the most famous Greek Cheese. Greek Feta is made primarily of sheep's milk, but it is acceptable to blend in up to 30% goat's milk. Feta is a white brined cheese made in rindless squares or blocks.

How to eat Greek cheese? ›

It pairs well with fruit, like watermelon or peaches, but is equally as delicious with crunchy cucumbers or hearty collard greens. Feta is classically paired with olives, lemon, and fresh herbs like mint, but can also be used less traditionally like in our One-Pot Pasta Primavera with Bacon and Feta.

What is the most commonly used pastry in Greek food? ›

Spanokopita and Tiropita. There are two traditional phyllo pastries most commonly found in Greek restaurants or delis, Spanokopita containing mainly spinach and Tiropita, which has cheese and egg filling. They are either shaped into triangles, rectangular or cigars, but sometimes as a large pie.

What are famous Greek pies? ›

We have listed below some of the most popular Greek pies you can find in Greece as well as from our online shop.
  • Tyropita. This is a classic cheese pie which is often associated as the foundation of Greek pies. ...
  • Spanakopita. ...
  • Kotopita. ...
  • Hortopita. ...
  • Bougatsa Cream. ...
  • Bougatsa Cheese. ...
  • The Greek Deli.

Why is cheesecake not called cheese pie? ›

By Merriam-Webster's definition, cake is a bread-like dessert that's baked from a thick batter. And cheesecake's qualities don't fit that bill. On the other hand, while cheesecake is closer to a pie given its crust and filling structure, it doesn't quite fit alongside those types of flaky desserts either.

How often do Greeks eat feta? ›

It is said that the average Greek consumes about 50-65 pounds (23-30 kg) of cheese a year and the majority of that tends to be feta.

What is the difference between feta and Greek feta? ›

French Feta is made with Lacaune sheep's milk (if you remember, that's the sheep breed used for Roquefort production). It has a softer and creamier texture that Greek Feta and a milder, less tangy flavor (though it's sharper than Israeli Feta).

Why is Greek feta so good? ›

Brining is an essential part of what makes Feta unique. The cheese is traditionally made with sheep's milk, although up to 30 percent of the milk can come from goats. Feta has a tangy, fresh and briny flavor and a creamy yet crumbly texture. Sheep's milk imparts a buttery richness, and goat's milk adds acidity.

What food is similar to spanakopita? ›

Tiropsomo is similar to spanakopita and tiropita as they use cheese as their main ingredient. But what differentiates this Greek street food is that the cheese is baked into light bread instead of filo pastry. Apart from feta cheese, tiropsomo uses unkneaded dough made from flour and milk.

What are the different names for spanakopita? ›

Savory spinach pie
Piece of layered variety of savory spinach pie
Alternative nameszeljanica, spanakopita, ispanaklı Selanik böreği, ispanaklı Boşnak böreği
TypeBörek (savoury pie)
Place of originTurkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Greece
4 more rows

What is the literal translation of spanakopita? ›

staple in any Greek household.

What is the difference between spanakopita and borek? ›

Turkish borek and Greek spanakopita come from the same family of pastry. However, the two often differ in preparation and texture, with Greek spanakopita often having a flakier, puffier crust. Is it burek or borek? Both spellings of this pastry are technically correct, depending on the country.

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