Chef-tested recipe
Burek is a hallmark of the Bosnian bakery tradition: thin pastry wrapped around a savoury meat filling and commonly arranged in coils. In Bosnian usage, burek typically means the meat-filled pie, while cheese and spinach versions have disti
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 8 servings
- Cuisine
- Bosnian
- Cooking Method
- Meat filling, filo rolling and oven baking
- Best Served With
- Plain yogurt, kefir or a cucumber salad
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh or thawed refrigerated filo pastry sheets
- 650 g minced beef
- 280 g onion, finely diced
- 95 ml neutral vegetable oil, divided paid link
- 60 ml water, as needed for pastry brushing
- 8 g fine salt paid link
- 3 g ground black pepper
- 2 g sweet paprika, optional
- 200 g plain yogurt, to serve
Method
Prepare filling. Heat 25 ml oil in a heavy pan and sweat onion for 6 minutes. Add mince and cook 8–10 minutes until cooked through, stirring to break up lumps; season and cool promptly before wrapping.
Preheat oven. Set oven to 200°C. Line a large round baking pan with parchment or grease it lightly.
Prepare filo. Lay pastry sheets on a dry work surface and keep unused sheets covered with a clean damp towel so they do not crack.
Fill and roll. Place a narrow line of cooled filling along the long edge of two stacked lightly oiled filo sheets. Roll into a long cylinder; coil loosely into the centre of the baking tray. Continue outward with remaining pastry and filling.
Oil the top. Brush coils lightly with the remaining oil, adding a few drops of water only if needed to prevent excessive brittleness.
Bake and serve. Bake 35–40 minutes until golden, crisp and thoroughly heated through to at least 75°C in the centre. Rest 5 minutes and slice into sections; serve with yogurt.
Beginner Technique Notes
- Because the filling is precooked, this version is particularly manageable for beginners.
- Do not overload pastry with filling: the coils should bake evenly instead of remaining doughy.
- The result is adapted to commercial filo, which differs from freshly stretched Bosnian jufka.
Substitutions
- A mix of beef and lamb can replace beef alone.
- Use quality dairy-free yogurt for a dairy-free serving adaptation.
- If filo tears, overlap it with another sheet; pastry thickness matters less than proper rolling.
Storage and Food Safety
Cool leftover pie promptly and refrigerate at 4°C or below for up to 2 days. Reheat in a preheated oven until the centre reaches 75°C. Avoid leaving warm meat-filled pastry out during service.
Serving Ideas
- Plain yogurt, kefir or a cucumber salad
Allergen Notes
Wheat (gluten) from filo; milk from yogurt if served. Check commercial pastry ingredients for additional allergens.
