The Serbian burek recipe involves using ground beef (a combination of pork, lamb, and beef) as well as flaky phyllo dough formed in a large pan. It can also be shaped into a cylinder, horseshoe shape, or we can bake it in a round pan. The shape doesn’t really matter as long as we follow the proper burek recipe. Search online for a “burek near me” to find the best places to enjoy it with friends and family.
Burek, or a spicy pie, is a rather popular food all over Greece, Turkey, the Balkans, and the Middle East. According to the popular burek recipe, the dough can be formed into coils, cylinders, round pies, or horseshoe shapes and are perfect to eat as appetizers or as a main course. Serbian burek is quite delicious regardless of where we get it, but it’s always burek made at home that we like the most. Again, we can always opt for a burek-near-me place when we don’t feel like cooking.
In this article, we will explain how to make burek at home.
Serbian Burek Recipe
Burek Recipe Ingredients:
- One and a half pounds of ground chuck (or a combination of pork, beef, and lamb)
- 1 cup of finely chopped onion
- Three and a half cups of plain yogurt or Bulgarian yogurt
- 1 cup of fresh chopped parsley
- One and a half teaspoon of black pepper
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- One-pound pack of phyllo dough, thawed
- 3 large beaten eggs
- Five tablespoons of cooking oil (sunflower, vegetable, or pumpkin seed)
- Three and a half cups of soda water
How to Make Burek
- First, gather all the ingredients.
- In a large pan, place chopped onion and meat, and then stir over medium heat until the meat loses its pink color and the onions turn brown.
- Drain all the fat.
- Now put the mixture of meat and onion into the pan and add parsley, pepper, and salt and then cook everything for about one minute while mixing thoroughly. After this, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool down at room temperature.
- Take a 9 x 13-inch pan and lightly coat it with cooking spray. Separate the phyllo dough into two piles (approx. 10 sheets each) and keep it covered so that the sheets don’t dry out. Half will go on the top of the pie, and half on the bottom.
- Place two sheets in the pan and then brush lightly with oil, folding, and overhanging the edges. Now, put another two sheets and again brush with oil. Continue to repeat the process until all of the phyllo sheets from the first pile have been used.
- Now spread the cooled chuck mixture evenly on the phyllo sheets and push it up to the corners. Start covering the meat with the leftover phyllo, again using two sheets at a time, and brushing it with oil. Continue to repeat the process until all of the phyllo sheets are gone.
- Brush the top with oil as well. Using a zig-zag knife, cut the Serbian burek all the way down into 12 square pieces.
- In a small bowl, mix all three eggs with soda, water, and yogurt. Pour the mixture over the burek. Cover it with plastic wrap and then refrigerate it for two hours.
- Preheat the oven up to 350 F. Now, remove the plastic wrap and bake the Serbian burek for about 45 minutes until it gets golden brown. Let it cool down slightly before serving.
This may not be a part of the Serbian burek recipe nor will it help you on the matter of how to make burek, but keep in mind that Serbian burek tastes the best when paired with traditional Serbian yogurt.
If you’re not up for making burek on your own just yet, you can always turn to our Rakija Lounge place as your burek near me go-to. Our Miami-located Serbian-inspired restaurant is bound to become your favorite spot.
