Tiropitakia are the little golden triangles that no Greek gathering is complete without: crackling layers of phyllo folded flag-style around a creamy, tangy feta filling. They are to Greece what rissóis are to Portugal — the party bite with a fan club.
The filling balances briny feta with ricotta or cream cheese for smoothness, plus eggs, a grating of nutmeg and dill if you like — simple ingredients elevated by good folding technique.
The triangle fold looks intimidating and is actually meditative: strip, dollop, fold-fold-fold like a flag. By the fourth one you will be doing it while chatting.
Tiropitakia Recipe
Prep time: 20 minutes · Cook time: 20 minutes · Total: 40 minutes · Servings: 6 · Calories: ~187 per serving
Ingredients
- 1 pound phyllo dough, thawed if frozen
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (or olive oil), for brushing
- 10 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup ricotta or cream cheese
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Mix the feta, ricotta, eggs, nutmeg, pepper and herbs until creamy.
- Unroll the phyllo and keep it under a slightly damp towel.
- Lay one sheet flat, brush with butter, top with a second sheet, and brush again.
- Cut the stack into strips about 3 inches wide.
- Place a teaspoon of filling at the base of each strip and fold corner-over-corner into triangles, all the way up.
- Arrange on the sheet, brush the tops, and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and crisp.
- Cool slightly before serving — molten feta forgives no impatience.
Recipe Notes
- Keep unused phyllo covered — it dries in minutes and dry phyllo cracks.
- They freeze unbaked beautifully: bake from frozen with 5 extra minutes.
- Add spinach to the filling and you are halfway to spanakopitakia — the other essential triangle.
