Today,  it’s a treat straight from my mother’s kitchen: phyllo meat pie recipe (aka Egyptian goulash). It is the one savory pastry I can not stop eating! And I have tips and the step-by-step pictures to guide you through making your own crispy, flaky phyllo pie! 

Very early in my life, phyllo pies– sweet and savory–captivated me.

I marveled at the phyllo and at the way my mom “played” with the paper-thin dough–swiftly creating pies or wrapping the phyllo sheets into cigars around a decadent filling of sorts.

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                  When it came to mother’s famous phyllo meat pie, the 45-minute baking time seemed to me like forever. As a child, I would pace the kitchen watching the oven with great anticipation. I hovered near the timer, staring it down, almost willing it to ring.  I just could not wait!

I was after the finished pie with the perfectly spiced meat nestled in between the layers of crisp, flaky, golden phyllo sheets. And nothing was more satisfying than finally biting down on the warm pie and hearing that perfect crunch!

                As an adult, I still enjoy this phyllo meat pie just as much. Only, now I get to make it myself!

Lean in.

Come closer.

I have something to tell you…

Do not fear the phyllo!

How to work with Phyllo Dough

The biggest secret to working with phyllo dough, as you will see in the step-by-step, is to set the phyllo sheets between two very lightly damp towels. This will keep them moist and prevent them from breaking as you work to assemble the pie. Also, don’t skimp on buttering the phyllo layers (see the recipe notes). Don’t worry, it’s more of a butter-olive oil mix I use here.  

                 If you have never tried your hand at working with phyllo dough before, this phyllo meat pie recipe is a great start. It is the simplest phyllo recipe I know!

Interested in more phyllo dough recipes? You might like to try Baklava or these Phyllo Meat and Feta Rolls. 

Step-by-Step for Phyllo Meat Pie or Egyptian Goulash

(Print-friendly recipe to follow)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay the thawed phyllo dough sheets between two lightly damp kitchen towels.

Begin with preparing the meat filling. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large nonstick pan. On medium-high heat, saute the chopped onions briefly. Add the ground beef. Cook until fully browned, tossing regularly. Remove the pan from the heat briefly and drain any fat, then return back to the stove. Add in the spices and stir to fully combine. Remove from the heat.

Now, to assemble the phyllo pie, lay three to four sheets of phyllo dough on the bottom of a lightly greased 9 1/2 x 13 x 2 1/4 inch baking pan. Fold any excess dough in. Brush the top phyllo sheet very generously with the melted butter and oil mixture. Repeat this step as you lay three to four sheets of phyllo at a time in the baking pan until you have used up 1/2 of the phyllo sheets.

Now, as you have a nice base for your pie, spread the meat filling evenly on top of the last phyllo sheet.

Layer the remaining sheets on top of the meat repeating the same process as before (again, three or four sheets at a time, fold excess phyllo and butter the top sheet) until the phyllo sheets are used up. Brush the top sheet very generously with the butter and olive oil mixture. With a sharp knife, cut the phyllo pie into 12 squares. Season the prepared milk and egg mixture with salt and pepper and pour evenly over the pie.

Place the phyllo meat pie on the middle rack of the 350 degrees F heated-oven for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until cooked through. It should turn a nice golden brown. Be watchful so that the pie does not over bake or burn.
Serve warm with a side salad! Enjoy!

Phyllo Meat Pie (Egyptian Goulash)

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★★★★★

4.9 from 27 reviews

• Author: The Mediterranean Dish
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 12 pieces
• Category: Entree
• Cuisine: Mediterranean

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Ingredients

• 16 oz. package of frozen phyllo dough, thawed in its package
• 1 egg, whisked in 1 cup of milk
• 1 cup Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil OR 1/2 cup olive oil combined with 1/2 cup melted butter

For the meat filling

• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Carefully lay the thawed phyllo dough sheets between two lightly damp kitchen towels.
3. Begin with preparing the meat filling. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large nonstick pan. On medium-high heat, saute the chopped onions briefly. Add the ground beef. Cook until fully browned, tossing regularly. Remove the pan from the heat briefly to drain any fat, then return back to the stove. Add in the spices and stir to fully combine. Remove from the heat.
4. Now, to assemble the phyllo pie, lay three to four sheets of phyllo dough on the bottom of a lightly greased 9 1/2 x 13 x 2 1/4 inch baking pan. Fold any excess dough in. Brush the top phyllo sheet very generously with the melted butter and oil mixture. Repeat this step as you lay three to four sheets of phyllo at a time in the baking pan until you have used up 1/2 of the phyllo sheets.
5. Now, as you have a nice base for your pie, spread the meat filling evenly on top of the last phyllo sheet.
6. Layer the remaining sheets on top of the meat repeating the same process as before (again, three or four sheets at a time, fold excess phyllo and butter the top sheet) until the phyllo sheets are used up.
7. Brush the top sheet very generously with the butter and olive oil mixture. With a sharp knife, cut the phyllo pie into 12 squares.
8. Season the prepared milk and egg mixture with salt and pepper and pour evenly over the pie.
9. Place the phyllo meat pie on the middle rack of the 350 degrees F heated-oven for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until cooked through. It should turn a nice golden brown. Be watchful so that pie does not over bake or burn.
10. Serve warm with a side salad! Enjoy!

Notes

– Do not skimp on “buttering” the phyllo layers as indicated above. Make sure you drizzle or brush a generous amount of the olive oil mixture so that each layer is well soaked. If you want to stay on the healthy side, you can always adjust the mixture to have more olive oil than butter.
– If you want to prepare the pie ahead of time, you can follow the steps all the way to step 11, but do not pour the milk-egg mixture over until just before you have to bake it. The pie must be covered tightly and kept in the fridge until you are ready to bake. Do not prepare more than one night ahead.