Byrek With Meat — Traditional Albanian Recipe With Thin Phyllo and Savory Meat Filling

Byrek with meat is one of the most beloved dishes of Albanian cuisine — crispy thin phyllo filled with ground meat seasoned with onion, pepper and aromatic spices.

Byrek with meat is the foundation of every Albanian table — thin, crispy phyllo wrapping a juicy ground-meat filling, simply seasoned with onion, salt and pepper. It bakes in the oven until golden and is served warm, with yogurt or buttermilk alongside.

INGREDIENTS (for 6 servings)

• 500 g ground meat (beef, or a beef-and-lamb mix)
• 1 kg ready-made byrek phyllo (or homemade rolled-out dough)
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 100 ml corn oil or 80 g melted butter (for brushing the phyllo)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano or chopped parsley (optional)
• 1 egg for brushing the top (optional)

PREPARATION STEPS

1. Prepare the filling: in a pan with a little oil, sauté the finely chopped onions until soft and lightly golden.
2. Add the ground meat and fry, crumbling it with a spoon, until browned and its water has evaporated. Add the salt, pepper and oregano, stir and remove from the heat. Let it cool slightly.
3. Heat the oven to 200°C. Grease a baking pan with oil.
4. Layer half of the phyllo sheets in the pan, brushing each with oil or melted butter.
5. Spread the meat filling evenly over the phyllo.
6. Cover with the remaining phyllo, brushing each sheet with oil again. Seal the edges and cut the byrek into squares before baking.
7. Brush the surface with beaten egg (optional) and bake for 35–40 minutes, until golden and crispy.
8. Let it rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, with yogurt or buttermilk.

Time: preparation ~30 minutes, baking ~40 minutes. Servings: 6.