Flaky, buttery phyllo with a hearty mushroom & feta filling that’s ready in 15 minutes using the air fryer!
Watch the Video:
Manitaropita is a Greek mushroom and feta pie made with phyllo into spirals and cooked in the air fryer. It’s quick, delicious, and can be served as an appetizer or main course. They usually take 45 minutes to bake in the oven, but this recipe helps you cook them in just 15 minutes! You can make them ahead of time, freeze them, and even cook from frozen. The air fryer helps the phyllo get nice and crispy while the hot filling stays juicy. I can’t wait for you to make these!
Why you’ll make these often
- Buttery crisp phyllo
- Meaty mushrooms
- Juicy herb filling
- Briny, creamy feta
- Silky spinach
- You can make a delicious, quick, and easy Greek appetizer that’s hearty enough to serve as the main course!
Everything you need
- #4 phyllo –thawed
- Salted butter –melted
For the filling:
- Olive oil –good quality, like the one in our shop straight from Crete!
- Onion –finely chopped
- Mushrooms –baby portabella or your favorite mushroom
- Garlic cloves –grated or minced
- Spinach leaves –fresh
- Feta cheese –always crumbled from a block to avoid tasteless pre-crumbles
- Salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Dried thyme or oregano
- Crushed red pepper flakes –optional for a bit of heat
Working with phyllo
Working with phyllo is easy if you follow a few tips. First, you’ll find it in your supermarket’s freezer section, and you should keep it frozen until you’re ready to use it. Move it to the refrigerator the night before you make your spiral pies. Then, set it on the counter to come to room temperature at least an hour before you’ll work with it. Be sure to leave the phyllo in the package while it’s on the counter so it doesn’t dry out. Remove the phyllo from the package when you’re ready to make your spirals and store any leftovers refrigerated in plastic for up to a week.
How to make Greek Mushroom and Feta Phyllo Spirals in the Air Fryer
Make the filling:
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onions with olive oil and a pinch of salt until soft and golden –about 7-8 minutes.
- Clean the mushrooms with a damp kitchen towel and remove the stems. Save the stems for another recipe.
- Slice the mushroom tops and add them to the pan.
- Cook over medium-high heat until tender and until their juices have dried up.
- Add the garlic and warm through until fragrant.
- Season with salt and pepper, and add the spinach.
- Cook until wilted and until most of the juices have evaporated.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the feta and oregano.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Assemble the Spirals:
- Layer two phyllo sheets on top of each other drizzling butter between and over the top of the layers. (see video)
- Spread three heaping tablespoons of the mushroom filling along the widest side of the sheet (over the bottom third).
- Then, roll it upward to form a log.
- Twist one end of the phyllo log inward and keep twisting to form a spiral.
- Place the spirals on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and brush the spirals all around with the remaining melted butter.
- Set the air fryer to 350 °F and cook the spirals for 15 minutes or until golden and crisp.
No Air Fryer? Use the oven!
These pies are traditionally baked in the oven but take quite a bit longer to cook. Just preheat the oven to 350°F, brush the assembled spirals with butter, and place the entire tray on the middle rack of the oven. Bake them for 45 minutes to an hour until they are golden brown and crispy. Let them sit for about 5 minutes to cool before serving.
Freezer Instructions:
Assemble the mushroom spirals and place them on the tray lined with parchment paper. Then, place the tray in the freezer until the spirals are frozen solid. Transfer the uncooked pies into freezer-safe bags. The pies will keep fresh frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, the pies can be placed in the air fryer while frozen. Then, cook them at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. They are ready when they’re golden and crisp.
Serving
These are so fun to serve as a hot appetizer because of their pretty spiral shape, crispy outside, and juicy filling. However, the spirals are hearty enough to serve as a main dish with a side salad. Regardless of how I serve them, I always serve them with fresh herb tzatziki, spicy-sweet harissa, or a rich tomato sauce. Choose your favorite sauce or have all three. Kali Orexi!
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes:
Greek Mushroom & Feta Phyllo Spirals in the Air Fryer (Manitaropita)
This Greek mushroom pie is made with flaky buttery phyllo and a hearty mushroom & feta filling. Ready in 15 minutes using the air fryer!
Ingredients
- 12-14 sheets (#4) phyllo, thawed
- 4 oz (113g) salted butter, melted
For the filling:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 and 1/2 pounds (680g) mushrooms
- 3-4 garlic cloves, grated
- 8 oz (230g) spinach leaves
- 8 oz (230g) feta cheese
- salt, to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
Make the filling:
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil with the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until soft and golden. About 7-8 minutes.
Clean the mushrooms with a damp kitchen towel and remove the stems. Save the stems for another recipe. Slice the mushrooms.
Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until tender and until their juices have dried up. Add the garlic and warm through until fragrant.
Season with salt and pepper and add the spinach. Cook until wilted and until most of the juices have evaporated.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the feta and oregano. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Assemble the Spirals:
Layer two phyllo sheets on top of each other and drizzle butter between the layers. Drizzle butter over the top layer. (see video)
Spread 3 heaping tablespoons of the mushroom filling allong the widest side of the sheet (over the bottom third). Roll it upward to form a log.
Roll inward to form a spiral. Place the spirals on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and brush the spirals all around with the remaining melted butter.
Set the air fryer to 340 °F and cook the spirals for 15 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Serve with tzatziki. Kali Orexi!
Note: Leftover phyllo can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to a week.
Notes
Freezer Instructions: Assemble the mushroom spirals and place them on the tray lined with parchment paper. Place them in the freezer until frozen solid and then transfer the uncooked pies into freezer safe bags. The pies can be placed in the air fryer while still frozen. Cook them at 340°F for 20-25 minutes. They are ready when they're golden and crisp.
The pies will keep fresh frozen up to 3 months.
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