Greek Meze and Appetisers
Tiropitakia Trigona Recipe (Greek Cheese Triangle Pastries)
Τυροπιτάκια τρίγωνα tee-roh-pee-TAH-kyah TREE-goh-nah · Tiropitakia trigona
Photo: Mozzarella-tomato jam hand pies by grongar, CC BY 2.0. Placeholder until original photography is shot.
In short
Tiropitakia trigona are small triangular phyllo pastries filled with a feta and egg mixture, folded flag-style from a long strip of phyllo and baked until crisp and golden. They are the bite-sized, party-tray version of a full tyropita, ideal for a meze spread or a lunchbox.
Tiropitakia trigona are what happens when a full-sized tyropita gets scaled down for a party tray or a lunchbox: the same feta and egg filling, but wrapped in small triangular parcels folded from a single long strip of phyllo, giving many crisp, flaky edges rather than one large pie cut into wedges.
The folding technique, flag-folding, is the one real skill here, taking a long thin strip and folding it corner over corner into a neat triangle, exactly the way you might fold a paper flag as a child. It takes a little practice on the first few but becomes quick and automatic after that.
These freeze exceptionally well raw, which makes a big batch a genuinely useful thing to have on hand, baking only as many as you need straight from frozen whenever a craving or unexpected guest turns up.
Key preparation steps
- Mix a simple feta and egg filling.
- Cut phyllo into long strips and brush with butter or oil.
- Fold flag-style into neat triangles.
- Bake until deeply golden and crisp.
The filling
Crumble feta with a fork, mix with a beaten egg and a little chopped fresh dill or mint, and season with black pepper rather than salt, since the feta already carries plenty. Keep the filling reasonably dry, since a wet filling can make the phyllo soggy before it has a chance to crisp in the oven.
Cutting and buttering the phyllo
Cut phyllo sheets lengthways into strips about 7 to 8 centimetres wide, keeping the unused sheets covered with a damp tea towel so they do not dry out and crack while you work. Brush each strip with melted butter or olive oil before filling, which is what gives the finished triangles their flaky, crisp layers.
Flag-folding the triangles
Place a small spoonful of filling at one end of a buttered strip, then fold the corner over to meet the opposite edge, forming a triangle, and continue folding the triangle up along the strip's length, exactly as folding a flag, until you reach the end. Brush the finished triangle with a little more butter to seal the final flap.
Repeat with the remaining strips and filling, arranging the folded triangles seam-side down on a lined tray as you go.
Baking
Bake in a hot oven until deeply golden and audibly crisp, around twenty to twenty-five minutes, and serve warm or at room temperature. They freeze very well unbaked, arranged on a tray until solid before bagging, and bake straight from frozen with a few extra minutes added.
Tips from my kitchen
Keep unused phyllo covered
It dries out and cracks quickly once exposed to air. Work with a damp tea towel over the rest of the stack.
Keep the filling on the dry side
A wet filling can make the phyllo soggy before it has a chance to crisp properly in the oven.
Freeze a batch raw
They freeze very well unbaked and can go straight from the freezer to the oven, adding only a few extra minutes.
Tiropitakia Trigona Recipe (Greek Cheese Triangle Pastries)
Τυροπιτάκια τρίγωνα · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 45m
- Cook
- 25m
- Total
- 1h 10m
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Mix the feta, egg, dill or mint and a good grinding of pepper together in a bowl.
- Heat the oven to 190C fan 170C and line two baking trays.
- Cut the phyllo sheets lengthways into strips about 7 to 8 cm wide, keeping unused sheets covered with a damp tea towel.
- Brush a strip with melted butter or oil. Place a small spoonful of filling at one end.
- Fold the corner over to meet the opposite edge, forming a triangle, then continue folding up the strip flag-style to the end.
- Brush the finished triangle with a little more butter and place seam-side down on the tray. Repeat with the remaining strips and filling.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until deeply golden and crisp.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition, per 3 triangles
- Calories
- 168
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Sat fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Tiropitakia trigona
How is this different from a full tyropita?
The filling is essentially the same, but tiropitakia are folded into small individual triangles from strips of phyllo rather than baked as one large pie, giving more crisp, flaky surface area per bite.
Can you freeze tiropitakia trigona?
Yes, very well. Freeze the folded, unbaked triangles on a tray until solid, then bag them, and bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
What other fillings work in this shape?
Spinach and feta, or a savoury minced meat filling, both fold into the same triangle shape using this method, though the classic version is the plain cheese filling.
