Easy meat burek recipe. It’s a savory pie widely popular in the Balkan countries in various versions. I must admit that, after watching so many Turkish films, I felt like making this delicious dish.
Also called “Börek, Byrek or Lakror”, it’s essentially a golden and crispy pastry made with phyllo dough and minced beef or veal, first cooked in a pan with onion and spices.
If desired, you can enrich the preparation with crumbled feta or vegetables of your choice.
Burek is a much-loved dish in Balkan cuisine, but after trying it, I can say it’s really tasty, and I’ll make it again soon. If I’ve convinced you and you want to try it, I’ll leave the recipe in the description with step-by-step photos and video.
If you’re looking for recipes with phyllo dough, I propose three that will surely suit your needs.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Oven, Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 944.91 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 46.39 (g) of which sugars 3.84 (g)
- Proteins 44.90 (g)
- Fat 63.81 (g) of which saturated 15.55 (g)of which unsaturated 43.42 (g)
- Fibers 3.07 (g)
- Sodium 2,242.83 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 166 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Meat Burek
- 1 lb lbs ground beef
- 1/2 onion
- to taste salt
- 1 package phyllo dough
- to taste olive oil (or melted butter to brush the inner surface)
- to taste tomato paste
- to taste milk (for brushing)
- to taste egg (for brushing)
- to taste sesame seeds
How to make Meat Burek
Finely chop the onion and cook it in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil until it wilts.
Add the meat and salt, cook over medium-high heat until well done, add the tomato paste and chopped parsley, and let it cool.
Lay out the first sheet of phyllo dough, then brush the surface with oil and overlap another sheet.
At this point, place the meat along one edge of the phyllo dough (being careful not to go too close to the outer edge).
Roll the meat into a cylinder; place the first cylinder in a well-oiled baking dish. Continue using the rest of the ingredients, repeating the steps described above.
Brush the surface with milk and egg and decorate with the seeds. Bake at 375°F for about 20 minutes. The burek is ready when you see a golden and crispy crust.
Storage and tips for Meat Burek
The burek can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days. It can also be frozen: place the assembled burek in a freezer bag (you can make individual portions) and cook it directly from frozen.
