EASY Savory Hand Pies with Feta (Greek Tiropitakia)

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EASY Savory Hand Pies with Feta (Greek Tiropitakia)

These easy savory hand pies with feta (known as tiropitakia) are the kind of thing Greeks grow up eating on repeat. Crisp, golden on the outside, creamy and tangy on the inside, they hit that perfect balance between comfort food and something you can grab on the go. Unlike the usual phyllo-based versions, this recipe uses a simple homemade kourou dough with whole wheat flour, butter, and yogurt, giving you a flaky crust without the stress.

Prep Time1 20

Cook Time20

Total Time1 40

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: pieces

Calories: 188kcal

Author: Makos

Ingredients

For the dough:

1 cup butter melted or vegetable oil, see note#1
7 oz Greek yogurt full fat, see note#2
1 tablespoon tahini or vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg large
4 cups self raising whole wheat flour see note#3

For the filling:

10.6 oz feta cheese
2.8 oz Greek yogurt
½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
½ teaspoon thyme
3 tablespoons milk or water, a tablespoon at a time

For the egg wash:

1 egg
1 pinch salt
sesame seeds optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix the butter, Greek yogurt, tahini, salt and egg until you get a smooth mixture.
Add the flour (set aside a couple heaped tablespoons and add them later, only if the dough is sticky) and knead until you get a soft and pliable dough. Let it rest while you make the filling.
Add the feta cheese, Greek yogurt, black pepper and thyme to a bowl. Crumble with a fork and mix well to combine.
👉 Depending on how soft the feta is, you may have to add a couple tablespoons of milk (or water) to make the filling creamy.
Divide the dough into 25 walnut sized balls (about 1.4 ounces / 40 grams each).
Take a ball and roll it between your hands to make it soft and pliable. Then press with your palms flatten it to a disk. Transfer to a working surface and flatten some more.
Add a heaped teaspoon of filling (about 0.53 ounces / 15 grams) in the middle of the disk.
Fold the disk with your hands and press the edges with your fingers to seal them.
Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and go over the edges again with a fork.
Eggwash: Beat the egg and salt in a small bowl and brush each feta pie. Optionally, sprinkle the surface with sesame seeds or Nigella seeds (or a mix).
Chill for 30 minutes (or freeze for later) and preheat your oven to 430°F / 220°C.
👉 Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
👉 Air fryer (no preheating required): Air fry at 390°F / 200°C for 15-17 minutes.

Video

Notes

Note #1: I often use half olive oil and half corn oil instead of butter.

Note #2: Use full fat, plain Greek strained yogurt or reduced fat. I don't suggest no fat yogurt.

Note #3: If you don't have self raising whole wheat flour you can use plain self raising flour or use whole wheat flour and baking powder. For every cup of plain whole wheat flour, add 1 teaspoon baking powder.

👉 This dough is tender and flaky, but also delicate, so it won’t hold in the filling as tightly as a firmer dough. Some leakage is normal, especially if the edges aren’t well sealed. Make sure to press the seams firmly and bake in a fully preheated, hot oven so the crust sets quickly. Keep an eye on them and remove the tiropitakia as soon as they turn golden and just before any significant cracking occurs (about 20 minutes in the oven or 16–17 minutes in the air fryer).

👉 You can also use store-bought puff pastry instead of the kourou dough.

👉 You can reduce the feta cheese to half and add the same quantity (by volume) of chopped olives, sweet red pepper, or sauteed spinach.

Freezing Instructions:

Arrange the unbaked tiropitakia on a tray and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. Don’t thaw before baking. Bake straight from frozen in a preheated oven (or in the air fryer) until golden brown.

Continue reading below for Expert Tips⬇️ so that your hand pies turn out great every time!

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