Bureek (Libyan Egg and Minced Meat Pastry)
Local name: بريك
In short: Crisp triangles of thin pastry folded around spiced minced beef, parsley and a whole egg, fried until the shell shatters. A Ramadan favorite. It takes about 1 h 5 min in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 1 h 5 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 240 kcal
Bureek is the crisp pastry that sits beside the shorba on a Libyan Ramadan table. A thin sheet of dough is folded around a spoonful of seasoned minced meat and parsley with an egg cracked in, then fried until the shell shatters at the first bite. Some families fill them with tuna instead, and every cook has an opinion on how runny the egg should be. They are best eaten hot, with a squeeze of lemon.
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the beef and cook for 8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains and it reaches 71°C (160°F).
- Stir in the parsley, turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper, then spread the filling on a plate and cool completely.
- Place a wrapper on the counter with one corner facing you. Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling into the center, press a small well in the middle and crack an egg into a cup.
- Slide the egg onto the well. Quickly fold the corner nearest you over the filling to the opposite corner to make a triangle, and seal the edges with the flour paste.
- Heat the frying oil in a wide, deep pan to 180°C (350°F). Fry the bureek one or two at a time for 2 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp.
- Drain on paper towels and serve at once, with lemon wedges.
Tips
- Use small eggs and spoon out a little of the white if it runs, so the pastry seals easily. Work fast, because the wrapper softens once the egg touches it.
- For a tuna version, mix 2 drained cans (about 160 g each) of tuna with the parsley, a chopped onion and a little harissa, and skip the beef.
Questions and answers
Is the egg runny in bureek?
After 2 minutes per side the yolk is soft and just set. For a firm yolk, fry 3 minutes per side. Anyone who needs fully cooked eggs should choose the longer time.
Can I bake bureek instead of frying?
You can brush them with oil and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 15 to 18 minutes, though the shell will be less blistered and crisp.
Can I make bureek ahead of time?
Assemble the pastries up to 2 hours ahead and keep them on a tray under a damp towel, then fry just before serving. Cooked bureek lose their crunch, so reheat in a hot oven.
How long does it take to make Bureek (Libyan Egg and Minced Meat Pastry)?
About 1 h 5 min in total: 40 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Bureek (Libyan Egg and Minced Meat Pastry)?
About 240 kcal per serving, with 13 g of protein, 16 g of carbohydrates and 14 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 240 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 13 g |
| Carbohydrates | 16 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Sodium | 330 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
