Savory Beef Puff Pastry Braid with Leeks

A Flaky Greek-Inspired Savory Puff Pastry This Puff Pastry Beef Braid is a beautiful and delicious twist on traditional Greek meat pies. A savory filling of ground beef, sweet leeks, herbs, garlic, and scallions is wrapped in flaky puff pastry and baked until golden and crisp. Using store-bought puff pastry makes this recipe easy enough for a weeknight dinner but elegant enough for entertaining. Serve it warm with tzatziki sauce and a fresh salad for a meal that everyone will love.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 package Pepperidge Farm puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
• 1 and 1/3 pounds ground beef
• 7–8 ounces leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3–4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2–3 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
• 5–6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (optional)
• salt, to taste
• freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• sesame seeds or nigella seeds (optional)
• tzatziki sauce, for serving

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
2. 2Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
3. 3Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
4. 4Add the chopped onion and leeks with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and lightly golden, about 8–10 minutes.
5. 5Add the grated garlic and cook until fragrant.
6. 6Add the ground beef and season with salt and black pepper. Cook while breaking up the meat until browned and fully cooked, about 8–10 minutes.
7. 7Remove the pan from the heat.
8. 8Stir in the thyme or oregano, scallions, parsley, and chili pepper if using. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
9. 9Allow the filling to cool slightly.
10. 10Assemble the Puff Pastry BraidRoll each puff pastry sheet slightly to smooth the folds.
11. 11Place the beef filling in a long mound down the center of the pastry sheet, leaving about 2 inches on each side.
12. 12Cut diagonal strips along both sides of the pastry.
13. 13Fold the strips over the filling, alternating from each side to create a braid pattern.
14. 14Transfer the braid to the prepared baking tray.
15. 15Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame or nigella seeds if desired.
16. 16Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry.
17. 17BakeBake on the center rack of the oven for 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry is deeply golden and crisp.
18. 18Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.
19. 19Serve warm with tzatziki sauce.
20. 20Kali Orexi!