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.
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 ½ x 13 x 2 ¼ 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 ½ 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!
Looking for more phyllo pastry recipes? Try Spanakopita or my favorite dessert Baklava!
Phyllo Meat Pie (Egyptian Goulash)
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 pieces 1x
Description
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!
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 ½ cup olive oil combined with ½ cup melted butter
For the meat filling
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1 ½ lb lean ground beef
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Carefully 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 to 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 ½ x 13 x 2 ¼ 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 ½ 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 pie does not over bake or burn.
- 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.
-Recommended for this Recipe: Our Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil (from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives!)
- Visit our store to browse our spices, olive oils and bundles!
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean/Egyptian
Keywords: Phyllo Meat Pie, Egyptian Goulash, Goulash, Meat pie, phyllo dough
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Is there a good way to reheat this at all??
★★★★★
Hi, Andrew! Sure! I typically reheat mine in the oven for just a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Can I add cheese to this recipe in the meat layer? I didn’t want the saltiness of feta so I bought ricotta, but haven’t tried it yet. I’m a little worried I’ll lose some crispiness in the phyllo but willing to risk it for cheeeeeese.
I've never added cheese to this one personally, Zelda, so I'm not exactly sure how it would turn out.
Thank you for the insight of putting 5 layers of phyllo dough and then butter (instead of each layer as in Spinach Pie). In lieu of allspice, I pulled out my pasticcio spices which is cinnamon and nutmeg Oh and two Tbs tomato paste. I cut them into hearts for Valentines dinner at home! Great success. Thanks again.
Awww! Cute idea! 🙂
Delicious!!!! I used half amount meat and rest chopped portobello mushrooms and added frozen peas/carrots/green beans to optimize our veggie intake. Will make again. Seems like a you have a lot possibilities for flavors and combinations for fillings.
★★★★★
Thanks for sharing your veggie adaptation, Kate! Great idea!
This was delicious; I made it a few years ago and I'm so glad I found the recipe again! So so good.
★★★★★
Thanks, CJ!
Hello, I want to try out this recipe but I am confused when it comes to layering the phyllo dough. basically the base and top of the pie will have 6 to 8 phyllo sheets? and do we use butter between each sheet or only at the beginning and the end of placing 3 to 4 sheets?
Yes... the base and top will have around 6-8 sheets in total. It really depends how many sheets are in the package of phyllo you purchased. Half of the package should be used on the base, and half on the top. You don't need to butter between each sheet. Only after each set of 3-4 sheets. Hope that helps!!
It was good but not very flavorful - on the bland side. I did not have allspice and used Lowery seasoned salt instead but I cannot imagine it making that much difference.
★★★
Thanks, Suzanne. I do hope you'll try it with quality allspice as indicated; it does make a big difference in flavor and it is the reason your phyllo meat pie was not as flavorful.
Love it and will make this monthly! For Life!
★★★★★
Awesome!!! 🙂
What a wonderful recipe! Made this while staying with my brother while he was ill. Such a treat! Not difficult, so flavorful, and the phyllo crunch was fantastic. First time I’d used phyllo. Total success. Thank you for sharing! Probably going to move on to phyllo meat and feta rolls now...
★★★★★
I'm so glad you enjoyed this! Hope you're brother is doing better!
Hi Suzy, if I'd like to avoid dairy, what can I substitute the milk with? I'm thinking tomato sauce may turn out good.
How using about a non-dairy "milk"? Like almond or soy milk?
Hi, I'm Egyptian and would advise to replace it with broth or chicken or vegetable stock, you will still get the rich flavor.
Thanks for sharing!