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Turkish burek with meat filling

Turkish Burek with Meat Filling

A wonderfully tasty pie with a juicy meat filling. Burek is a classic of Turkish cuisine — thin, flaky pastry wrapped around a generous, savory filling. It's great served hot or cold, comes together easily with everyday ingredients, and the result is fantastic!

Anna Slavina

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Filo dough

400

Sunflower oil

Eggs (large)

Yogurt

Water

125

Ground beef

450

Onion

Chili pepper

Ground black pepper

Sunflower oil

Salt

Eggs (large)

Yogurt

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 20 % 9 g

Fats 48 % 21 g

Carbohydrates 32 % 14 g

291 kcal

GI: 100 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

Make the filling. Peel the onion, rinse it, and chop it into medium dice.
Step 2:

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet, add the onion, and sauté until golden. Add the ground beef, stir, and cook briefly. Season with salt and pepper, stir, cover, and let it braise until cooked through. Set aside to cool.
Step 3:

Make the wash. In a cup, whisk together the eggs, plain unsweetened yogurt, vegetable oil, and water.
Step 4:

Take a sheet of filo dough (store-bought or homemade — or even ready-made puff pastry, which is also tasty), brush it with the wash, and spread some of the filling along one edge.
Step 5:

Roll it up into a log. Work gently so you don't tear the thin dough.
Step 6:

Coil the log into a spiral and set it in a baking pan — mine is 10 inches (26 cm) across. I lined the bottom with parchment and brushed it with vegetable oil. Do the same with the remaining dough, wash, and filling, building one big spiral pie.
Step 7:

For a golden crust, mix the remaining egg with yogurt and brush it over the pie; sprinkle with sesame seeds if you like. Bake in an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for 30 to 35 minutes — it may need a little more or less time depending on your oven. Bake until deep golden brown. I baked mine 30 minutes with top and bottom heat. Your delicious meat pie is ready — enjoy!

This was my first time making this pie, and I loved it. I made the filo dough from scratch, but you can use store-bought, or swap in ready-made puff pastry or even thin lavash — though I think filo tastes best. Serve it on its own or alongside a bowl of soup. It's great hot and just as tasty cold, and it packs well as a snack for the road. Pork or a pork-beef blend would work for the filling too.
Keep in mind that every oven is different. The temperature and baking time may vary from what's listed. For reliable results with any baked dish, it helps to know your oven's quirks.