Phyllo dough recipes can look tricky, but these crisp meat and feta rolls use store-bought pastry and come together in under an hour.
Crisp Phyllo Rolls with Meat and Feta
These phyllo meat rolls are filled with ground beef seasoned with allspice, then mixed with feta, mozzarella, eggs, and dill. The recipe makes 16 warm, flaky rolls, just right for passing around as a party appetizer.
For a while, I debated whether to call them phyllo meat rolls or meat cigars—don’t you think they look a little like cigars? I landed on rolls.
I used to be a little intimidated by phyllo. Then I worked on my mom’s recipe for Egyptian goulash, a crisp phyllo meat pie, and got over my “fear of phyllo.” From there, I tried phyllo pizza and even egg-stuffed Tunisian brik. No one was complaining!
Phyllo, also spelled filo, is a paper-thin pastry that comes in stacked sheets. Making it from scratch is a challenge for another day. Store-bought phyllo is the situation for me here, and a few simple techniques keep it from drying out or tearing as you work.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The full ingredient list with measurements is in the recipe card below, but here is what you’ll need to make the filling and assemble the rolls:
- Extra virgin olive oil. Use it to sauté the onion and beef, enrich the filling, coat the phyllo sheets, and lightly oil the baking sheet.
- Phyllo dough. You’ll need 16 to 20 sheets. Keep the stack covered with a lightly damp kitchen towel while you work so the delicate pastry does not dry out and crack.
- Ground beef. One pound forms the base of the savory filling. Brown it completely before mixing it with the cheese and eggs.
- Yellow onion. Finely chopped onion softens as the beef cooks and adds savory flavor throughout the filling.
- Allspice. This warm, aromatic spice gives the beef depth without overwhelming the feta and dill.
- Salt and pepper. Season the beef as it cooks.
- Feta and mozzarella. Creamy feta adds its characteristic salty tang, while shredded mozzarella melts into the filling.
- Eggs. Two eggs go into the meat and cheese filling. A third egg, mixed with a little water, makes the egg wash for the outside of the rolls.
- Dill weed. Dill adds a light, herbaceous note that balances the warmly spiced beef.
How to Make Phyllo Dough Meat Rolls
These rolls come together in three parts: cook the beef, mix the filling, and wrap it in layers of phyllo. Keep the pastry covered until you are ready to use it.
- Cook the beef. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté briefly, then add the ground beef, allspice, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fully cooked and browned, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Finish the filling. Combine the cooled beef mixture with the feta, mozzarella, 2 eggs, dill weed, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Prepare the phyllo. Carefully place 16 phyllo sheets on a large tray, with more nearby if needed. Cover the stack with a lightly damp, clean kitchen towel to keep the sheets from drying out and cracking.
- Cut the phyllo into strips. Place 2 phyllo sheets on a large cutting board and brush them generously with olive oil. Cut the layered sheets straight down the middle to make 2 long strips.
- Fill and roll. Place a spoonful of the meat and cheese filling at the short end of one phyllo strip, closest to you. Roll the pastry away from you twice. Fold both long sides inward over the filling, then continue rolling toward the opposite end.
- Brush and repeat. Lightly oil a large baking sheet. Brush the finished roll with a little more olive oil and egg wash, then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining filling and phyllo, working with 2 sheets at a time. You should have 16 rolls.
- Bake. Bake the phyllo rolls for 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and serve warm with your favorite yogurt dip or sauce.
Tips for Working with Phyllo Dough
Phyllo needs a little care, but it is easier to handle than you may think. These simple tips helped me get over my own “fear of phyllo”:
- Keep it covered. Phyllo dries out quickly once exposed to the air. Cover the stack with a lightly damp clean kitchen towel whenever you are not actively removing a sheet.
- Make sure the towel is not wet. Too much moisture can make the delicate sheets stick together.
- Work with 2 sheets at a time. Layering the sheets gives each roll structure while keeping the pastry light and flaky.
- Be generous with the olive oil. Brushing the phyllo keeps the layers from drying out and helps them turn crisp as they bake.
- Handle the sheets carefully, but don’t stress. If one tears too badly to use, discard it and move on to the next. The recipe allows for a few extra sheets.
- Let the beef cool slightly. Once the meat is browned, set it aside to cool a bit before mixing it with the cheeses, eggs, dill, and olive oil.
What to Serve with Phyllo Meat Rolls
Serve these phyllo rolls warm, while the pastry is at its crispest. A cool, creamy tzatziki sauce makes a natural dip for the warmly spiced beef and salty feta filling.
For a larger appetizer spread, add creamy homemade hummus and a fresh Mediterranean cucumber and tomato salad. The cool vegetables and bright flavors balance the rich meat and cheese filling.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover phyllo rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To help restore their crisp texture, reheat them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until heated through.
You can also reheat the rolls in an air fryer at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes. Avoid the microwave, which is likely to make the phyllo soggy.
More Ways to Use Phyllo Dough
Sides and Small Plates
Fennel-Olive Phyllo Cups with Whipped Goat Cheese
Appetizer and Mezze
Phyllo-Wrapped Baked Feta with Honey
Appetizer and Mezze
Sheet Pan Phyllo Pizza (Crispy Pizza Dough)
Ingredients
For the Beef
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Additional Filling Ingredients
- 5 ounces creamy feta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon dill weed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For Assembly
- 16 to 20 phyllo sheets
- 1 egg mixed with little water, for the egg wash
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
Instructions
- Get ready. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Cook the beef. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté briefly. Add the ground beef, allspice, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fully cooked and browned, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Mix the filling. Combine the cooled beef mixture with the feta, mozzarella, 2 eggs, dill weed, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix until evenly incorporated.
- Prepare the phyllo. Carefully place 16 phyllo sheets on a large tray, with more nearby if needed. Cover the stack with a lightly damp clean kitchen towel to keep the pastry from cracking or breaking.
- Cut the phyllo. Place 2 phyllo sheets on a large cutting board and brush them generously with olive oil. Cut the layered sheets straight down the middle to form 2 long strips.
- Fill and roll. Place a spoonful of the meat and cheese mixture at the short end of one strip, closest to you. Roll away from you twice. Fold both long sides inward over the filling, then continue rolling toward the opposite end.
- Brush and repeat. Brush the roll with a little more olive oil and egg wash, then place it on a large, lightly oiled baking sheet. Repeat with the other strip and the remaining phyllo and filling, working with 2 sheets at a time. You should have 16 phyllo meat rolls.
- Bake and serve. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the rolls from the oven and serve warm with your favorite yogurt dip or sauce.
Notes
- Keep the phyllo covered with a lightly damp kitchen towel as you work. Make sure the towel is not too wet, or the sheets may stick together.
- If a phyllo sheet tears too badly to use, discard it and continue with another sheet.
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop for our organic ground allspice and Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil.
Nutrition
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Explained Wonderfully well ! Tried both recipes – Worked right the first time !
Thank you,
Leon Cliyne
Wonderful, Leon! So glad you enjoyed it.
Hey! This looks like something I’d like to make at a dinner party! Do you think I can roll these up the night before my party put them in the fridge and just toss them in the oven the night of?
Yes, absolutely! You can prepare the rolls the night before and place them on a large tray so they’re not touching. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place them in room temp for a few minutes before you bake. Enjoy!
This sounds like a something I ate at a friend’s home as a child (1950s) They called the rolls (phonetic spelling) “sfaya”. My friends were from Saudi Arabia, but I think the recipe came from Lebanon. Do you know what I am talking about? And how to spell it?
A few years ago I looked for a recipe. Not finding one, I made one up, relying on a 50 years old memory. Very similar to this but I didn’t use any cheese and for spices I used parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano. Heavy on the parsley and thyme. Had no idea how to bake them; ended up at 350 for 20 minutes. Served at a Christmas night buffet for two dozen people. They were the hit of the night.
Hi Kay!Thank you so much for stopping in. I like your version of these phyllo dough rolls. I say you can really do a lot with phyllo, right? There are lots of little pie type appetizers in the Middle East, some are called Sifeha, maybe that’s what you mean? Those ones, we actually make the dough from scratch. I’ll be posting a recipe soon that I learned from my mom in law.
can these be Frozen? Have a party coming Up.
Christina, I believe you can freeze these rolls, although I have not personally tried that. If you want to try them, I would stop before baking them and then freeze in tight containers. On the day you need them, thaw the rolls completely and then bake for 15 minutes as instructed.
Alternatively,you can cook prepare the rolls the night before, Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. A few minutes before your guests arrive, you can bake them. They only take 15 minutes or so in the oven.
Yes please!
Seeing this great recipe gave me an inspiration, I am going to try these rolls using Picadillo filling I usually use on my Puerto Rican empanadas. I will post it on my Blog and link it back to your recipe. Thank you so much for all your wonderful inspirations.
Great, Renee! Have fun. let me know how it turns out.
Love this! It reminds me of Vietnamese fried spring rolls/egg rolls 🙂 I definitely have a fear of phyllo dough… I’ve never made it and it looks so fragile! But this recipe looks awesome, I will have to try one day!
Trang,you are so right! These do resemble Vietnamese rolls some! Phyllo is really not that bad. I used to worry I would mess up working with phyllo, but now, I just don’t care 🙂 Let me know if you ever try these.
These look great! Pinning and tweeting shortly!
I’ve had these before at a party and I fell in love. I can’t wait to try your recipe!
Hi Maureen! These are pretty good; it was my first time trying them, and they really were not that hard to make. I couldn’t remember exactly how my mom made them, but I think mine is a better recipe 🙂 Shhh, don’t tell her. Thanks for the love, friend!
Thank you so much! These look wonderful!
Oh, these are my favorite way to eat phyllo dough. They are the best! My mom used to make these on special occasions.
Aren’t they special? Norma, I love seeing you here 🙂
Go for it you guys; these aren’t too hard to make 🙂
I really want to make these!
Do you cater? Can you just make them for me? Now I’m starving@
You are sweet. Yes, catering is an option:-)
Okay, Suzy. I have ground turkey and phyllo dough but no feta or onion. But, I have frozen turkey feta spinach burgers that I made and froze. What do you think would happen if I heated those up, crumbled them, and used them for the filling?
Hi Katie! I’m excited that you will try these. The beauty of a recipe like this is that you can make the filling your own. And I am all for using up what you already have. Two things: 1) once you cook and break up the turkey burgers, add one or two eggs and a table spoon of olive oil to the burger mix 2) if you have cream cheese or shredded mozarella, I’d add some to the mix. I don’t know how much feta is in your turkey burgers, but you would just want to make sure you have enough in the mix so you don’t end up with dry phyllo rolls. Makes sense? Let me know how it goes. Hugs.
They were great with just the burgers crumbled up! (But I did dip them in blue cheese dressing.)
I made them again tonight – they’re in the oven right now. Half have shredded turkey breast, spinach and cream cheese and the other half have shredded turkey breast, salsa and cream cheese. I thought I’d try a couple more filling options! I will blog about them if they turn out well, and of course will link to your blog for the “original” recipe.
Also – a tip, if you’re impatient like me. If you start to unroll your phyllo and it’s still partially frozen, it’s totally safe to cover it with plastic and blast it with your hair dryer for a few seconds to finish thawing it. 🙂
That is awesome, Katie! I love your creative ideas with these phyllo rolls. And great tip with the blow dryer. Appreciate the love, girl! Keep in touch.
Katie Anderson Olthoff, did you get my response, i see it posted underneath Beth Ann’s. Sorry. Hope it worked out!
I have the dough already!!! Totally making these!!
Awesome, Beth!
Hi Katie! I’m excited that you will try these. The beauty of a recipe like this is that you can make the filling your own. And I am all for using up what you already have. Two things: 1) once you cook and break up the turkey burgers, add one or two eggs and a table spoon of olive oil to the burger mix 2) if you have cream cheese or shredded mozarella, I’d add some to the mix. I don’t know how much feta is in your turkey burgers, but you would just want to make sure you have enough in the mix so you don’t end up with dry phyllo rolls. Makes sense? Let me know how it goes. Hugs
Oh my! These look AMAZING! I’m going to have to go pick up some groceries to make this!
Yay! Let me know how it turns out!
I just made these tonight! :)They were amazing!!
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