An easy version of a traditional Middle Eastern meat pie made with grass-fed beef, onions and a blend of common spices. Fatayer is an easy gateway recipe to Middle Eastern food.
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Table of contents
“First we eat, then we do everything else.” – M.F.K. Fisher
Why I Love Fatayer
Meat pies go way back in history, predating the Roman Empire. This popular food spans six continents and hundreds of cultures. Other than Louisiana’s Natchitoches meat pie however, the U.S. doesn’t really have a meat pie culture. The pot pie is the closest meat pie variation and I’m not sure that counts, does it?
Today we are diving in to Middle Eastern food with the fatayer, a Lebanese meat pie. The fatayer, like most regional food has familial and regional differences but they all look and taste similar. The one I made has common ingredients you can find in the average American grocery store.
What is in a Beef Fatayer?
The fatayer consists of a filling wrapped in dough and baked in the oven. The most common are meat fillings with lamb or beef known as Sfeeha or a spinach filling called Sabanekh. You can make cheese fatayer also. They make for a nice entree or appetizer. Serve during mezze, a Middle Eastern tapas style situation.
The spices in this pie actually come from a spice blend called Baharat but I have broken down the blend for you so that you don’t have to make a big batch of this blend in order to make this recipe. That is why there seems to be a long list of ingredients but you probably already have all of these spices in your pantry.
Fatayer keeps well in the fridge or you can plop them in a freezer bag and freeze them up to a month. Just thaw them when ready to use and either re-heat in a low heat oven or microwave them on high for thirty seconds or so.
How to Make Beef Fatayer step-by-step
I usually feel a little trepidation when trying to cook a new cuisine. It’s really difficult to know if I am ‘doing it right’ if I have never tasted or tried a cuisine before. I find Middle Eastern food less intimidating than most. It seems pretty straight forward without many special techniques you need to know before succeeding at a dish or many specialized ingredients. So far any spices I might need I have been able to order online such as sumac. What is your favorite way for obtaining specialized ingredients?
This fatayer recipe is very approachable. When I first heard you could use pre-made pizza or biscuit dough with fatayer I knew this is the recipe to try. I don’t always make short cuts like this and I do know how to make dough but when trying a new cuisine, somehow short cuts make the recipe seem less intimidating.
If you do make a dough from scratch, try it in the food processor. It’s super easy. Just mix your wet ingredients in a small bowl after proofing the yeast and put the dry ingredients in the processor. Pulse a few times to mix then add the wet ingredients in a steady stream while processing. If it’s too sticky add flour until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the side. Easy.
More meat pies from around the world.
- Turkish Sigara Borek – seasoned meat rolled in phyllo dough
- Puerto Ricos Beef Empanadilla – seasoned meat pie with green olives and Sazon
- British Cornish Pasty – traditional meat pie with pork, bacon, onions, potatoes
More Middle Eastern Recipes.
- Spinach Fatayer – A vegetarian version with spinach, cilantro, parsley and onions.
- Middle Eastern Kofta – Little, spicy meatloaves.
- Chicken Shawarma – A garlicky chicken wrap.
- Toum Sauce – A lebanese garlicky sauce for shawarmas, sandwiches and wraps.
- Muhammara Dip – A robust red pepper dip you can make in 5 minutes.
- Cilbur – A Turkish egg recipe.
- Aleppo Lamb and Potatoes – A great way to fry up some tasty lamb chops.
- Mana’eesh – A Middle Eastern flatbread.
- Moroccan Harira Soup – This wonderful soup will nourish your body and your spirit, a traditional Moroccan soup.
- Cheese Fatayer – A cheesy twist on a Lebanese classic turnover.
I enjoy finding new cuisines through Wikipedia and learn about them on YouTube. Do you ever do this? Just look up ‘List of soups’ and click on the Wikipedia article. You could go down quite a rabbit hole doing this. This is how I was introduced to Middle Eastern cuisine. What are your favorite cooking YouTube channels? Leave a comment below.
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Lebanese Beef Fatayer | A Middle Eastern meat pie
An easy version of a traditional Middle Eastern meat pie made with grass-fed beef, onions and a blend of common spices. Fatayer is an easy gateway recipe to Middle Eastern food.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs cooking oil
- 1 lb of ground beef or lamb
- 1/2 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/3 cup of catsup
- 1/4 tsp cayenne for heat (optional)
- 2 rolls of pre-made pizza dough from the refrigerated section
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tbs water
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F.
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat and cook onions for one minute.
- Add meat and salt and break up into small pieces. Continue to cook over medium heat uncovered until cooked through.
- Add garlic and spices, stir and cook for one more minute. Add catsup and stir well. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Remove pizza dough from packaging and roll out thinly on a floured surface. Use a small 6 inch bowl to make a template into the dough. Cut circles out with a sharp knife. Dust well with flour and stack in a pile for easier assembly.
- In a small bowl add egg and water and whisk with a fork until combined, set aside.
- In each circle add 2-3 Tbs of filling. Brush the edge of the dough with the egg wash and start the fold. Fold two sides about 1/3 of the way, pinching the sides closed as you go. Then take the middle of the remaining side and bring toward the pinched edge making two new seams. Pinch the two new seams closed.
- Place all on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray.
- Brush all over with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds (white or black).
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the baking sheet around half way through cooking.
- Remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Two of these make a great entree or serve them as single appetizers.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 7 Serving Size: 2 meat piesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 303Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 583mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 24g
Larry Kollar says
Thanks for posting this! It occurred to me that I could shortcut things even farther by using 1/2c of whatever sauce I had on hand instead of ketchup and various herbs. Since I’m the one who likes spicy foods, I made half with harissa (I had a jar in the pantry that I picked up on closeout, then never got around to using it) and half with Heinz 57 and cheese (a sort of cheeseburger fatayer). The wife really liked the latter.
It seemed to me that putting the egg wash on the edges made the dough harder to stick together… but that might be my fault, because I bought pie crust instead of pizza crust. I make my own pizza dough pretty often, so I’ll try that next time. (And I bet these would be awesome with a pastry crust!)
I’m definitely making this again… the rest of that jar of harissa insists. 😀 Thanks again!
Tina says
Hey Larry that’s brilliant! I love the Heinz 57 and Harissa idea. You are right about how you can put whatever you want in it. Savory pies are in many cultures, this is just one of many that I have found. I’m going to try without egg wash next time. I was having that same trouble with the edges sticking together. I like your idea. Bon Appetit!
Chris Collins says
I’ve never heard of this recipe before, but it looks and sounds truly delicious! Can’t wait to try!
Tina says
It’s super easy and a great way to dive into some middle eastern cooking. If you like it, try making the dough from scratch.
Shinta Simon says
I am definitely going to try this! Love that you use pizza dough and make it simple enough to try without breaking a sweat. I am a huge fan of Middle eastern flavours.
Tina says
Me too and I always love a good short cut when I don’t feel like spending a few hours in the kitchen. Enjoy!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
These look like perfect bite sized pies for munching on. The flavours sound amazing and I’m thinking these would be great for summer picnics.
Tina says
Absolutely great for Summer picnics. I didn’t even think of that. No utensils, thanks for the suggestion Amanda.
michele h peterson says
I too, often find Middle Eastern food a bit intimidating so thanks for this easy intro to making beef fatayer!
Tina says
I’m glad I’m not the only one. Please do give Middle Eastern cooking a try, it’s easier than European and easy to find ingredients.
Jenni LeBaron says
These look and sound absolutely delicious! I love the blend of aromatic herbs and think that these would make for a lovely dinner!
Tina says
I love herbs and spices, in fact my front porch is full of potted herbs. This is such an easy recipe, I hope you like it.
Carmella says
My first thought is to say I don’t think I’ve had Middle Eastern food before but the list of spices looks similar to West Indian food I have had. It’s so interesting how spices traveled around the world!
Heidy L. McCallum says
Middle Easter Food is one of my favorites. I started eating it during college after dating my ex boyfriend Chad. I can’t wait to try this.
Leanne says
You go girl!
Chad doesn’t know what amazing Fatayer he’s missing out on! Can’t wait to try this for Easter!!
Annissa says
Love how you made the steps in making this special dish easy. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Beth Neels says
These are such flavor packed little bites! Perfect for an appetizer for Easter!
Julie Wallace says
I’m also new to Middle Eastern food but I love it! I haven’t tried these meat pies yet though. They look delicious, I definitely need to!
Dave says
This is so easy and has so many possibilities. Love the idea of using pizza crust. I bet kids would love to participate in making these. Very cool. Definitely going to try this.
Edyta says
I love the Middle Eastern flavors. This meat pie is a keeper!
Tina says
I couldn’t agree more. Enjoy these little treats!
Elizabeth Leaver says
I love middle eastern food but I don’t cook it much myself. These look so easy though! And I love the blend of spices – you’re right I do have most of them in the cupboard! I will definitely have to try these!
Tina says
I really liked the flavor profile too and was pleasantly surprised at how easy they were to make.
Toni says
I loved it! Such a quick and easy to make meal for the whole family!
Katie says
I had something similar at a restaurant recently and then went on the hunt for a recipe because they were so good. Your recipe is amazing! I love the spices and the flavors that are so prominent! Delicious!
Tina says
I haven’t seen these at a restaurant but I’m on the lookout now that I know what they are. Enjoy!
Caroline says
I’ve heard of these but never got round to making them myself yet. I love Middle Eastern spicing like this, looks delicious!
Tina says
These were so easy to make. My daughter and I made them together and then of course, enjoyed them together. Have fun with this recipe, the possibilities are endless!
Bianca says
I have eaten meat pies but never made them. The step by step instructions are very helpful. Will have to make these, I like the idea of using biscuit dough. I know it has a lot of practical applications, never thought of using them to make meat pies like fatayer.
Laura says
My favorite YouTube cooking channel is Maangchi. I never would have tried cooking Korean food if I didn’t come across her channel. The fatayer sounds really interesting and you’re right, pretty straight forward. I do have these spices already, thanks for this!