Fatayer bi Sabanekh or Spinach Fatayer are triangular Lebanese spinach pies. Thin and crispy dough wraps around a lemony spinach filling with a hint of sweetness from chopped onions. These savory morsels are absolutely delicious and they also freeze very well!

Fatayer are triangular Lebanese savory pies. They typically feature one of three popular fillings: ground meat, cheese, or spinach.
Spinach fatayer (فطاير السبانخ or Fatayer bi Sabenekh) feature a lemony spinach filling which is quite different from Italian spinach pies. The key ingredient here is sumac, a sour Middle Eastern spice with a dark purple hue, but the filling also contains a generous burst of fresh lemon juice.
When I was growing up, my grandparents would take my sister and I to Baroody Middle East Bakery in Providence, RI (long since closed). Here they would purchase fatayer with various fillings.
My grandfather grew up in Beirut so these Lebanese treats were a great connection to his childhood he could share with his grandchildren. I'm so pleased to be able to make them myself now to rekindle those memories.
Ingredient notes
- Yeast: This spinach fatayer recipe uses instant yeast, sometimes called rapid rise yeast. I have not tested it with different types of yeast, however here is a general substitution if using active dry yeast. First combine the active dry yeast with the sugar and warm water for a few minutes until it dissolves and starts to get bubbly, then add it to the dry ingredients mixture. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
- Spinach: If you are able to purchase already trimmed and pre-washed spinach in bags it will save you time. Alternatively you may use 16 ounces of thawed frozen chopped spinach squeezed very well to remove all the liquid, but I prefer using fresh as the fatayer recipe indicates.
- Sumac: Sumac is a tart, purple Middle-Eastern spice that derives from dried and ground berries of the wild sumac flower. If you can’t find it in the spice aisle of your supermarket, check the international aisle or find it in Middle Eastern markets or online. Skipping it will lose quite a bit of the uniqueness of this tart spinach filling.
- Olive Oil: You may use regular olive oil or extra-virgin olive oil for these Lebanese spinach pies.
How to make it
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the hook attachment combine the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar and give it a quick stir to combine. Add warm water and olive oil and mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic and comes together into a ball.
Shape it into a ball by hand, transfer to a large lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.
Set it in a warm, draft-free area to proof until it has doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
Place chopped spinach in a large bowl. Sprinkle salt over the spinach and gently massage it in, then set aside while you roll out the dough.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to about ⅛-inch thickness, then use a round cookie or biscuit cutter to cut 4-inch circles out of the dough.
Gather the scraps and then continue rolling out the remaining dough, cutting out circles until you have as many circles as you can get from the dough. Set them on a lightly floured surface in a single layer. Put parchment paper in between layers as needed so they don’t stick to each other. Cover with a clean cloth so they don’t dry out.
Next, finish making the spinach filling for the fatayer. Squeeze as much liquid out of the spinach as you can and return it to a clean, dry mixing bowl.
Add finely chopped onion, ground sumac, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and black pepper, and mix until thoroughly combined.
Arrange as many of the dough circles as you can fit on your work surface and carefully give them a little stretch/press with your palm. They may have shrunk in diameter but also puffed up a bit (as they contain yeast).
Place 1 ½ tablespoons onto the center of each dough circle. I suggest using a medium cookie scoop and packing the filling into it.
Fold each filled dough circle into a triangular shape by pinching the dough from about 2 o’clock and 10 o’clock together in the center over the filling (PHOTO 1). Press the resulting seam closed (PHOTO 2), then lift up from the 6 o’clock spot to pinch it closed in the center (PHOTO 3). Seal the remaining 2 seams (PHOTO 4).
Repeat with the remaining dough circles. Arrange the assembled spinach fatayer on the prepared baking sheets, and brush olive oil over the tops.
Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown, rotating the pans about halfway through. Serve these Lebanese spinach pies warm or at room temperature.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
Store leftover spinach fatayer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reheat in a 350˚F (180˚C) toaster oven or oven until warmed through or eat leftovers cold from the fridge.
Freeze baked Lebanese spinach pies by placing them on a small tray or baking sheet in a single layer and freezing until hard. Then transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw and reheat in a 350˚F (180˚C) toaster oven or oven until heated through.
For the dough, you may need to do a combination of rolling with a rolling pin and stretching by hand. It’s stretchy like pizza dough. When you cut circles, they may shrink a bit after you cut them. This is an effect of the gluten developed in the dough, but don't worry. You can gently press/stretch them again later as you work.
You really want to finish mixing the spinach filling right before assembly to prevent it from getting juicy/soggy. Even though you've squeezed out as much water as you can from the spinach, adding the onions and lemon juice will continue to create juices the longer it sits.
As I mentioned above, the dough is quite stretchy. If needed you can gently stretch it a bit to close over the filling. You want to pack the filling in a bit because it will wilt more as the spinach fatayer bakes in the oven.
Other recipes you may like
- Za'atar Manakish (مناقيش زعتر / Lebanese Za'atar Bread)
- Zankou Chicken Garlic Sauce (Copycat Recipe)
- Chicken Shawarma Wrap
- Kibbeh Nayyeh
- Kibbeh bil Sanieh
- Red Lentil Kofte (Vospov Kofte)
- Fasolakia (Greek Stewed Green Beans)
- Spanakorizo (Greek Spinach Rice)
- Kashke Bademjan (Persian Eggplant Dip)
- Qatayef Asafiri / Atayef bil Ashta (Middle Eastern Cream Filled Pancakes)
- Kadaif or Kadayif (Cheese Kunafa Recipe)
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Spinach Fatayer (Lebanese Spinach Pies)
Ingredients
Dough:
- 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons (400 grams) all-purpose or bread flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (7 grams) instant yeast (1 envelope)
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cups warm water (105-115˚F / 40-46˚C)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Filling:
- 1 pound (450 grams) fresh spinach, rinsed, dried and roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons (12 grams) ground sumac
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Assembly:
- Olive oil, for brushing
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the hook attachment combine the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar and give it a quick stir to combine. Add the water and olive oil and mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic and comes together into a ball.
- Shape it into a ball by hand, transfer to a large lightly greased bowl, gently turn the dough over a couple times to coat with oil from the bowl, then cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Set it in a warm, draft-free area to proof until it has doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
- (Alternatively you can follow the above steps but mix by hand instead of using the stand mixer; it will just require a bit more elbow grease to knead).
- Place the chopped spinach in a large bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the spinach and gently massage it in. The spinach will begin to naturally wilt and release some liquid. Set aside while you roll out the dough.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface (depending on the size of your space you may want to do half the dough at a time so you have room). You may need to do a combination of rolling with a rolling pin and stretching by hand (it’s stretchy like pizza dough). Roll it to about ⅛-inch thickness. Use a round cookie or biscuit cutter to cut 4-inch circles out of the dough (the circles may shrink a bit after you cut them but you can gently press/stretch them again later).
- Gather the scraps and then continue rolling out the remaining dough, cutting out circles until you have as many circles as you can get from the dough. For the last re-roll of dough scraps you can just separate the dough into balls and roll/stretch them out individually into circles roughly the same size as the others to make it easier. You’ll have about 24 to 28 circles. Set them on a lightly floured surface in a single layer and put parchment paper in between layers as needed so they don’t stick to each other. Cover with a clean cloth so they don’t dry out.
- Finish making the filling. Squeeze as much liquid out of the spinach as you can and return it to a clean, dry mixing bowl. Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. It will be fairly lemony.
- Arrange as many of the dough circles as you can fit on your work surface and carefully give them a little stretch/press with your palm because they may have shrunk in diameter but also puffed up a bit (as they contain yeast). Place 1 ½ tablespoons onto the center of each dough circle. I suggest using a medium cookie scoop and packing the filling into it.
- Fold each filled dough circle into a triangular shape by pinching the dough from about 2 o’clock and 10 o’clock (if the dough circle was a clock) together in the center over the filling, pressing the resulting seam closed, and then lifting up from the 6 o’clock spot to pinch it closed in the center and then seal the remaining 2 seams.
- Repeat with the remaining dough circles. Arrange the assembled fatayer on the prepared baking sheets, and brush olive oil over the tops. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown, rotating the pans about halfway through (you may only need 18 to 20 minutes or so if you’re baking one pan at a time instead of two). Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reheat in a 350˚F (180˚C) toaster oven or oven until warmed through or eat leftovers cold from the fridge.
- Freeze baked pies by placing them on a small tray or baking sheet in a single layer and freezing until hard. Then transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw and reheat in a 350˚F (180˚C) toaster oven or oven until heated through.
- Alternatively use 16 ounces of thawed frozen chopped spinach squeezed very well to remove all the liquid.
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
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