Greek Quesadillas With Tsatziki (Easiest Spanakopita!)

What are Greek quesadillas?

If you’re a fan of anything ‘spinach and feta’ (two hands up over here), you’re going to be impressed by these. Greek quesadillas are simply tortillas briefly cooked in a frying pan and then stuffed with a simple spinach and feta mixture.

If you’re thinking they sound a bit like a Greek spanakopita – or spinach and feta pie – you’d be absolutely right! Except these quesadillas are the easiest version of spanakopita that you can imagine since you don’t need any fiddly pastry.

If you’ve ever tried a Turkish stuffed flatbread called a gozleme, you might think a Greek quesadilla is similar to that, too. Except, once again, you don’t need to make any dough!

Why you’ll love them

• Perfectly paired classic Greek flavors. Spinach, feta cheese, dill, and sundried tomatoes are a mix of flavors that are just meant to be.

• Make a perfect treat of a lunch! Since there’s no homemade pastry or dough involved, these are quick and easy enough to make for yourself for lunch.

• They’re also a great easy appetizer for guests. Serve with a bowl of tsatziki for dipping and you won’t hear any complaints.

• Crispy, golden, cheesy and delicious. But with lots of spinach to make you feel smug, too.

• Lighter than classic spanakopita! Again, it’s all about the pastry (or lack of!).

• Kid-friendly. These cheesy quesadillas are mildly flavored and perfect finger food for little hands!

About the ingredients

You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.

Tortillas: Use flour or corn tortillas – your choice (use corn if you’d like the quesadillas to be gluten free). You’ll need tortillas that are about 8in/20cm in diameter – so that they fit in an average sized frying pan!

Spinach: I usually grab a large bag of ready-washed fresh baby spinach for convenience. Chopped regular spinach is fine, too. It’s also possible to use a package of frozen spinach. You’ll need around half a 10-ounce frozen package to get the equivalent amount.

Green onions. Also known as salad onion, scallions, or spring onions. You’ll only need a couple of large ones (use more if they’re on the smaller side).

Dill. For a characteristic Greek flavor. Feel free to substitute with parsley, or another fresh herb. For more ideas, here is an article about the best dill substitutes.

Sundried tomatoes. These add a delicious extra burst of contrasting flavor. I usually have a jar of marinated sundried tomato strips already in the fridge. These are perfect. Of course, you can also chop up a few yourself if you can only get whole sundried tomatoes.

Haven’t got any sundried tomatoes? Of course, you can use chopped fresh tomatoes instead!

Feta cheese. I prefer using an authentic Greek style feta. However, you can use any type. I occasionally use Danish or French style feta instead, which is creamier in texture.

Olive oil. You’ll just need a little drizzle of this for the pan. However… you can actually get away with not adding any oil to the pan at all. I just like the extra crisp that cooking in oil gives the finished quesadillas! (like a Greek crunchwrap… mmm!)

For the tsatziki sauce

While not absolutely essential, I love to serve my delicious cheesy spinach quesadillas with a big bowl of tsatziki for dipping!

Here’s what you’ll need for that:

Greek yogurt: If you can, pick an authentic Greek yogurt brand that’s just milk and yogurt cultures. I like Chobani.

Garlic: Since you’re using it raw, just half to one clove, crushed.

Dill: Add a little to the tsatziki as well, since you bought it anyway to use in the quesadilla mixture.

Cucumber: Just regular cucumber, diced finely.

Lemon juice, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil: The finishing touches!

Step 1. Wilt the spinach. There are two ways to do this. You can either heat it gently in a pan until it wilts down (it won’t take long). Or you can pile it into a colander and pour boiling water all over it (my favorite because it’s so quick and easy!).

Whichever method you choose, you’ll then squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands (I usually rinse in cold water first to cool). Alternatively, squeeze it in a clean tea towel.

Recipe variations

• Try a different cheese instead of feta. Mozzarella, grated Greek kefalotyri, cream cheese such as Boursin cheese or even cheddar cheese will all work well.

• Add chopped olives to the mixture for even more classic Mediterranean flavor.

• Add leftover chicken or another leftover meat such as shredded beef or lamb.

• Add some spice! How about finely sliced fresh chili, a pinch of red pepper flakes, or even some jalapenos?

More delicious spinach and feta recipes

• Having a party? Don’t miss these Greek filo parcels. They’re always so popular, and they’re easy to make ahead!
• Spinach and feta filo pie is classy, but so easy to make. It’s perfect for a lunch for the family, or for serving to guests.
• Spinach and feta stuffed chicken breasts are surprisingly easy to make. This is a stovetop recipe, so no need to turn on the oven.
• This Greek mac and cheese bake takes just 30 minutes to make and is on the lighter side. No flour and roux sauce needed!