This phyllo meat pie (Egyptian goulash) is made with phyllo pastry, ground beef or lamb, and onion filling, seasoned to just the right level. The goulash comes out wonderfully crispy on the outside with a delicious meat filling that you need to try!
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Egyptian Goulash is one of the most famous phyllo dough recipes you'll ever come across in the Middle East. Along with baklava, it’s a staple at almost every gathering. Phyllo pastry is an incredibly versatile ingredient that adds a unique, and delicious flakiness to so many dishes.
If you enjoy this Egyptian goulash recipe, you'll definitely love my other phyllo pastry Middle Eastern recipes like Easy Baklava and Authentic Knafeh.
❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Easy to make: Just like my stuffed zucchini recipe Kousa bil laban, despite looking impressive, this phyllo meat pie is surprisingly easy to make. The filling is simple to prepare, and the layering of the phyllo dough is not as intimidating as it may seem.
- Delicious: The combination of savory spices, tender ground beef, and flaky phyllo pastry makes for a truly delicious meal.
- Classic: This recipe is a classic for a reason. It is a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine and is likely to become a classic in your home as well.
- Versatile: While this goulash is amazing on its own, feel free to experiment with the filling. You can use different types of meat or add more spices according to your taste.
- Quick: The process of making this Egyptian goulash is quite efficient. In just a little over half an hour, you can have a beautifully golden and crispy goulash ready to be enjoyed.
🍊 INGREDIENTS
More details about the ingredients and measurements are in the recipe card below!
- Minced meat (beef or lamb): The star of the show, the minced meat provides the hearty foundation of this dish. It is where most of the flavor comes from, and the spices and onion will complement it perfectly.
- Red onion: This will add a sweet and tangy flavor to your dish and is more suitable for this recipe than yellow or white onions.
- Phyllo Dough: This is the key ingredient that gives this dish its unique texture. Made of paper-thin pastry, it bakes up to be beautifully crisp and flaky.
- Melted Butter: Used for brushing the phyllo dough, the melted butter adds a rich flavor and helps the dough to become golden and crispy.
- Milk and Egg Mixture: Combined with a bit of oil and seasoning, this mixture is what makes the top layers golden and crispy.
🔪 HOW TO MAKE EGYPTIAN GOULASH
Step 1
Cook the meat: Start by adding the ground meat to a hot pan. Brown it until all the liquid has evaporated. Then, push the meat to one side of the pan and add your olive oil to the empty space. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes. After that, mix the meat and onion together and cook for an additional two minutes.
Step 2
Prepare the filling: Now, it’s time to add all of your spices. Make sure they are well mixed into the meat and onion mixture. Cook for another two minutes, then pour in your boiling water. Let it simmer for a few seconds, then cover the pan and let it cook on medium-low heat. You'll want to stop cooking when there's around two tablespoons of liquid left in the pan. Set your filling aside for now.
Step 3
Create the milk and egg mixture: In a separate bowl, combine your egg, oil, black pepper, salt, and baking powder. Mix well until everything is fully combined. Then, add in your milk and beat the mixture until it is well combined. Set it aside for later.
Step 4
Layer the phyllo dough: Grease the bottom and sides of a 12 x 9” deep baking pan with butter. Place two layers of phyllo dough at the bottom of the pan and brush the top with butter. Continue this process until you have a total of ten layers of phyllo dough.
Step 5
Add the filling: Pour your prepared meat filling over the layered phyllo dough. Then, add two more layers of phyllo dough on top of the filling, remembering to brush each layer with butter.
Step 6
Add the milk and egg mixture: Place your baking dish in a preheated oven at 180C/350F for 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and evenly pour the egg and milk mixture over your goulash. Tilt the pan from side to side to ensure that the liquid has reached the bottom of the pan.
Step 7
Bake and serve: Bake your goulash for 20 minutes or until the phyllo is golden and crispy. Remove the baking pan from the oven and cut through the goulash again to make it easy to remove square pies from the pan. Enjoy your delicious Egyptian goulash!
👩🏽🍳 PRO TIPS
- Handle Phyllo Dough with Care: Phyllo dough is delicate and can tear easily. Be extra careful when removing it from the package. If it tears, you can still use it and no one will know once it's baked!
- Keep Phyllo Dough Moist: To prevent the dough from drying out, always keep it covered with a slightly damp towel while you're working with it.
- Make Sure Your Phyllo Dough is Fresh: Fresh phyllo dough is best, but if you can only find frozen, make sure to thaw it properly. Leave it in the fridge overnight or on the kitchen counter for about an hour, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
📋 VARIATIONS
- Try It with Poultry: Instead of using beef or lamb, substitute minced chicken for a lighter twist. The poultry will bring a different flavor profile to the dish.
- Enhance the Flavor: For a richer, more intense flavor, use beef or lamb stock in place of the boiling water in the filling. This will give your goulash a deeper, meatier taste that some may find even more satisfying.
- Go Spicy: If you're a fan of heat, try making a spicy version with minced turkey and adding a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the filling. This will give your goulash a spicy kick and make it even more delicious!
🍽️ HOW TO SERVE
- Serve the phyllo meat pie as a hearty breakfast. The rich, savory flavors of the meat pie pair perfectly with a side of fresh fruit and a cup of Turkish coffee.
- For a filling lunch, plate up a piece of this phyllo meat pie with a vibrant, tangy side salad. The lightness of the salad contrasts beautifully with the rich,
meaty pie. - Make it a Mediterranean dinner by serving the goulash with a side of Tabbouleh.
💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I recommend using beef or lamb for the filling. These meats have a rich, robust flavor that works well in this dish.
Yes, you can. Phyllo dough is more commonly found in the freezer goods section in supermarkets and fresh phyllo dough is more rare. You can also make it at home if you’d like.
Yes, if you like your food spicy, you can add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the filling. This will give your goulash a spicy kick!
🌡️ STORING
- Refrigerate: Once cooked, let your phyllo meat pie cool to room temperature. Then, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. It will keep fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat Instructions: To reheat, place individual servings in the microwave on high for about 1 minute. If you're reheating the whole pie, put it in the oven at a low temperature (about 200°F) until it's warm all the way through.
- Freeze: Unfortunately, freezing isn't recommended for this dish. The phyllo dough doesn't freeze and thaw well, and the texture of the pie
will be compromised.
📣 MORE MIDDLE EASTERN RECIPES
⭐ PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW
If you have tried this recipe and liked it, please give it a 5-star rating and leave a comment below with your experience!
📖 Recipe
Egyptian Goulash (Phyllo Meat Pie)
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 500 gram minced meat beef or lamb
- 1 medium red onion
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup boiling water
Milk and Egg Mixture
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoon oil or melted unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ¾ cup milk
For Phyllo Layers and Brushing
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 18 sheets of phyllo dough
Instructions
Making the Filling
- In a hot pan, add the ground meat and brown it until all the liquid evaporates. Push the meat to the side of the pan and add olive oil in the empty side, when hot add the onion and cook for two minutes.
- Mix the meat with the onion and stir for two minutes.
- Add all the spices and mix well for another two minutes.
- Pour the boiling water, mix for a few seconds, then cover the pan and cook on medium low heat until around two tablespoons of liquid are left in the pan. Keep it aside.
Making the Milk Egg mixture
- In a bowl, add the egg, oil, black pepper, salt, and baking powder. Mix well then add the milk and beat until well combined. Keep it aside.
Layering the Phyllo Dough
- Greas the bottom and sides of 12”x9” deep baking pan with butter.
- Place two layers of phyllo dough and then brush the top with butter, add another two layers and brush with butter. You should have 10 layers.
- Distribute the meat filing over the layered phyllo, then place two layers of phyllo over the meat and brush with butter. You should have 8 layers over the meat.
- If there are extra phyllo dough on the sides, cut them with a sharp knife.
- Cut the phyllo layers into 6 squares, you can cut them smaller if you wish.
- Place the baking dish in a preheated oven 180C/350F for 8 minutes. Take out the pan and evenly pour the egg and milk mixture over it. Tilt the pan left and right to make sure that the liquid has reached the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the phyllo is golden and crispy.
- Remove the baking pan from the oven and cut through the goulash/meat pie again to make it easy to remove square pies from the pan.
Video
Notes
- It is best to use fresh phyllo dough, but if all you can get is the frozen one, then place it in the fridge overnight to thaw or out on the kitchen counter for an hour, depending on how cold or hot your kitchen is.
- Be extra careful when removing the phyllo layers from the package. They are fragile and can break easily.
- For more flavor, you can go for half milk and half chicken or beef stock instead of all milk.
- Always make sure to cover the phyllo dough to prevent it from drying after taking it out of the package.
- Instead of meat, you can use chicken or minced turkey.
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