Phyllo meat pie, also known as Egyptian goulash, is a savory pie made of well-seasoned, minced beef with a dash of creaminess that lies between many layers of flaky, crispy, golden phyllo pastry dough. This cozy and hearty ground beef meat pie is easy to prepare and make ahead. It's the ultimate comfort food to warm you up this season.
Why You'll Love Phyllo Meat Pie (Egyptian Goulash)
- Crispy, flaky phyllo dough. If you don't know what phyllo dough is, you're missing out! Phyllo dough (also called filo dough) is a crispy, flaky pastry dough that is soft, crunchy, light, and filling all at the same time. It's not sweet, so it's the perfect dough for a savory meat pie like Egyptian goulash.
- Savory meat filling. The delicious ground beef mixture is a simple one made with just a handful of ingredients, but the flavor it packs on in incredible. Plus, when you add in the creamy milk mixture on top, it gives it a creaminess that is so comforting.
- Ultimate comfort food. If you are craving some comfort for dinner, then this is for you. Well-seasoned meat sandwiched between the crispy, golden dough delivers a pie that satisfies every time. You'll love your first bite (and every bite after!) of this phyllo meat pie.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make this delicious and comforting phyllo ground beef meat pie, you will need the following ingredients:
- ground beef filling - made with ground beef, vegetable oil, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- butter
- olive oil
- phyllo pastry sheets
- milk
- egg
- salt and pepper
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl, and a 9x13 casserole pan or half sheet baking pan.
How to Make the Best Phyllo Meat Pie (Egyptian Goulash)
- Prepare the beef filling. Heat oil in a large shallow saucepan for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles. Add ground beef and stir well to cook for 5-7 minutes until browned on all sides. Stir in garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until tender. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Add tomato paste and stir well to combine. Set aside and let the beef mixture cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
- Assemble the phyllo meat pie. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter and olive oil and light grease a 9x13-inch casserole pan (or baking pan) using a silicone brush.
- Place 3-4 sheets of phyllo dough at a time on the lightly greased pan and tuck in any excess dough. Generously apply the butter mixture over the first layer of dough until evenly covered.
- Place another 3-4 sheets of phyllo dough and spread the butter mixture over evenly.
- Repeat with one more time layer of 3-4 sheets phyllo dough and butter mixture. This will create the laminated puff pastry dough made up of many layers of alternating dough and butter mixture.
- Add and evenly spread the meat filling.
- Repeat the same steps over the top of the filling by adding layers of 3-4 sheets of dough and butter mixture until all phyllo sheets and butter mixture are finished.
- Make and pour in the milk mixture. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together milk, egg, salt and pepper. Cut the phyllo pie into 12 even pieces using a sharp knife and slowly pour and spread the milk mixture over the pie.
- Bake. Transfer the baking pan into a 375 F preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until the crust is crispy and golden brown on top. Let the pie rest for 10-15 minutes and serve.
Storing and Reheating
- Make ahead instructions: You can cook the beef filling 1-2 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to make the goulash, all you need to do is assemble the meat pie and bake.
- Tips for working with phyllo: Phyllo is typically found in the frozen aisle of the grocery store. To use it in this recipe, it needs to be thawed. For the best results, thaw it slowly in the refrigerator overnight, or for a few hours at room temperature. When you are working with the filo sheets, keep in mind that they will dry out if left out of their packaging for too long, so work quickly when assembling.
- How to store phyllo meat pie: Egyptian goulash is best served fresh. To store any leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Note that the phyllo may loose some of its crispiness. I found that the best way to get the crispiness back is to reheat in the air fryer.
- How to freeze: Once cooled, wrap up any leftover phyllo meat pie tightly in plastic cling wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours at room temperature before reheating.
- How to reheat: I would not recommend reheating phyllo meat pie in the microwave as it will loose its crunch. Instead, use an air fryer, oven, or toaster oven preheated to 350F and reheat for 5-10 minutes until the meat pie is warmed through.
More Ground Beef Recipes
- 25 Best Ground Beef Recipes
- Ground Beef Meat Pie
- Mexican Ground Beef Tacos
- Mini Meat Pies with Soy Sauce
- Skillet Shepherd's Pie
- Classic Meatloaf
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Recipe
Phyllo Meat Pie (Egyptian Goulash)
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 servings
Description
Phyllo meat pie (Egyptian goulash) is a savory pie made of well-seasoned ground beef that lies between layers of flaky, crispy, golden phyllo pastry dough.
Ingredients
Scale
For the beef filling:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
For the assembling the pastry:
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 package phyllo pastry sheets (about 20 sheets), thawed overnight
- 1 cup milk,(240 grams)
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the beef filling:
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Heat oil in a large pan for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles. Add ground beef and stir well to cook for 5-7 minutes until browned on all sides.
- Stir in garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until tender. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin.
- Add tomato paste and stir well to combine. Set aside and let the beef mixture cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
Assemble the phyllo meat pie:
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter and olive oil and light grease a 9x13-inch baking pan using a silicone brush.
- Place 3-4 sheets of phyllo dough at a time on the lightly greased pan and tuck in any excess dough. Generously apply the butter mixture over the first layer of dough until evenly covered.
- Place another 3-4 sheets of phyllo dough and spread the butter mixture over evenly.
- Repeat with one more time layer of phyllo dough and butter mixture. This creates the laminated puff pastry dough which is made up of many layers of alternating dough and butter mixture.
- Add and evenly spread the meat filling.
- Repeat the same steps over the top of the filling by adding layers of 3-4 sheets of dough and butter mixture until all phyllo sheets and butter mixture are finished.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together milk, egg, salt and pepper.
- Cut the phyllo pie into 12 even pieces using a sharp knife and slowly pour and spread the milk mixture over the pie.
Bake:
- Transfer the baking pan into the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until the crust is crispy and golden brown on top.
- Let the pie rest for 10-15 minutes and serve.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Beef
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Egyptian
Tina says
Made this last night; it was really delicious! And easy!!!! Will definitely be making it again!
Brad says
Nice! I add more garlic, some onion and red bell pepper because, well, because I add onion garlic and bell pepper to everything?
Kathy S. says
Was a tad bit skeptical about this dish but I had a roll of phyllo dough that I needed to use up so I tried it and I’m glad I did! Thanks for sharing!