Air Fryer Recipe
Spinach and Feta Stuffed Croissants
Spinach and Feta Stuffed Croissants are an easy and delicious dish perfect for breakfast or brunch, made effortlessly using an air fryer.
Ingredients
- 1 tube of pre-made croissant dough
- 100g of fresh spinach, chopped
- 100g of feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg (optional, for egg wash)
Method
- In a pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté minced garlic until fragrant.
- Add chopped spinach and cook until wilted, then remove from heat and let cool.
- Mix in crumbled feta cheese with the cooled spinach.
- Unroll croissant dough and separate into triangles.
- Place a spoonful of spinach and feta mixture on the wider end of each triangle.
- Roll the dough towards the tip to form a croissant shape, tucking in sides if necessary.
- Optional: Beat an egg and brush over croissants for a shiny glaze.
- Preheat air fryer to 180°C (356°F).
- Arrange croissants in a single layer in the air fryer.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Why this works in an air fryer
Air-fryer convection rapidly dries the laminated dough surface, so the butter/fat layers separate and brown before the spinach filling can leak steam into the pastry. Cooling and draining the spinach matters: excess water turns the inner layers gummy, while feta’s salt and acidity sharpen the filling without needing long cooking.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 4–5 litre basket holding 4 croissants with space between them; in a single-drawer model cook in batches rather than crowding, while in a dual-zone fryer use one zone per batch and start checking 1–2 minutes earlier as smaller drawers often brown faster at the edges.
Common pitfalls
- Pale tops but dark bases at 10 minutes? The heat is too concentrated underneath; lower to 170°C and cook 2–3 minutes longer, or use perforated parchment to soften base browning.
- Dough split open and filling visible? The spoonful was too large or too wet; use less filling, squeeze cooled spinach well, and pinch the side seams before rolling.
- Centres look doughy when cut despite a golden outside? The croissants were packed too close or very cold; leave wider gaps and add 2 minutes at 160–170°C to finish the middle without over-browning.
- Feta leaking and sizzling in the basket? The cheese pieces are too exposed near the edges; keep filling on the wide end, roll tightly, and tuck the tips underneath to seal.
Variations & substitutions
- Use frozen spinach if thawed and squeezed very dry; it is denser than fresh spinach, so use a slightly smaller spoonful to avoid a damp centre.
- Swap feta for goat’s cheese for a creamier filling; it melts more readily, so seal the croissants carefully and check for leakage after 8 minutes.
- Add chopped dill, parsley or spring onion; herbs add moisture only lightly, so timing stays the same if they are finely chopped.
- Use puff pastry triangles instead of croissant dough for a crisper, flakier result; expect slightly faster browning, so start checking at 8–9 minutes.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooled croissants in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 3–5 minutes until the pastry re-crisps and the filling is hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
