This leek and ground beef pie is one of those dishes that quietly represents Greek home cooking at its best.

Simple ingredients, careful layering, and a filling that stays juicy while the phyllo bakes up crisp and golden.

Leeks bring natural sweetness, the beef adds depth, and feta melts into the filling, creating a rich but balanced flavor. The phyllo is lightly buttered and gently moistened, ensuring a pie that is flaky on top and tender inside, never dry.

This is the kind of pie you make for the family table, for a Sunday meal, or when you want something comforting that still feels special.

Crockery & ingredients love using—find them all here: My Mediterranean Greek Pantry

500 g phyllo pastry, about 12 to 13 sheets

150 g melted butter

3 leeks

1 medium onion

Olive oil

600 g ground beef

200 g feta cheese

2 pinches salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

A pinch of nutmeg

Black pepper

150 g water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Directions

Finely chop the leeks and onion.

Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté them over medium heat until very soft. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.In the same pan, add a little more olive oil and cook the ground beef, breaking it up well with a spoon. Season with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Cook until the meat is fully browned and all excess moisture has evaporated.

Crumble the feta into the meat and stir until it softens and blends into the mixture. Add the meat mixture to the bowl with the leeks and mix well. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Grease a 35×42 cm baking pan with melted butter. Place the first sheet of phyllo in the pan.

In a small bowl, mix the water, salt, and white vinegar.

Using your fingers, lightly sprinkle each sheet with the vinegar mixture and brush with melted butter.

Layer 6 sheets of phyllo in the base of the pan, sprinkling each one with both butter and the water mixture. Spread the filling evenly over the phyllo and fold the edges inward to enclose it.

Cover with the remaining 6 sheets, again sprinkling each sheet with butter and the vinegar mixture, tucking the edges neatly into the pan.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the pie is deeply golden, crisp, and juicy inside. Let it rest slightly before slicing and serving.

NOTE

Why we sprinkle the phyllo with water, sugar, and vinegar.

Lightly sprinkling the phyllo with water helps it stay soft and elastic during baking, preventing it from drying out too quickly. The small amount of sugar encourages even browning and adds a subtle balance to the savory filling, while the vinegar enhances the crisp texture of the phyllo and keeps the layers light rather than heavy.
Together, this simple mixture creates a pie that is crisp on the outside, juicy inside, and evenly baked throughout.